Our Celebration of Life Direct Cremation Review
As part of our commitment to helping families understand their choices, we have provided individual reviews of direct cremation companies in the uk. This detailed Celebration of Life review will help you understand if the celebration of life service is the right company for you and your lost one.
| Headline Price | |
| Inclusivity | |
| Flexibility | |
| Speed of Service | |
| Customer Satisfaction | |
| Overall |
Celebration of Life Cremation Overview
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Lowest Price – New to the funeral industry in 2019, Celebration of Life offers one of the lowest headline prices for a direct cremation funeral in Great Britain today.
Specialists – Unlike many other arrangers which offer a variety of funeral services, Celebration of Life specialises in direct cremation. They promise to include most of the essentials for carrying out a direct cremation funeral, while giving you the flexibility to choose additional options such as hand delivery of the ashes. Their prices for these optional services do, however, tend to be a little higher than those offered by some other providers.
Features – Celebration of Life offers a medium density fibreboard coffin sourced from sustainable materials with each of their direct cremation funerals. While mourners will be unable to attend the cremation, the staff at Celebration of Life will be sure to inform you of the date on which the cremation takes place. They will also allow you to choose the crematorium for an additional, negotiated fee.
Cremation Funeral Plans – In addition, Celebration of Life offers a pre-payment plan for their direct cremation service. More inclusive than an at-need funeral, you can be sure that the majority of circumstances will be taken care of when the time comes. Their flexible payment options allow for payment to be made in monthly instalments for up to five years if you wish to spread the cost.*
Planting a tree – With each of their direct cremation funeral services, Celebration of Life will donate to the planting of a tree with the National Trust “Plant a Tree Fund” – a fitting, environmentally friendly way in which to commemorate your loved one.
Customer service – Celebration of Life has earned a very high degree of customer satisfaction, suggesting that a commitment to offering care and compassion doesn’t go out of the window when opting for an affordable funeral option.
*Some instalment plans are age dependent. See below for further details.
Celebration of Life Direct Cremation Cost
What’s Included in the £795 Direct Cremation Funeral Price?
Celebration of Life will provide the following services in their single, direct cremation funeral. Everything is included in the headline price, except for the optional extras for which there will be an additional, specified charge:
Paid Extras Include
*Additional costs may be levied if providing service to the Scottish Highlands, or to any British island not connected to the mainland by a road bridge.
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR CREMATION SERVICE
1. Collection of the deceased will normally be within seven days of concluding the funeral arrangements, with the cremation itself taking place a few days after. The ashes will be delivered after a further twenty-eight days at an agreed time should you select this option. You will need to bear this timescale in mind if you wish to have the ashes present at a separate memorial service of your choosing.
2. The ashes will be returned in a biodegradable scatter tube, which can be buried directly in the ground. However you have the option of providing Celebration of Life with an urn of your choice if you prefer.
3. Unless you hold a fully paid Celebration of Life Funeral Plan, payment for the cremation service will be due in full prior to collection of the deceased – there is no credit option or payment plan available. This is in line with the service offered by most other providers.
Celebration of Life Direct Cremation Service Vs Pure Cremation
Here’s how a Celebration of Life Direct Cremation ervice compares to direct cremations offered by a selection of other providers:
| SERVICE |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIST PRICE | £1,295 | £795 | £995 | £895 |
| AREA | UK | GB | GB | GB |
| HOSPITAL/PUBLIC MORTUARY COLLECTION | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS / CARE HOME COLLECTION | £250 | £250 | yes | £200 |
| OUT-OF-HOURS COLLECTION | £250 | £250 | ? | £250 |
| DOCTORS FEE | yes | £82 | £82 | £82 |
| DRESS THE DECEASED | only clothing worn by the deceased at time of collection | Simple Gown | Simple Gown | only clothing worn by the deceased at time of collection |
| OPTION FOR OWN CLOTHES | They will drape clothes over the body but not dress them | £50 | No | yes |
| REMOVAL OF MEDICAL DEVICES | yes | yes | ? | yes |
| REMOVAL OF JEWELLERY | yes | no | ? | £50 |
| COFFIN | solid wood | Medium Density Fibreboard | Basic | Veneer Chipboard |
| MAX. TIME BETWEEN COLLECTION & CREMATION | 14 days | Unspecified | Unspecified | Unspecified |
| OPTION TO ATTEND | £250-£400 | no | no | £300 |
| OPTION TO BE INFIRMAED OF CREMATION DATE | Yes | yes | no | yes |
| CHOICE OF CREMATORIUM | No | Fee depends on location | no | Attended option only |
| DELIVERY OF ASHES | Yes | £100 | £50 to funeral home | yes |
| MAX. TIME FOR ASHES DELVIERY AFTER CREMATION | 21 days | 28 days | 21 days | 14 days |
Closest Competitor Service
Below we have listed the closest comparable product to the direct cremation service offered by Celebration of Life Direct Cremation
| Competitor | Tyde Cremations |
| Service | Similar pricing; Tyde is slightly more expensive, but for a lot more included/guaranteed Both relatively small, independent companies owned by their founder-directors |
| Difference | Tyde covers only England and Wales |
| Review | Read our Tyde Cremations Review |
Celebration of Life Direct Cremation Funeral Plans
In addition to an, ‘at need’ direct cremation service, Celebration of Life offers a direct cremation funeral plan, which is suitable for those that are planning ahead
| Headline Price | |
| Inclusivity | |
| Payment Flexibility | |
| Safety | |
| Guaranteed Coverage | |
| Customer Satisfaction | |
| Overall |
*Instalment plans longer than 24 months are open only to plan beneficiaries who will be under the age of 80 when the plan is expected to finish.
Celebration of Life Funeral Plan: How Much Will I Pay?
Pricelist
| Number of Instalments | Monthly Instalment | TOTAL COST | Extra Paid |
| Single Payment | – | £1,450.00 | – |
| 12 | £126.63 | £1,519.56 | £69.56 |
| 24 | £66.22 | £1,589.28 | £139.28 |
| 36 | £46.08 | £1,658.88 | £208.88 |
| 48 | £36.00 | £1,728.00 | £278.00 |
| 60 | £29.97 | £1,798.20 | £348.20 |
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR CREMATION PLAN
1. If paying in full, redemption for the plan benefits is available if the beneficiary dies at any time – there is no waiting period or restriction.
2.If paying by instalments, redemption for the plan benefits is available after the first twenty-four months of payments – even if your instalment plan isn’t complete.
3. If paying by instalments, redemption is available within the first twenty-four months of payments if death of the beneficiary is accidental. If death is not accidental within this time-frame, the estate of the deceased has the option of paying the balance of the plan, or requesting a full refund.
4. Prior to completing any instalment plan, coverage may be dependent upon you maintaining an up to date payment schedule.
5. You have the right to cancel the plan free of charge within sixty days following the date of purchase.
6. After sixty days, cancellation of a plan is subject to a £350 administration charge. If you are paying by instalments and have not yet paid more than £350, you will receive no refund.
7. The plan benefits are transferable to another beneficiary if the plan has been fully paid.
8. There is no requirement to disclose medical conditions.
Celebration of Life Cremation Funeral Plan Vs Other Providers
Here’s how the payment options for the Celebration of Life Direct Cremation Funeral Plan compares to similar direct cremation funeral plans offered by a selection of other providers.
Please note that not all plans may offer precisely the same benefits.
| SERVICE | | |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UP FRONT PRICE | £1,795 | £1,450 | £1,490 | £1,749 |
| DEPOSIT | no | optional | no | £49 |
| MINIMUM AGE | 18 | 18 | 50 | 18 |
| 6 MONTH PLAN | £1,749.96 | – | – | – |
| 1 YEAR PLAN | £1,866.84 | £1,519.56 | – | £1,749.00** |
| 2 YEAR PLAN | £1,941.36 | £1,589.28 | – | £1,843.00** |
| 3 YEAR PLAN | £2,019.24 | £1,658.88 | – | £1,894.72** |
| 4 YEAR PLAN | £2,100.00 | £1,728.00 | Varies* | £1,946.44** |
| 5 YEAR PLAN | £2,184.00 | £1,798.20 | – | £1,999.00** |
| 6 YEAR PLAN | – | – | – | £2,053.48** |
| 7 YEAR PLAN | – | – | – | £2,108.68** |
| 8 YEAR PLAN | – | – | – | £2,164.84** |
| 9 YEAR PLAN | – | – | – | £2,224.12** |