Coffin Contents and Decoration

Families can choose how they wish to present their loved one’s coffin. Most families choose some type of floral arrangement (see my previous blog). Other things that can be considered are usually representative of the person. Having flowers doesn’t exclude other memorabilia – a combination is often chosen.

Families may choose to have a photograph of the deceased. This can be stood on the coffin (if it is in a frame with a stand), or leant up against a coffin placed on the catafalque at the crematorium. If the photograph is very large, it may be better displayed separately on an easel, table or shelf depending on the venue’s facilities. Some families choose to have more than one photo, and may even include family photos or ones of family members who have already passed away.

Deceased with military connections or who are particularly patriotic may ask for the coffin to be draped in a flag. When a deceased has won medals, they can be displayed on a medal cushion. Flags and medal cushions can sometimes be provided by the Funeral Director, or the family can provide their own.

During a Catholic service in church, the coffin is sometimes covered by the pall (a cloth covering from the Latin Pallium, a cloak) that is the property of the church. The flowers are removed and placed to one side, then the cloth is ceremoniously unfolded onto the coffin and the priest places a bible and cross on top of it. At the end of the service in church, the ceremony is repeated in reverse and the flowers placed back on the coffin lid for its journey onwards.

In some funeral celebrations, the family request a candle lighting ceremony. If this is the case, the celebrant will provide the candle. It should be noted that in order to comply with Health and Safety regulations, a lit candle must be an electric one. The celebrant positions the candle at the start of the service and removes it at the end.

Other items positioned on the coffin can be very varied. I have seen soft toys, alcohol, drinking glasses, hats, leather jackets, golf clubs, cricket bats, ceremonial jackets and so on. I once had a family that was very keen on vegetables and we had a lovely selection placed in a basket on the coffin.

Sometimes it follows that items that are not allowed by law to be placed inside a coffin are placed on top, or it may just be that the family wish to retain the item.

If a burial is taking place, most things are allowed. The official exception being cremated remains in the coffin. The deceased can be dressed in whatever the family wish, including shoes and belts. I have known them have lighters, trinkets, electrical goods, glass, alcohol, cuddly toys and the rest.

In the case of cremation, it is different in that the crematoria in Great Britain have to comply with the Clean Air Act. Their emissions are monitored by computers. The Funeral Director has to complete official paperwork stating that the coffin and contents comply with the standards and it is their responsibility to advise their clients what is and what is not allowed.

In my area, leather isn’t allowed nor synthetic materials, glass or anything which may explode. If a deceased has been fitted with a pacemaker, it must be removed either by the hospital, or if the death occurred in the community, the Funeral Director will arrange for it to be done.

The cremation authorities vary in their interpretation of the law. Some will not allow a deceased to wear their own clothes for cremation, allowing only shrouds.

If families sneak cremated remains into a coffin which is to be cremated, it should be noted that they will be discovered at the end of the cremation process. Cremated remains are very dense (being highly reduced) and, as such, their form is not altered by a second cremation and they are recognisable for what they are. Serious questions would be asked! Families who wish to put deceased together are advised to mix the remains after two separate cremations.

Deceased can be cremated in their jewellery, but it should be noted that jewellery is destroyed by the intense temperatures of the process. It is then separated from the ash and either disposed of in an environmentally friendly way by the crematorium staff or returned to the family. Families are usually asked their wishes at the time of the arrangement. If families ask for the metal residue, the only parts that are recognisable are artificial joints, as they can stand the intense heat.

This blog, like my others, is meant to provide food for thought. Your Funeral Director is there to support you with informed choices and advice.