Cremations

Most popular funerals

Cremations are now the most popular form of funeral. Most people will want a ceremony at the crematorium – using their onsite chapel – but you can also hold the service in a church or other venue of your choice prior to the cremation. 

It is entirely up to you if you want the service to be religious or non-religious. A religious service will be conducted by an ordained minister or clergy from a specific faith or religion whereas a non-religious ceremony can have a civil celebrant or officiant from the humanist society or even a family member or a friend. Doves Funeral Directors can help make arrangements for whichever type of service you would like.

 

 

What happens at a cremation service?

On the day of the funeral the cortege will travel to the crematorium. Depending on your preference, mourners may assemble outside awaiting the arrival of the hearse, or may take a seat in the chapel before the coffin is brought in either by pall bearers, selected family and friends or a mixture of both. Alternatively, the coffin can be taken to the venue prior to the mourners arriving.

A cremation funeral service varies but usually lasts between 30 to 45 minutes. Dependant on your local crematorium, you can request extra time for your service. The service can include a number of hymns or non-religious songs that mean something to you and the deceased, eulogies, readings and prayers. Mourners will be invited to go up to place flowers or say their individual goodbyes. At the end of the service the coffin is usually obscured from view with a curtain, this is called the committal, so that mourners can pay their final respects before the cremation.

Most crematoriums are able to return a loved one’s ashes one working day after the cremation, and sometimes even the same day. We can collect these for you and keep them or deliver them to an address of your choosing. At this stage you can think about what you would like to do with the ashes, some inspirational ideas you might like to consider are available here.

Doves Funeral Directors can assist you in every step of the funeral and cremation arrangements so please don’t hesitate to ask us about any aspects or queries you may have.

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Ashes, Caskets, Urns and KeepsakesCoffin Range

We have a wide range of urns and caskets for this purpose in a variety of styles and materials such as wood, marble and stone.

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Our pricing

Funeral prices vary depending on the type of ceremony you would like for your loved one. There are many options to choose from to make it unique and special.

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Planning ahead?

It is now really easy to plan ahead, making a huge difference by easing the burden on your family when the time comes, so they can focus on the arrangements.

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Need advice?

Doves Funeral Directors can assist you in every step of the funeral so please don’t hesitate to ask us about any aspects or queries you may have.

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Latest Reviews

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An excellent service from the time we called to the funeral, I can not say how caring and compassionate the whole team were. Karren in the office was so helpful and nothing was to much trouble. Toni and her team were very professionally in a…

Greg Simner

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We employed doves funeral directors to manage our queen mums funeral, and this company and its hole Team has done us proud, from start to finish. I'm very thankful and grateful to the hole Team, there work is outstanding !, well beyond outstanding actually. They…

sy Car

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In the run up to my mothers death, the gentle yet experienced guidance was exactly what one requires at such an emotional time. Throughout the entire process we were treated respectfully but also with assurity. The day before the funeral I receievd a reassuring call…

Lindsey Kitchin

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Amanda at Doves in Staplehurst was so kind, supportive and helpful to us. She explained everything very clearly and answered all of our questions. She was available to us, despite it being over the Christmas and New Year period, at any time when we needed…

Laura Wade

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Highly recommend the Ashford branch in beaver Lane so friendly and helpful as soon as you arrive

Shane Wirt

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Rose was great, really friendly and helpful making sure everything was explained clearly. The funeral crew were brilliant.…

Jackie Boddy

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Excellent service service from the whole team, particularly Toni, Nathan and Rose. Very happy to recommend.

Keith Bambrough

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Absolutely recommend Dived in larkfield . Jennie makes a really difficult time so calm with so much care . Amazing…

Bev Relf

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We have nothing but praise and gratitude for the team at Doves who recently took care of our son's funeral. They handled every contact with sensitivity and professionalism, guiding us through a deeply traumatic experience. We were especially touched by how their team dealt with…

Marc Lemezma

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Lovely staff and Rose in the Swanley office is amazing

Anne Porter

Thinking about a Funeral Plan?

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