• Flowers– if you have more flowers than you can cope with then it is suggested you give them to family members or friends, or donate them to a local hospice or care home. Additionally, you may like to preserve a particular bouquet.
• Donations– your funeral director can manage all the donations received prior to and at the service. They will advise you on the total amount and can arrange for it to be donated to your chosen beneficiary such as a charity.
• Ashes– if the deceased has been cremated then you will have the option to keep their ashes. Your funeral director can arrange collection. You can then choose to either bury the ashes, scatter them in a location that is special to your loved one, or simply keep them in a casket or urn.
• Headstones and kerbed memorials– there is a very wide choice of headstones or kerbed memorials (creating a defined area around a grave) from a wide variety of materials. Grave tenders should also be considered if you will find it hard to look after the grave yourself.
• Memorials– people often like to establish some form of memorial to provide a lasting memory of the person who has died. These range from garden or park benches and planting a tree, to putting up a plaque or setting up an online memorial where all manner of written and visual memories can be collated for posterity.
• Bereavement– sometimes people can struggle to come to terms with their loss. If this is the case, then don’t try to hide it. Your SAIF funeral director can advise you on practical support that is available through local charities as well as offer advice on coping with your loss.

Following the funeral, there may also be many other administrative and legal matters to deal with.