Fife funeral director launches ‘I Didn’t Know You Could That!’ guide to personalising funerals

It comes as more and more families ask for personal touches to be added to a service for their loved ones.

These could include everything from Harley Davidson bikes to Lego decorations.

St Andrews based William Purves features real life examples of unique funerals in the guide to inspire families planning a funeral service.

The five-generation family firm was also inspired by a recent survey conducted by William Purves, which found that 19% of responders would love a highly personalised funeral.

Syd Stevenson, funeral director, said: “Unlike weddings that take months, and sometimes years to plan, funerals are organised in a matter of days leaving less time to consider the options.

“We wanted to make it as easy as possible for families to understand what’s possible and perhaps take some of the strain out of creating a perfect send off.

“We have helped countless bereaved families say goodbye in a way that is meaningful and personal to them.

“We take pride in meeting the family, asking them questions, and observing – it could be the Harleys parked in the front drive, the whisky collection or cricket trophy that sparks an idea to make the service personal to their loved one.

“However, we would like people to consider their own send off and create their own bespoke celebration of a life lived which is why the guide has been produced.”

The growing interest in bespoke funeral services has been heightened during the Covid-19 pandemic, where, in the absence of in-person services, families sought out different ways to make saying goodbye more meaningful.

Taking the procession through significant routes to allow friends and families to pay their respect from afar is just one of the ideas that can be carried forward into ceremonies today.

When asked to rank the importance of services offered by funeral directors in terms of importance, the ability to “make a funeral more personal’ was ranked second in a list of twenty, surpassing live streaming and extravagant floral wreaths.