Unattended Funeral

Otherwise known as a direct cremation, our unattended funeral takes place without a procession, service, ceremony or attendees, and is delivered with the utmost quality and care.

Over 74,000 cremations a year Independent customer service rating of 4.9/5 on Feefo A caring and attentive team here for you and your family 24/7 Nationwide provider operating throughout mainland UK
Over 74,000 cremations a year Independent customer service rating of 4.9/5 on Feefo A caring and attentive team here for you and your family 24/7 Nationwide provider operating throughout mainland UK

What is an unattended funeral?

Unattended funerals are a popular, affordable alternative to a traditional funeral. There are no processions, no viewing of the deceased and no attendance of mourners. An unattended funeral instead focuses on making the whole process as affordable and stress-free as can be. On average, it's 69%* cheaper than a traditional funeral and is arranged with little fuss.

At Distinct Cremations, we make this possible. Our caring and attentive support team are here for you 24/7 to help with any questions you or your loved ones may have, whether that's with a query around the arrangement process, with help completing the necessary paperwork or something else no matter how big or small.

And when the time comes, our experienced funeral team offer exemplary care for the deceased, from beginning right to the end.

* 69% saving is based on the cost of a basic funeral at £4,285 (SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2025, sunlife.co.uk/ funeral-costs) vs the cost of a Distinct Cremations direct cremation at £1,299.

Choosing an unattended funeral instead of a traditional funeral lets you celebrate a loved one’s life however you wish, with less stress and no fuss.

You can view the key differences between each funeral option in more detail below.

Cremation with Distinct

An unattended funeral with Distinct Cremations

The contemporary, simple, fuss-free farewell

  • An unattended cremation with no mourners and no service
  • A compassionate, attentive team there 24/7 for your questions and support with paperwork
  • You can organise a separate memorial service that's personal and unique to your loved one
  • On average 69%* cheaper than a traditional funeral, with prices starting from just £1,299


* 69% saving is based on the cost of a basic funeral at £4,285 (SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2025, sunlife.co.uk/ funeral-costs) vs the cost of a Distinct Cremations direct cremation at £1,299.

Traditional Funeral

Traditional funeral

A fixed format funeral, with a set service

  • A set format 20-50 minute service held in a traditional setting like a church or chapel with mourners present
  • Traditionally less personal and flexible
  • Option to have a procession with a hearse and limousines
  • Funeral and service coordination from a funeral director
  • Costs on average £4,285# for a basic funeral





    # The average cost of a basic funeral in 2024 (SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2025, sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs)

What is included in an unattended cremation?

  • An unattended cremation
  • Collection of the deceased from a hospital or coroner's mortuary in office hours, weekdays
  • Care at our professional mortuary
  • 24/7 support
  • Help with all legal and cremation paperwork
  • Prepare the deceased for cremation
  • A classic coffin and urn
  • Removal of artificial mechanisms & pacemakers
  • Respectful cremation at one of our crematoria
  • Ashes scattered in the garden of remembrance

What isn't included in an unattended cremation?

  • Attendance of mourners
  • A funeral service or procession
  • Choice of crematorium
  • Choice of time
  • Embalming
  • Viewing of the deceased
  • Special requests such as memorials, flowers, catering or obituaries
Distinct Cremations

Whether your loved one has died or you’re planning for the future, we’re on hand to deliver a first-class service filled with care and compassion.

Find our low cost, no frills funeral services below or alternatively you can view our price list or our CMA standardised price list..

Arrange a funeral

From £1,299

Whether your loved one has died or is close to passing, our team is available 24/7 to support and talk you through the next steps; from collection and care of your loved one, completion of all paperwork, to the day of the funeral itself.

 

Unattended funeral plans

From £1,899 or £19.79** per month

Relax knowing that the arrangements are agreed and paid for. There are no medical questions and acceptance is guaranteed. You can also pay in monthly instalments.

** Price is for a 50 year old paying over a 10 year period. Total cost is £2,374.80 and includes admin fees.

Get in touch with us today

Whether you're wanting to arrange a funeral today, interested in funeral plans, or looking for something else, our customer service specialists are here for you 24/7 to answer any of your questions.

Call on 01543 212 000

An alternative to a traditional funeral

An unattended funeral is a great option for families looking for a fuss-free way to say goodbye. It removes the pressure of organising a traditional funeral service, allowing you to create a more personal memorial service, should you choose, at a later date.

At Distinct Cremations, we take care of arranging the funeral and return the ashes within 14 days. This means that your family and friends can then hold the memorial service at a date and venue that suits everyone.

You can also decide upon the location and date that is best suited to the attendees. Some ideas for holding a memorial service include having a meal at a favourite restaurant, a picnic in the park or a function at the local pub.

Distinct Cremations

Arranging an unattended cremation with Distinct Cremations is straightforward. If you need any help, our customer service specialists are available 24/7 for any of your questions.

1. Call us

You can call us any time of the day, 365 days a year, and we will collect the deceased from the place of death and bring them into our care.

Call on 01543 212 000

2. Paperwork guidance

Whilst we care for the deceased, our customer service specialists will contact the family to book the cremation and complete all the paperwork.

Our care for the deceased

3. Cremation and ashes

We will tell you the cremation date. Your loved one's ashes can then be scattered in our garden of remembrance or personally hand returned to you.

Hand delivery of the ashes

One of the UK’s best value direct cremation services, delivered with a caring and compassionate heart

Not only are our low cost funerals carried out with love and care, but we also offer one of the UK’s best value services.

From your very first phone call, right through to the hand delivery of the ashes, you can rest assured that you will be in the most caring and attentive hands with Distinct Cremations.

Our caring team are here 24/7 to support you through the most difficult of times

Rhiannon Pearson

Team Leader

Rhiannon P v3

What our customers say about us

We offer the highest level of support, but don't just take our word for it. Below are recent reviews from customers who bought a funeral with us.

4.9/5
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4.9/5
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4.9/5
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Anonymous, on Feefo 14 Sep 2025
Excellent service, very professional and understanding. Explained everything and advised on the best options for my family. Would recommend. We chose a basic cremation as my husband wasnt religious and it was very respectful.
Claire Church, on Feefo 5 Sep 2025
The team at Distinct Cremations were incredible during such a difficult time for me. Grace looked after me through the whole process with expert knowledge, guidance and comforting support. She provided me with a celebrant who helped me with organising the service and he too looked after me with such kindness and compassion, giving me the confidence to help arrange a service that gave my husband a dignified send off full of warmth and love. I can't praise Distinct Cremations enough. And even after the funeral, Grace is still ringing me to make sure I'm ok
Anonymous, on Feefo 3 Sep 2025
All I asked for was done and completed by Nathan I have received all the necessary documents.
Tracy MacDonald, on Feefo 1 Sep 2025
The service we received from the beginning of this journey for our family, to receiving our dad's ashes was nothing but exemplary. Dad wanted a direct cremation with no fuss, just a celebration of life with his fanily. I couldn't recommend them enough.
M. Burley, on Trustpilot 29 Aug 2025
Very pleased to recommend this company. A difficult subject was made much easier to organise with the help of a very caring lady via a phone call. Within 30 minutes everything was arranged for my husband and I and the funeral plans arrived in the post a few days later. A follow up call a week later was also welcome , just to check all was correct in the plan.
Patricia Mckenna, on Trustpilot 29 Aug 2025
Excellent customer service. A couple of weeks ago I arranged mine and my husband's cremations with Distinct Cremations. It was a very easy process to do. A young lady called Leah, led my through the process with reasssurance, kindness and professionalism. All of my questions were answered fully, everything explained in detail and all of my requests were met. 10 days later I received a phone call to make sure the paper work had arrived, that everything was correct and to check if I had any further questions. Exemplary customer service. I would not hesitate to recommend Distinct Cremations to anyone wanting to plan their funerals at a very reasonable cost.
Christopher John Gardner, on Feefo 27 Aug 2025
Dad's perfect funeral Extremely helpful and professional through the whole process.
4.9/5
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4.9/5
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4.9/5
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