Funeral in lockdown

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Hi wonder if anyone can help please. Sadly have a family funeral next week. Not covid related.

Have heard something about how in lockdown it may simply be held outside. Presently meant to be 30 within a service.

Can anyone shed any light on this and funerals in lockdown please.

Are you in England? My father died suddenly just before lockdown in November. In the end as there was a post mortem and coroner involved it went past the lockdown and his funeral was in mid December, but it would have been the same in the lockdown period, we just wouldn't have been able to hold a wake. The service was held in the crematorium chapel as normal. Up to 30 people allowed dependent on social distancing. Hotels were open for essential reasons which this counts as.

And very sorry for your loss

I have attended two funerals in lockdown and one today 'virtually' by watching a livestream. This was NI. The mass was in the church as normal limited to 25 with social distancing in the church. I haven't heard if funerals being held outside here in England or NI.

Sorry for your loss. A funeral can only be up to 30 people.

From the Government website: In all tiers, funeral ceremonies must have no more than 30 people attending, whether indoors or outdoors. This number does not include funeral staff.

Check carefully with the venue beforehand as the last one I went to could actually only take 21 in the chapel so 9 people had to stand outside unexpectedly. The family hadn't been told this and were upset that people were left outside.

You need to ask the bereaved who are organising. I’m sorry for your loss.

Numbers depend on what the venue can safely accommodate and cannot exceed 30.

Masks worn in all venues, seated in household groups. No touching, no singing etc.

If you haven’t specifically been invited then you’ll need to just wait outside to pay respects.

I’ve been to four funerals since March. There were limits to thirty attendees but all had fewer than that. The seats in the venues were all laid out 2 metres away from each other like pieces on a chess board, so there was no way to sit next to or near anyone for a handhold, even if they were in your family group. Masks worn indoors and out by the funeral party but not by the official conducting the services.

At one we managed to have nibbles at a pub after (in the summer) the other three have been straight home afterward, although in one case we didn’t manage to get take out coffee and sit in our cars in a costa car park having a distanced chat from other bereaved family members.

All have been cremations so I’m not sure what burials would do, I bet if you called the venue they could tell you what to expect if you don’t want to bother the organiser of the funeral. I’m sorry for your loss.

Sorry for your loss OP.

We went to a family funeral in August. It was held inside, but only 16 people were allowed inside because of space. Others were allowed to stand out side. We also had to wear masks.

It was honestly the worst thing I've ever had to face and I still feel terrible that they didn't get the send off they deserved.

It really does depend on the area. My father's funeral two weeks ago went as well as I could have wished. I got to sit with my partner and he held my hand throughout (would have been a mess without this). My brother and I both did a reading and were able to remove masks for this. Everyone could sit with their household bubbles. We then had a wake for 12 close family in a pub with buffet lunch and drinks.

The seats in the venues were all laid out 2 metres away from each other like pieces on a chess board, so there was no way to sit next to or near anyone for a handhold, even if they were in your family group.

I suspect this is more usual for a crematorium (where services usually are booked up one after the other) than for a church or other worship building.

In a church service the undertaker or the vicar/priest will ask for a seating plan of family households and ensure seats are distributed accordingly, so that support can be given.

I attended a funeral in Tier 2 just before Xmas.

The crematorium allowed up to 30 people sitting inside, more than 2m apart, wearing masks. The wake had to be cancelled but we stood outside in the grounds and chatted for a while. It was limited but calm.

Sorry for your loss.

Thank you

Yes that sounds like what they have told us. They are not having anything afterwards. Just wondered if we have further lockdown it may be held outside rather than in. Hopefully not though.