At Newrest Funerals, we are often asked whether it is possible to stage a funeral on a Saturday. The fact of the matter is that Saturday funerals can certainly be arranged, something we will be available to assist you with if this is your preference. There are some things that anyone planning a funeral should take into account if they want a Saturday service, however.
Let’s look at the potential upsides of Saturday funerals as well as some of the other aspects that may mean you will want to choose another day of the week instead. Rest assured that our close-knit and compassionate team of funeral planners will be happy to oblige with whatever your preference happens to be. This article is merely designed to help you make a better-informed decision about Saturday funeral arrangements.
The Positive Aspects of Saturday Funerals
To begin with, staging a funeral on a Saturday is often the easiest way to ensure a good turnout of mourners. Most people work from Mondays to Fridays, of course. Therefore, a Saturday funeral service will usually allow more people than would otherwise be able to attend to do so. This is certainly the case if the deceased lived in another part of the country from their extended family. Simply put, Saturday funeral services tend to be more convenient if people need to travel, especially if they are held in the afternoon which means morning travel is possible.
Equally, if they’re staying overnight, then travelling back on the weekend will still be possible. This means that not only the funeral service is more likely to be attended but the wake afterwards, as well. Of course, some people simply prefer Saturday funeral services to weekday ones. You don’t need to have a sound, practical reason to arrange one on the weekend. You just need to let us know that this is your preference and we’ll make the rest of the arrangements on your behalf.
Potential Downsides to Consider for Funerals on Saturdays
Firstly, some religious beliefs mean that Saturday funerals would fall on the Sabbath – or the day of rest. As such, it is highly unusual for Jewish funerals to be arranged on a Saturday and you would, therefore, struggle to find any religious officiant for such an arrangement within mainstream Jewish belief. The same goes for certain Christian groups – such as seventh-day churches, for example – who also have their Sabbath run from Friday to Saturday evening.
Next, you need to consider the increased costs associated with Saturday funeral arrangements. Many funeral directors and Crematoriums and Cemeterys will charge more for a weekend service, for instance, while the same may be the case for florists and other service providers. Crematoria will often have slots on a Saturday but because they are in demand, they tend to cost more to book. There may not even be an appointment time available for several weeks, something to bear in mind if you don’t want to wait unduly for the service to take place. Of course, there is nothing to stop you from enquiring about a Saturday service to begin with and making a decision once you can compare the cost with a midweek alternative.
