The Future of Personalised Funerals
Personalisation is no longer optional - it’s at the heart of modern funerals.
We recently sent out a survey to our users, and many of you shared your views on how families are approaching funerals today. The results highlight just how much families now expect a farewell that truly reflects the individuality of their loved one. Here’s what you told us:
Personalisation is the New Standard
An overwhelming 97% of you reported that families ask about how to personalise a funeral service. This is no longer a rare request — it’s a baseline expectation. Families are looking for choice, flexibility, and the opportunity to make the service uniquely their own.
The Core of Personalisation: Music and Media
The most common forms of personalisation are almost universal:
Music choices (98.5%)
Photo or video tributes (98.5%)
These are the emotional anchors of modern funerals. Respondents consistently describe music and visual tributes as the most popular aspects of a service. Beyond this, 61% advised that families personalise through colour themes (flowers, clothing), 37% create bespoke montages, and 36% choose themed coffins. Other touches — personalised orders of service, mementos, poetry, spoken tributes — are also valued, but music and media remain at the heart.
What Families Value Most
Looking across your responses, clear themes emerge about what truly matters to families:
A seamless, stress-free experience - Professionalism, reassurance, and smooth organisation are key. Families don’t want to worry about mistakes; they want to feel supported and cared for.
The personal touch - A service that feels unique, not like part of a production line. Families want to see the individuality of their loved one reflected.
Music and tributes - More than anything else, music and photo/video tributes are repeatedly highlighted as the most valued aspects of a service.
Support and guidance - Families want to be listened to, guided through the choices, and helped to create a service that feels right.
Authenticity - Success is measured by whether the service feels true to the person who has died. Families often frame this in terms of “what they would have wanted.”
Looking Ahead: A Changing Landscape
When asked about the future, you pointed to two parallel trends:
The rise of direct cremations — Many of you are concerned that this trend, often driven by cost pressures, deprives families of closure. Some believe the momentum may slow as families realise the emotional importance of a farewell.
More personalised celebrations of life — Families are moving away from formality, embracing colour, creativity, and alternative venues. Services are increasingly celebrant-led, technology-driven, and shaped around storytelling and memory-sharing.
Technology, in particular, is becoming central: streaming, slideshows, and family videos are no longer extras, but expectations.
The Future of Funerals
The funeral profession is at a crossroads. Cost-of-living pressures are driving demand for direct cremations, but the desire for personalised, meaningful, media-rich services has never been stronger. We believe it’s important to balance affordability with creativity, and provide families with empathetic guidance in making choices that feel right for them. In short, funerals are becoming less about tradition, and more about telling each unique story.
Final thoughts
For funeral arrangers, the message is clear: personalisation is no longer an optional extra - it is now central to the service families expect. This means providing choice, flexibility, and creative ways to reflect the individuality of each loved one, while ensuring the experience is seamless and stress-free.
Music and media remain the emotional core, but thoughtful touches, guidance, and authentic storytelling are equally important. As the landscape continues to shift with rising direct cremations and evolving family expectations, arrangers who support personalisation, leverage technology, and actively guide families through the process will be best placed to meet these changing needs and create truly meaningful farewells.
By embracing personalisation and guiding families with care, you can transform every farewell into a celebration that truly honours a life lived.
