Heaven on Earth

About Us Funerals Coffins Shop FAQs Publicity         Heaven on Earth 18 Upper Maudlin St Bristol BS2 8DJ tel / fax +44 (0)117 926 4999 email heaven.earth@virgin.net web heavenonearthbristol.co.uk

Funerals Heaven on Earth was established in 1995 and is watched over by Paula Rainey Crofts and Simon Dorgan. We are bespoke funeral designers who specialise in helping families to plan a personal, individual celebration of the life of the person who has died. We offer families and friends the choice to become involved in some or all aspects of the funeral or to allow our professional team to carry out their wishes. Consultations We are able to help you discuss and explore all the possibilities for an individual funeral and consultations can be arranged at our shop. Our range of funeral services can be tailored to meet your needs whether they be for a cremation or lawn burial or for a garden, meadow or woodland burial. You may like to have a burial at sea. Whichever you choose, we encourage you to become involved in the planning and if desired to decorate the coffin youselves. We respect the rituals and beliefs of all faiths and cultures and help you to fashion a celebration that is profoundly personal and precious. With poetry, readings and music we endeavour to celebrate the life of the deceased with dignity & respect. To this end we can recommend either religious or secular celebrants and we also christian, buddhist, pagan or humanist ceremonies. Customers' Comments "We are so glad we decorated the coffin as we did and that he was borne in by our other son along with his friends, as this involved many more family members than would ever have been the case had we opted for the traditional approach". "Heaven on Earth really has put the fun back into funerals." "Coffins to die for...." "Yours is a service not many would envy - but in your uniqueness you give dignity and a source of great empathy." "We were satisfied with the arrangements you made...they were smooth and on time and we are deeply grateful for the courteous and efficient way in which you dealt with all our various requirements. All without unction!" "Your mixture of professionalism and 'ordinariness' (please forgive me!) were enormously reassuring." "I was so glad I had a chance to feel the weight of him." "Tears of grief were mingled with tears of joy.....it gave a sense of humour amongst the pain at the saddest time of my life." "Your sympathetic, tactful, discrete and efficient help and your personal interest and touch were much appreciated." Information Pack  Many people we have helped have found it comforting to know that specific wishes for their funeral and the way that they would hope to die have been recorded in advance. We have Information Packs which explain your rights and help you make an informed choice. To assist you in your advance planning the Information Pack includes the following information: Funerals with a Funeral Director  Alternative Funerals  Caskets and Coffins  What to Do When Someone Dies  Burial Procedure Forms  Cemetery Burials  Environmental Issues  Garden, Farm and Woodland Burials  Cremation Procedure Forms  Cremated Remains & Memorialisation  Ceremonies and Beliefs Burial at Sea  Living Will Form  Mail Order Books  Advance Funeral Plan  This extensive questionnaire helps you to decide what sort of funeral you might like and enables you to record your wishes, helping to relieve those you leave behind from making difficult decisions at what must always be a very stressful time. It can be placed with your will so that your family have guidelines to refer to when arranging your funeral. Funeral Costs Heaven on Earth's charges for a funeral depend on your particular needs: whether for cremation or burial, the coffin you choose and the amount of involvement you wish to have in the funeral. All of the following are available: a consultation with the family/friends  making all the necessary arrangements for the funeral  collecting the deceased from their place of death within a 15 mile radius of Bristol  looking after the deceased until the funeral  dressing the deceased in own clothes and arranging to view  taking the deceased to the funeral in an estate car  meeting the family at the crematorium or cemetery  supplying four bearers  collecting the ashes or scattering in the Garden of Remembrance coffin/chest  hearse, Victorian glass carriage and/or limousines  minister/celebrant's fee  flowers  obituary notices  statutory fees (disbursements) payable to the cemetery/crematorium  Pre-payment Funeral Plans We recommend that everyone makes a Will and at the same time considers a pre-paid funeral plan, as each compliments the other. Although a Will takes care of your financial affairs and what to leave to your family and friends, it is not the answer to everything. Firstly it is not usually read until after the funeral prior to which many decisions have to be made. In order to avoid being a financial burden to your family we recommend that you consider a Golden Charter Pre-Paid Funeral Plan. Golden Charter is a British company serving the many independent funeral directors throughout Britain. In recent years funeral expenses have outstripped inflation, because of rising cemetery and crematoria costs and the increases in fees charged by doctors and celebrants. Once you have decided on your requirements you are never asked to pay a penny more even though funeral costs may rise. You have the choice of any funeral director and are not tied to anyone in particular. You have the option of easy monthly payments (with no extra charge if completed within 12 months) or a one-off payment. To ensure that your money is secure, a legal trust administers the funds. You have a choice of four flexible plans, each personalised to your requirements and we guarantee that your wishes will be honoured. When you take out a plan a tree will be planted on your behalf by the Woodland Trust and you will receive a record of the planting. For many people this is one of the most thoughtful decisions that they can make. We can arrange a meeting to discuss your personal requirements with no obligation, to see if taking out a pre-paid plan is the right decision for you.