Funeral Care in Southampton

Losing a loved one is undoubtedly one of the most difficult things one can experience. J Lawrence & Sons are there for you every step of the way, arranging compassionate services for families who have lost someone beloved.

Our family-run business has been organising memorial services throughout the Hampshire area for over 150 years, so it’s safe to say that we can guide you through this difficult process and make it as easy as possible for you during this tough time. With us, your loved one’s service will never be found wanting because we take all your requirements into consideration.

Funeral Directors Serving Southampton

When we established our company back in 1870, little did we know that we would become the leading family-run, independently owned funeral care business in the Hampshire region. Over the past 150 years, we have brought together some of the most experienced, compassionate, and professional service directors to help our clients through their troubled times.

Meet Our Experienced Funeral Directors in Southampton

John and Chris Lawrence share a total of 60 years of expertise between them, as they entered the family business after finishing their education. Carrying on the tradition of previous generations, we are proud to continue our family’s legacy in providing beautiful funeral care services in Hampshire.

Our professional team of directors will assist you in planning every detail of the service, from the general arrangement to the registration of your loved one’s death. Leave it in our hands to help you navigate this stressful time and relieve you of the burden of planning while you grieve.

Get in Touch

Please fill in our form below or give us a call on 023 8055 4801 and we will get back to you.

Planning a Funeral

There are ultimately many details that go into arranging a beautiful service to properly say farewell to your loved ones. Whenever you feel prepared to start planning the ceremony, J Lawrence & Sons will be there for you to help you design a service from start to finish. We assist you in making important planning decisions and ask detailed questions to identify the exact service you’re looking for. For example, will the service be religious? If so, would you like it to be carried out in a chapel setting?

Other details include flower arrangements, music, vehicle options, obituaries, coffin choice, and burial/cremation services. You are not alone; our directors are right there by your side to help you get through these hard decisions as smoothly as possible.

We know that no two families are the same, which is why we make it a priority to provide unique, fully individualised service plans to our clients. Your loved one will receive the proper service to honour their passing according to every single one of your requirements.

All you need to do is ask, and we will deliver. For better service, we offer a consultation at the venue of your choice, be it your residence or office, to get clear on the details. Planning a ceremony with the help of our directors spares you much hassle during this difficult time

Funeral Finance Options

Depending on the service you have in mind, prices can vary considerably. If financial difficulties are a concern, your situation may qualify you to receive financial aid from the government. Visit the gov.uk webpage for more information and to check whether or not you meet eligibility criteria.

Pre-Paid Funeral Plan

We have partnered with Golden Charter to bring you prepaid plans to ensure that financial barriers do not get in the way of giving your loved one a proper farewell. Golden Charter seemed like the best option for us as an independent, family-run business, reflecting well on our business’ values.

This provider has enabled us to provide our clients with much-needed flexibility during a very tough time in their lives whilst giving them the peace of mind that their every ceremony requirement will be met. The Golden Charter option is an easy, customisable plan for meeting our clients’ wishes at every turn.

Funeral Care Specialists in Southampton

You can rest assured you’re getting the most streamlined and hassle-free service in the region with J Lawrence & Sons. Our 150 years in the business, over the course of four generations, has made us experts in offering bespoke services to our clients.

Why Choose our Funeral Care in Southampton 

Our business has become a mainstay in the local community, as we have helped countless families navigate the deaths of their loved ones, sparing them the stress of having to plan an entire service on their own. We know all too well how tedious it can be to organise a service during a time of grief and mourning, which is why we do our very best and more to save you the effort.

We shoulder some of the burden and have our directors go through the details of arranging a comprehensive, beautiful service, taking into account every single one of your requirements. Customer support is the utmost priority when running our business, especially since clients come to us during some of the hardest periods in their lives. Our directors will provide not only their services in planning the ceremony but also much-needed emotional support through it all.

Funeral Services 

We bring together a comprehensive selection of services, ensuring that no detail goes unchecked at your loved one’s final ceremony. From the coffin to the flowers, you can guarantee a beautiful and seamless service to honour your loved one and ease their departure.

Coffins and Caskets

The choice of vessel for your loved one’s burial can be a tough one to make, but our ceremony directors are by your side through it all. Be it a coffin or casket, it is paramount that it be of high quality and suitable to your loved one’s measurements. J Lawrence & Sons have the experience to help you choose the best option.

Though used interchangeably, coffins and caskets do share some differences. Coffins are usually narrower at the top and bottom, while caskets are uniformly rectangular throughout. Both are bestowed a polished exterior, but caskets in specific are usually constructed out of higher quality wood and possess more elaborate crafted finishes.

No matter your choice, you can rest assured to find one suited to your needs in our wide selection of coffins and caskets. We painstakingly check that each is to the highest standards of quality, utilising excellent timber and veneer to extend the vessel’s lifespan. Our impeccable attention to detail and superior craftsmanship can be seen in all our products as a respectful tribute to your loved one.

Cremation Services

Our company tailors services to a wide range of religious backgrounds, which is why we also offer cremation alongside traditional burial services. We leave the choice to you.

Cremation is no small thing and cannot be trusted to just anyone. This is why we have partnered with three of the most trusted crematoriums in the area: Southampton Crematorium, Wessex Vale Crematorium, or Test Valley Crematorium.

As for cemeteries, there are several in the area which are all Council-owned, but you can always get in touch with us should you be looking into other locations around the area. Ashes from the cremation can be preserved in an urn which we will gladly provide or scattered at the cemetery.

Another option is scattering them in a churchyard or a family gravesite, or simply at your loved one’s favourite spot. While you decide on the final resting place of your loved ones, the remains can stay under our care until you and your family reach a decision.

Burial Services

Family members, religious practice, and your own personal wishes all factor into the decision of burying your loved one. Our burial services leave none of these elements unaccounted for, especially since we make it a point to consult with you first before any execution on our part.

Choosing a burial site can be a tough decision, as it is considered to be the deceased’s final resting place. With this in mind, we can arrange for the burial to be in a family graveyard, church, or a non-religious chapel. Everything down to the last detail is planned by our ceremony directors. You can opt for hymns or pre-recorded music at the burial. We even provide the coffin or casket, making a wide range available for your every requirement.

Funeral Flowers

Presenting flowers at death ceremonies has been a time-honoured tradition for hundreds of years, thereby necessitating that the chosen arrangement is appropriate and appealing to the eye. Families usually choose their loved one’s favourite flower but can also change their minds once they take a look at the extensive arrangements we offer.

Religious factors also have a bearing on the choice of flowers. For instance, Buddhists will never allow red flowers to be present during their funerals. With this in mind, our florists are happy to provide you with advice to help you choose the most beautiful arrangement for your loved one’s passing.

We can have your flowers arranged into different aesthetic forms, from garlands to wreaths to casket sprays. Lilies, orchids, and chrysanthemums are just a few of our most popular choices. Open-casket services usually opt for half-casket sprays, whereas closed casket funerals mix flowers and greens for a unique combination.

Flowers can be arranged for by us, or you can have your florist deliver your order to the site a minimum of 2 hours before the ceremony’s start.

Memorial Services

Memorial services are usually held after the ceremony to bring together the family and friends of the deceased and celebrate some of their brightest memories. Such teary occasions can be both time-consuming and expensive to plan, especially during such an emotionally stressful time.

Our professionals are right by your side to relieve you of this burden and put together a beautiful memorial service. You can request certain features to be included, such as flowers, music, and religious services, all within your budget.

Funeral Vehicles

We provide three hearse options for mourners: an ultramodern Jaguar limousine, a traditional Daimler Limousine, or a horse-drawn hearse. Our limousines seat up to 7 passengers and return mourners to their places of residence after the service.

You can of course opt for taking your own car. You can also choose to follow and meet the hearse at its destination, as it departs from J Lawrence & Sons premises, the deceased’s home, or your own place of residence.

Registering a Death 

Dealing with legal paperwork is the last thing on the family’s mind when going through such an emotionally turbulent time. This is why we have taken it upon ourselves to handle the bulk of the legalities for you when needing to register your loved one’s death. Because registration can be confusing, we make ourselves available at all times of the day for your questions.

Depending on the location where your loved one passed away, be it a hospital or nursing home, there are different procedures that need to be executed after obtaining the right documents. The best approach would be to contact us from the location so we can mediate with the institution’s department on your behalf.

In the case of a hospital passing, healthcare staff will usually direct the family towards the appropriate department that issues the medical certificate. This is needed to officially register the death. It would be ideal if you contacted us in this case, to allow us to act as liaison between you and the hospital department on this matter.

Nursing homes usually arrange for a doctor or certified nurse to verify the death before passing your loved one into our care. They will then contact us on your behalf to arrange for the transfer, making sure to allow for family visits if that is what you wish. In the meantime, a death certificate will either be issued by a doctor or the nursing home itself and is made available for your collection.

Whatever the case may be, we are there at every turn to offer advice should you need it, especially regarding the legal procedures and paperwork. Be sure to check out our website, where we provide detailed answers to some of the most common questions regarding this topic.

Gallery

With every past one of our services, we have made it a point to lay loved ones to rest and send them off in beautiful, compassionate ceremonies. The funerals we organise have become a sign of hope in the community because clients know that they are an opportunity to not only bid their loved one’s farewell but also to celebrate their lives.

Each of these memories has been captured in our gallery, where our compassion and professional services shine through the pictures, showing you why we are the best choice for designing bespoke funerals.

 Testimonials  

Our supportive and compassionate customer service, combined with our bespoke services, has brought in stellar reviews from our clients. Our testimonials are a sure sign that we are delivering quality, cost-effective ceremonies with the best support to clients during their most trying time.

Contact Us for Funeral Care in Southampton 

Should you require such services in the region, J Lawrence & Sons are there to organise bespoke, compassionate funerals encompassing all of your and your family’s wishes. Call us now and talk to one of our ceremony directors to discuss the details or complete the contact form on our webpage with your enquiry. Once you send in your message, our service directors will get back to you as soon as possible with your desired answers. Make sure to contact us with no delay to organise a gorgeous service befitting your loved one, giving them an appropriate send-off.