This is the first in a series of articles that will look at some of the magnificent locations that Steve works with to provide his funeral celebrant services. Steve is an award-winning funeral celebrant conducting services around the West Midlands including Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire – the location of our first crematorium – that is the stunning Birches Remembrance Park and Crematorium.
What is Birches Remembrance Park & Crematorium?
Located in Northwich, Cheshire, is the privately owned Birches Remembrance Park and Crematorium. Birches crematorium is located within a stunning six-acre remembrance park. The grounds and gardens have been thoughtfully designed to provide a wealth of open space, beautifully planted flowerbeds and trees, creating a serene and peaceful environment in which to remember loved ones.
So much more than just a crematorium. Birches has been specially designed to support the grieving and offer a place of remembrance that is truly beautiful. Thoughtful additions to the facilities at Birches include:
- Flower room
- Family room
Both the flower room and family room have been designed and decorated to be supportive to grieving families. The flower room is a bright space with large windows providing a view over the grounds; memorial flowers can be placed in the room along with additional seating and refreshments if required.
For children the idea of death and loss can be difficult to explain and understand. The family room at Birches is designed for children of all ages, but particularly those with special educational needs. The room is cosy with soft furnishings, and blankets, as well as an array of books that gently help adults to explain death and discuss the process of grief with children to help them understand and process their loss.
Celebrant Led Services
If you are planning a funeral in Cheshire, the service can be held at Birches crematorium; there is a funeral planner onsite that you can make an appointment with to help you with making the arrangements. This of course, can be utilised in addition to other professionals such as a funeral director or the officiant that you would like to carry out the service.
Steve works closely with Birches Crematorium and has conducted the funeral service for many families in the Cheshire area. Steve is an award-winning funeral celebrant that can deliver the perfect service to celebrate the life of your loved one. You can find out more about Steve and his role as a celebrant here.
Funerals at Birches are conducted in the Hall of Remembrance. The room in neutral in colour, has two 86” screens that can be used to show photo/video memorials of the person that has died, there is also a state of the art sound system for playing special pieces of music as part of the service. Streaming equipment is also available allowing the service to be watched online and recorded to be watched again if required.
Memorial Options at Birches
It is tradition to remember loved ones with a memorial, often a headstone in a graveyard or plaque in a crematorium marking the place that the ashes were buried. However, Birches have an array of memorial options enabling you to pick the option that best suits the person that has died. Options include:
- Memorial Roses
- Memorial Tree
- Memorial Stones
- Steel Memorials
A living memory such as a rose bush or tree can be dedicated to your loved one. You can pick an existing tree or bush or one that is planned to be placed in the future, your loved one’s specific rose bush or tree can be marked with a personalised plaque. The gardeners will care for this living memory throughout the year. Memorial stones are engraved with your choice of words and can be placed within the gardens.
Steel Memorials are custom designed locally by Joanne Risley in Northwich, Cheshire. The corten steel will weather over time to each take on unique variations in colour and texture. These steel memorials can be placed in the grounds and can hold the ashes of your loved one.
Whichever memorial you choose the gardens at Birches are the ideal place for celebrating the life of a person that has died, a place for reflection and peaceful contemplation. You can find out more about the memorials offered on the crematorium’s website.
Additional Services
In addition to placing a memorial in the gardens at Birches crematorium, there is also the option of some unique memorial pieces that can ordered from partner businesses:
- Ashes into Glass
- Urns
Ashes into Glass is a leading supplier of custom-made jewellery made from the ashes of a person that has died. The process requires just one spoonful of ashes, which are then combined with glass and colour to create a jewel that can be set within 9-carrat gold, white gold or sterling silver to make an item of jewellery such as a necklace, earrings or ring as a keepsake and lifelong memento of your loved one.
Birches Crematorium and Remembrance Park have also recently begun to offer a new range of urns including the option for custom designs. The urns will store the ashes of your loved one and can either be taken home with you or placed within the gardens.
Funeral Celebrant in Cheshire
If you are considering holding the funeral service for your loved one at Birches Crematorium you may also like to speak with Steve, about how he can help you to plan and organise the funeral. Steve prides himself on officiating funerals that are truly representative of the person that has died. He will take the time to learn about your loved one, enabling him to deliver a personal service that will be individual to you and your family. Steve is a leading celebrant in the Cheshire area, and works closely with the crematorium staff and local funeral directors to ensure that the funeral of your loved one flows smoothly, and is arranged with compassion and care.