The Crematorium chapel/ceremony hall has seating for 94 people downstairs and 36 people in the gallery. There is also standing room in the entrance hall. Within the Chapel there are fresh flowers on display and two further silk displays. All are in white and green.
There are no restrictions on how you use your time in the chapel is used and you are free to have any prayers, readings, poetry and eulogies that you feel will be most appropriate.
Before the service…
Through our website www.obitus.com – users can listen to music tracks and hymns, and easily manage orders for music, visual tributes and webcasts. The password for Mortlake Crematorium is melody
Music, visual tributes and Webcasts during the service…
During the service, music and visual tributes are managed via the Obitus system: Maestro. From playing tracks to easily displaying visual tributes, There are two 49″ portrait screens in the Chapel and you can have a photo of the person displayed. The service can be webcast which is increasingly popular option for those who cannot attend the service in person. The person arranging the funeral can ask for a webcast, slideshows, pro tribute (Photos sent to music) for which there is a small fee.
Recordings of the Webcast…
Whilst many are happy to use a funeral as closure, others prefer to keep the memory alive with our 28 day watch-again with a copy to keep on DVD, Blu-ray or USB stick.
Your Funeral Director will create your music list for the service, as they have direct access to do this. Please get your music requests and visual tributes as soon as you can. Visual tributes need to be finalised 48 hours (working days) before the service. For example if your service is on a Tuesday at 10.00 it needs to be finalised the previous Friday at 10.00 am
Many people wish to witness the start of cremation for personal, religious or cultural reasons. If this is your wish, do please request this when you are booking the service time at the Crematorium.
Up to 10 people can witness the start of cremation from the viewing window, or people can view the start of cremation from the chapel on the large visual screen.
Mortlake Crematorium is one of the few which can boast a real pipe organ. Played from the gallery, and therefore out of sight, the instrument was built by John Hayward Compton in 1939. Although of modest specification it works well in our excellent acoustic chapel. Your Funeral Director or our staff can give you names of organists that can be hired for your service.
We cannot burn plastic in the cremator, so tributes with a plastic base cannot be cremated, if you would like some flowers cremated with the coffin, a small hand tied bouquet would be suitable.
You are welcome to come and collect your flowers and cards. You may wish to take your cards on the day of the service, as the weather can damage them.
Some people kindly donate the flowers to the Crematorium, and whenever possible we will make small floral arrangements and take them to people that need cheering up in the Community.
Following the cremation service you may wish to hold a reception for family and friends. Whilst many may choose to return to the family home others may wish to arrange for this to be in the locality of the crematorium. Here are just few suggestions. Please do let the venue know that you found the details from the Mortlake Crematorium Website and they will be pleased to discuss your personal requirements.
Next to Mortlake Crematorium, nearest station Mortlake Rail Station/Kew Gardens
From Monday to Friday services take place at forty minute intervals from 10am to 4.40 pm.
There are two service times available at 9.00 and 9.30 which are thirty minutes and are at a reduced fee.
Longer service times are available, the most popular being a double service time (80 minutes). This is particularly beneficial if, for example you are expecting a large number of people to attend and when there is likely to be many personal tributes, several pieces of music and/or hymns. The officiant, who is taking your service and/or the Funeral Director can advise you. Please be mindful if your service overruns it has an impact on all services following that day, which can cause upset to other bereaved families.
Longer service times can also be arranged. If this is required, please speak to your Funeral Director or a member of our staff.
Saturday and Sunday service times may also be available. This will depend on the availability of staff. However, most requests can usually be met. We do not offer services on bank holidays.
Price List & Fees to end 2024 Mortlake Crematorium
Please check with the office before booking a service if a witness start of cremation is required to ensure it can be accommodated.
Please check with the office before booking a cremation of a baby.
When choosing a Funeral Director it is important to ensure that you are able to discuss your personal requirements and have different options explained. You can ask a Funeral Director to supply an itemised estimate of what the charges will be. By asking for an estimate it does not mean you have to use them, and you can contact several Funeral Directors for estimates.
Advice on costs be found at the Money Advice Service
Many of the Funeral Directors that regularly use Mortlake Crematorium have signed the Fair Funerals Pledge, which means they; -
Do ask your Funeral Director if they have signed the Fair Funerals Pledge
You could get a Funeral Expenses Payment (also called a Funeral Payment) if you get certain benefits and need help to pay for a funeral you're arranging. For further information https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments
If you are worried about paying for a funeral you can contact Down to Earth which is a Charity project of Quaker Society Action . You can phone in confidence on 020 8983 5055 or email downtoearth@qsa.org.uk
To help you choose which funeral director to use it is worth noting that some are members of professional organisations, who may operate a code of conduct and a complaints procedure.
For more information, visit:
The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD)
The Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF)
If you have cause to complain about a Funeral Director you can contact Trading Standards. To find your nearest trading standards office to your postcode please visit Trading Standards Advice UK.
Arranging a funeral yourself
Funerals do not have to be arranged with the services of a Funeral Directors. However, if you are arranging a funeral yourself you still need to:
You will also need to consider and arrange the following: