Look, planning your own funeral probably wasn’t on this week’s to-do list.
But here’s the thing, funeral costs hit £4,285 last year [1]. They’re not going down. And when you go, your family’s going to have about three days to make dozens of decisions while they’re grieving. That’s rough.
We’re Welham Jones. Been doing funerals in Tunbridge Wells since 2015. We’ve seen what happens when someone’s planned ahead, and we’ve seen what happens when they haven’t. Trust me, planning ahead makes everyone’s life easier.
Right, so there’s two parts to this.
First bit, you write down what you want. Burial or cremation? Church service or not? What songs? That kind of thing. Your family reads it when the time comes. Job done.
Second bit, you can actually pay for it now. Lock in today’s prices. That’s called a funeral plan, and honestly? More people are doing it than you’d think.
The difference matters because one’s just guidance. The other’s guidance plus the money sorted.
Learn more about our pre-paid funeral plans here.
A funeral that cost £1,835 back in 2004 will probably cost about £5,185 by 2029 [2]. That’s not a typo. Costs jumped 3.5% just last year [1].
When you pre-pay, you’re paying what it costs today. Not what it’ll cost in ten years. Your family doesn’t get hit with a bill that’s doubled.
Half of people, literally half, don’t know if their loved one wanted burial or cremation [1]. How mad is that?
Your family will be sat in our office trying to guess. Do you like traditional hymns or were you more of a Beatles person? Oak coffin? Something simpler? They won’t have a clue unless you tell them.
Maybe you want quiet. Just close family, nothing fancy. Or maybe you want a proper do – everyone there, your favourite songs, flowers everywhere, decent wake after.
Either way’s fine. But it’s your funeral. Literally. So you might as well get what you want.
We’ve seen it. One kid wants a big church service because that’s traditional. Another reckons you’d hate all that fuss. Your partner remembers you mentioning cremation once. Your sister’s certain you wanted burial near your parents.
Suddenly there’s tension when everyone’s already upset. Pre-planning sorts that before it starts.
Discover a lot more about our funeral services in Tunbridge Wells.
Let’s talk actual numbers because this matters.
The average basic funeral in the UK costs £4,285 now [1]. But averages don’t tell you much. Could be more, could be less, depends what you choose.
Our CMA Attended package, that’s the Competition and Markets Authority standardised one, costs £3,018.75. That’s as of October 2025.
You get:
These are called disbursements. Other people’s fees, basically.
Burial’s different. You’re paying for the actual plot, someone to dig it, cemetery fees if you’re using their chapel. Adds up quick.
On average, families spend another £2,861 on extras [1].
That’s things like:
Funeral plans usually cover our bit – the funeral director’s fees. So your family won’t face that cost when you die.
What’s normally in:
What’s often not in:
Rules changed in July 2022. Financial Conduct Authority now regulates everyone selling funeral plans [4]. Your money goes in a proper trust or insurance policy. Means you’re protected if something goes wrong.
We’re dead straight about what’s included and what isn’t. No surprises.
This is what most people picture. Service at a church or crematorium chapel. Everyone attends. There’s hymns or music, someone says a few words, proper funeral procession.
We work with:
Costs about £1,597 on average, way less than traditional. No service beforehand. We collect them, sort the paperwork, arrange the cremation. Ashes come back to the family.
Loads of families do a memorial service later. Gives them time to plan something meaningful without the rush. Our Purely Cremation package is £1,733.50, that includes everything, all the third-party fees.
More people want this now. Could be:
We’ve got all the eco-friendly coffins. Can arrange woodland burials too.
Some families prefer celebrating to mourning. Might include:
Step 1: Work out what you want
Start simple:
Don’t overthink it. You can change your mind.
Step 2: Tell your family
Yeah, awkward conversation. But worth having.
Just say you’ve been thinking about it. Tell them what you’re planning. Answer their questions. Make sure they know where you’ll keep the paperwork.
Step 3: Come see us
We’re at 39 Crescent Road in Tunbridge Wells. Or we’ll come to you if that’s easier.
No pressure. We’re not trying to flog you anything. We’ll talk through options, answer questions, give you straight answers.
Step 4: Make your choices
We’ll go through it together:
Step 5: Sort the money side
You can:
Step 6: Get it in writing
We’ll write everything down. You get copies. Keep one somewhere safe. Make sure your family knows where it is. Give another to whoever’s sorting your will.
Tunbridge Wells grief support can be found here.
Kent and Sussex Crematorium
That’s on Benhall Mill Road. Main crematorium for Tunbridge Wells and round about.
Chapel seats 90, standing room for another 30. Services are usually 45 minutes. Been there since 1958. Lovely grounds [5].
Multi-faith, so any type of service works. They’ll webcast it too if people can’t get there.
Church of King Charles the Martyr
Parish church right in the town centre. Beautiful building. Takes a lot of people. Popular choice if you want traditional church funeral then committal at the crematorium after [7].
St Augustine’s Catholic Church
Round the corner from us on Crescent Road. Serves the Catholic community. Smaller, more intimate. Perfect for a traditional Catholic mass [9].
Kent and Sussex Cemetery
Same site as the crematorium. Over 28 acres, more than 44,000 burials. It’s mature, peaceful. Space for new graves.
Plan usually transfers to another funeral director. We’ll help sort it. If you’ve pre-paid, the money moves with the plan. It’s protected.
Course you can. Nothing’s set in stone. Update it whenever you like. If you’ve pre-paid there might be admin fees for changes, but it’s your money.
Since July 2022, all plan money has to be in a secure trust or insurance. Financial Services Compensation Scheme protects it. Your money’s safe even if we can’t trade.
Yeah, loads. You’re setting the framework. They can still add flowers, invite people to speak, decide on wake details. Just means the big decisions are done.
If costs rise and you haven’t pre-paid, your family covers the difference. If you have pre-paid, our fees are fixed. Third-party costs might’ve gone up a bit, but usually not by much.
Nope. Life insurance pays out cash your family can use for anything. Funeral plan specifically covers funeral costs. Pays us, not your family.
Not everyone can afford to pre-pay. Options if you’re worried:
We can spread the cost over months or years. Makes it more manageable.
If your family gets certain benefits, they might qualify for government help [15]. Covers basic cremation or burial costs.
Insurance for people aged 50-85. You pay monthly, your family gets a lump sum when you die. They can use it for your funeral.
If money’s really tight, we can do simple and dignified. Our CMA Unattended package is £1,376.50. Collection, care, coffin, transport. No service or mourners there.
We’re not part of some big chain. We’re a family business. Been in Tunbridge Wells since 1992. We actually live here. We know the churches, the crematoriums, the cemeteries. We’re part of the community, not just working in it.
Our prices are on our website. You’ll get everything in writing before you commit. No hidden fees. No “oh and by the way there’s this other cost we forgot to mention.”
This is your funeral. We’re here to make what you want happen. Not to push you towards what makes us more money. Some people want traditional. Others want something completely different. Both are absolutely fine.
From first chat to the day itself, we handle it all. Paperwork, transport, flowers, printed orders of service – we take care of it. Your family doesn’t have to chase around.
Office is at 39 Crescent Road. Call us on 01892 300330. Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. Need to talk outside those hours? Just ask. We’ll work something out.
Pre-planning your funeral isn’t morbid or weird. It’s practical. Caring, even.
You don’t need to decide everything today. Just start with a conversation. Come see us or give us a ring. We’ll talk through options. No pressure. No obligation. No sales pitch.
Your family will proper thank you for it.
Welham Jones Funerals & Memorials
39 Crescent Road
Tunbridge Wells
TN1 2LZ
Phone: 01892 300330
Learn more about our Tunbridge Wells funeral home here.
Depends what you want, doesn’t it. Our CMA Attended package starts at £3,018.75, that’s just our fees. Then you’ve got crematorium, doctors, celebrant, that’s another £1,300-£1,500 roughly. So a complete traditional funeral runs about £4,300-£4,800. Direct cremation through our Purely Cremation service is £1,733.50 all in. Pre-planning itself doesn’t cost anything, you only pay if you decide to pre-pay for the actual funeral.
Pre-planning’s writing down what you want. Type of service, where it happens, how you want things done. Pre-paying’s when you actually pay for it now through a funeral plan. Pre-planning’s free and gives your family guidance. Pre-paying locks in costs and takes the money worry off your loved ones.
Yeah, you can pre-plan with us wherever you live. But if you move away for good, makes sense to transfer your plan to someone near your new place. We’ll help with that if you’ve pre-paid. If you’ve just written down wishes without pre-paying, you can update them to include a different funeral director.
Yeah. Since July 2022, everyone selling funeral plans has to be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority[5]. Your money goes in an independent trust or insurance policy, not in our business account. Financial Services Compensation Scheme protects you too if we go bust. We follow all the FCA rules.
Our fees are fixed when you pre-pay. Even if they go up later, you don’t pay more. But third-party stuff – crematorium fees, burial plots, doctors’ certificates – those can still rise. Most funeral plans don’t include third-party costs, so your family might need to cover increases. We’re clear about what’s in and what’s not.
Course you can. It’s your funeral. Pick whatever songs, hymns, poems, or readings you want. Choose who gives tributes. At Kent and Sussex Crematorium, they can play music through their system or someone can play the organ. Want something unusual? Just tell us.
Just tell them straight. Say you’ve been thinking about the future and you’ve sorted some funeral stuff. Explain why – makes things easier for them, you get what you want, fixes the costs. Tell them where the paperwork is. Some people find it easier chatting at home over tea. Others bring family to meet us so we can explain together.
Cremation’s usually £2,000-£3,000 cheaper than burial. Kent and Sussex Crematorium charges about £970-£980. For burial, you’re paying for the plot (£1,000-£3,000 depending where and if it’s single or double), grave digging (£1,200-£1,500), maybe cemetery chapel fees. You can buy burial plots in Tunbridge Wells now at today’s prices.
Yeah, we do loads of eco-friendly options. Biodegradable coffins – willow, bamboo, seagrass, cardboard, the lot. We arrange woodland burials at natural sites. You can skip embalming, use natural preservation instead. We’ve got the Natural Legacy coffin too – pure wool on recycled cardboard frame. Green funerals are getting more popular. We’ll help you plan one that fits what you believe.
They’re different things. Life insurance pays cash to your family when you die. They use it for whatever – debts, bills, your funeral. Funeral plan specifically covers funeral costs, pays us directly. Life insurance doesn’t lock in funeral costs at today’s prices. If you’ve got life insurance, you might not need to pre-pay, but you should still pre-plan and write down what you want. Otherwise your family’s guessing.
[1] “Cost of Dying Report 2025,” SunLife, https://www.sunlife.co.uk/over-50-life-insurance/funeral-costs/
[2] “Cost of dying reaches record high in UK, new report reveals,” The Independent, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/funeral-costs-dying-burial-sunlife-report-b2477796.html
[3] “Fees & Charges,” Kent and Sussex Crematorium, https://kentandsussexcrematorium.com/our-services/fees-charges/
[4] “Funeral plans,” Financial Services Compensation Scheme, https://www.fscs.org.uk/what-we-cover/funeral-plans/
[5] Kent and Sussex Crematorium, https://kentandsussexcrematorium.com/
[6] Kent and Sussex Crematorium, Benhall Mill Rd, Royal Tunbridge Wells TN2 5JJ, https://maps.app.goo.gl/YnRdtYTebsi6sCAH6
[7] Church of King Charles the Martyr, https://www.kcmtw.org/
[8] Church of King Charles the Martyr, 3 Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells TN2 5TA, https://maps.app.goo.gl/hogQQy6JUcsRiWPQ8
[9] St Augustine’s Catholic Church, http://www.st-augustine.co.uk/
[10] St Augustine’s Catholic Church, Crescent Rd, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2LY, https://maps.app.goo.gl/XeV5KzSKhQSx35gh7
[11] St Barnabas Parish Church, https://www.sbtwells.org/
[12] St Barnabas Parish Church, Stanley Rd, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2RH, https://maps.app.goo.gl/XA7r33113PiBRS9Z6
[13] Woodbury Park Cemetery, https://www.fwpc.org.uk/
[14] Woodbury Park Cemetery, Woodbury Park Rd, Tunbridge Wells TN4 9NH, https://maps.app.goo.gl/YXCuX97ysR7E3iuu9
[15] Get help with funeral costs (Funeral Expenses Payment), Gov.UK, https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments
Address:
39 Crescent Rd
Royal Tunbridge Wells
TN1 2LZ
How to find us: Map
Phone: 01892 300330
Email: tunbridgewells@welhamjones.co.uk
Business Hours:
Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm
Saturday and Sunday: appointment only
For community deaths outside those hours, we also provide a 24/7 response, 365 days of the year.
