In our 30 years’ experience in this industry, we’ve seen families across south London and Kent agonise over the fine details in a funeral, desperately trying to give their loved on the perfect send off. Without instruction, this can lead to delays, conflict and anguish. So, how can you tell your loved ones what you want? And where can they find this information?
A last will and testament is primarily a legal instrument used to protect your estate and look after your dependents. It formally outlines who will inherit your property, savings, and personal items, nominates guardians for children under 18, and appoints trusted executors to manage your affairs.
While a will ensures your financial assets are distributed exactly as you intend, it is not designed to handle the fast-moving practicalities of funeral planning. A standard will rarely contains the highly personalised, granular elements needed for modern funeral arranging, as its main focus remains on your legal and financial legacy.
Yes, you can absolutely include basic funeral arrangements within the body of your will. However, experienced legal professionals and your local funeral director will generally advise against relying solely on this method for a few critical reasons.
Instead of overcomplicating your main legal document, a much more effective strategy is to use an accompanying document known as a Letter of Wishes.
A Letter of Wishes is an informal, confidential document written to sit alongside your will, providing clear and direct guidance to your executors and family. Unlike a will, it is not a matter of public record after your passing, and it does not require formal legal witnessing to create or amend. This unique flexibility makes it the perfect place to map out your exact preferences for funeral arranging.
In this letter, you can detail your distinct choices, ranging from whether you prefer a burial or cremation, to specific selections of hymns, contemporary music, or custom dress codes for attendees. It completely demystifies the process for your loved ones during a difficult time, shifting the focus from stressful guesswork to a meaningful celebration of life.
For complete peace of mind, a Letter of Wishes works wonderfully alongside guaranteed pre-paid funeral plans. This combination allows you to lock in both your exact personal choices and today’s prices, protecting your family from unexpected inflation, as outlined in later life planning insights by.
Writing your Letter of Wishes is a simple, straightforward process that doesn’t require complex legal jargon. You should address the document directly to your executors, close family members, or trusted care homes, and store it safely with your will so it can be accessed instantly when the time comes.
When sitting down to outline your choices, consider including details on:
To make things even easier for your family, you can take proactive action today by speaking directly to our team at Welham Jones. As a family-run business serving West Kent and South East London for over 30 years, we can help you formalise these choices.
You can pop into any of our local branches to align your Letter of Wishes with our secure pre-paid funeral plans.
By capturing your specific funeral wishes in a flexible Letter of Wishes, you can remove the emotional and financial guesswork for your family, ensuring your life is celebrated exactly how you intended.
It’s a problem no grieving family member wants to be faced with, however, with the cost of living increasing, it is one that may become painfully common in the future. As funeral directors with over thirty years’ experience in this industry, we want to say that if you are struggling with covering the costs of a funeral in the UK, you are not alone, and help is available. Here’s how you can seek it…
If you are currently looking for a funeral director in Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, or across West Kent to help celebrate a loved one’s life, choosing the right words is a vital part of the funeral planning process. This guide explores the most moving funeral readings to help you find comfort and inspiration when arranging a funeral during what we know is a deeply emotional and difficult time
We are thrilled to announce that Simon Welham, Managing Director and co-founder of Welham Jones Funeral Directors, has been named Businessperson of the Year 2026 at the Tonbridge Business Awards.
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