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Why Think About Funeral Wishes

Article written by Rebecca Hillier

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Why Is It Important To Think About Your Funeral Wishes In Advance?

Whilst thinking about your funeral may be a difficult thing to do, making decisions about your funeral while you are still alive will not only ensure you get the funeral you want, but it also really helps to make a difficult time a little easier for loved ones when the time comes to arrange your funeral.

We regularly see families who do not know if their loved one wanted a cremation or a burial, and not knowing this makes arranging the funeral even more emotionally difficult as families are left guessing if they are making the right decision on your behalf, and can be left with feelings of guilt about whether they made the right decision.

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5 Reasons Why It’s A Good Idea To Start Thinking About Your Funeral Wishes

1.  Peace Of Mind For You And Your Loved Ones

Planning your funeral wishes ahead of time allows you to take control of your final send off, and relieves your family from the some of burden of making difficult decisions during an emotional time.

Knowing your preferences will provide them with clear guidance and peace of mind when it matters most

2.     Honouring Your True Wishes

Your funeral is a personal reflection of your life, values, and beliefs. By planning ahead, you ensure that every detail aligns with your wishes, the format and style of funeral service you choose, the coffin, the funeral songs and readings, as well as your final resting place.

You have the power to create a meaningful tribute that resonates with your story and celebrates your life on your own terms.

3.     Financial preparation

Funeral costs can be overwhelming and unexpected. When you plan in advance, you can explore and understand the financial options available, and make decisions today about how your funeral will be paid for.

Planning ahead also allows you to explore prepayment options with a Prepaid Funeral Plan.

4.      Easing Family Stress

When a loved one dies, grieving family members are often left to guess what their loved one would have wanted for their funeral.

By documenting your preferences, you remove uncertainty and disagreements, allowing your family to focus on supporting one another rather than making rushed decisions under pressure. Our Funeral Wishes form has been created to guide you through the process of documenting your funeral wishes.

5.     A Thoughtful And Responsible Choice

Taking the time to think about and document your funeral arrangements demonstrates care and responsibility for those you love.

It’s a final act of love, ensuring your family can celebrate your life without added stress or worry. Your forward-thinking decision helps them honor your memory with clarity and confidence.

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Choosing The Right Funeral Director

Choosing the funeral director that you wish your family to use for your funeral when the time comes is one of the most important and helpful decisions you can make in advance.

The right funeral director will offer more than just services, they will provide comfort, compassion and understanding and will hold your family’s hand throughout every stage of the arrangement process and on the day of the funeral, and will ensure you get a unique and fitting send off.

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About Hilliers Funeral Service

The Hillier family has been caring for the people of Swindon and it’s surrounding areas for four generations since 1923.

Today Mark and Rebecca Hillier lead an experienced team of funeral professionals who will treat you and your family with the utmost care, compassion, empathy.

Our way to is to spend time getting to know your family and finding out about you as a person as this allows us to show your family all the ways we can create a truly personal farewell.

No matter what type of funeral you decide, big or small, we always go the extra mile to make sure your family have all the guidance and support they need at every stage.

And with us, our care and support doesn’t end on the day of the funeral. Our Bereavement Care Service is available free of charge to help families through the difficult grieving process.

Our team
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Our Clients Give Us 5 Stars

We are very honoured that many of our clients like to tell us how the service they received from us made them feel. We’d like to share some of these comments with you below.

  • Avatar R Howells 06 March 2026 ★★★★★
    From the moment we met Reece at Hilliers, we felt completely at ease. This was our second time arranging a funeral, and after a poor experience with a different funeral director, we were nervous. He listened, understood, and guided us with … read more care and respect.
    He showed nothing but professionalism, attentiveness, and compassion. Our dad was treated with the utmost dignity, and the day itself was a peaceful, beautiful farewell.
    The recommendation of Alan Mulrooney as celebrant was an excellent one. He spoke about our dad as if he knew him personally, which made the service even more meaningful and special.
    The whole team at Hilliers made a very difficult time so much easier with their kindness and understanding. We are truly grateful for the care they gave our family and the wonderful send-off for our dad.
  • Avatar Rena Joyce 04 February 2026 ★★★★★
    My experience with Hilliers funeral service was excellent. They were very caring and they made the whole experience much better than could be expected for a sad occasion. The whole team were very helpful and I would like to express my thanks. … read more I would also like to thank the celebrant PaulineYoung, the words she expressed captured my Mum down to a tee. Would definitely recommend Hiller Funeral Services.
  • Avatar Christine Porter 18 January 2026 ★★★★★
    On the 15th December 2025 I lost my mum to Alzheimers. Hilliers Funeral Service then took care of the funeral service. We had the service at Hilliers and the wake, and I have to say that I cannot thank them enough for making it such … read more an easy and calm procedure. Upstairs where we held the wake was so comfortable and there was someone on hand all the time if we needed any assistance. There was no stress as they put us in touch with all the appropriate people. My mums funeral was the best it could be so thankyou Hilliers for making my mums fueral so peaceful and comforting.
  • Avatar Alison Dunn 08 January 2026 ★★★★★
    We lost our Mum on the 7th December at home. Right from that first phone call, Hilliers were so supportive and respectful at the worst time for us as a family.
    Reece came to the family home and helped to sort everything within 12 days     … read more so we could have the Funeral before Christmas. He was so kind and understanding of us all as we tried to work our way through this as a family.
    On the day, Rebecca walked in front of the Hearse from the family home out of the street, such a touching thing to do and all were there silently supporting throughout. Thank you.
  • Avatar TIM MOBEY in the last week ★★★★★
    The service that Hilliers provided for the arrangements for my father’s funeral was exceptional. My mother and I were treated with the upmost respect from our first contact with the company, and the level of professional service continued … read more throughout the entire process and on the day of the funeral itself. Our main point of contact was Reece who was extremely engaging and reassuring, and helped to make dad’s funeral feel very personal and special. Thank you to Reece, Nick, Kelvin and the rest of the team for all your efforts. Our family are very grateful to you all.
  • Avatar Michelle Chau in the last week ★★★★★
    My family is impressed with the caring and supportive and professional services rendered by Becky and her team. They went extra miles to expedite my late husband's funeral and cremation services. The whole team is professional and … read more our family is totally satisfied with their services. We would recommend Hillier to anyone. Thank you again, Becky and the team 🙂
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The Hillier Promise

  • To care for you and your loved one as if you are members of our own family
  • To be open, honest and truthful in all we do
  • To always deliver excellence and go the extra mile
  • To give back to the community we live in and are part of
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Our Funeral Homes

Hillier Funeral Service is one of Swindon’s oldest family businesses.

We have three funeral homes covering Swindon, Wroughton, Royal Wootton Bassett, Purton, Chiseldon, Wanborough, Cricklade, Lydiard Millicent, Highworth, Fairford, Lechlade, Shrivenham and local villages.

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Talk To Us About Your Funeral Wishes

If you would like to talk through funeral wishes, or would like to understand more about what choices and options are available to personalise your funeral, please get in touch and we can help you not only with documenting your wishes, but also give you advice and guidance on how best to discuss your wishes with your loved one.