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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 Rosemary Russell 14 August 2025 ★★★★★
    I would like to say thank you so much for the organisation of my brothers funeral, you made a very difficult time allot easier with all your help and support, especially Tracey & Nick.
  • Avatar Danielle Donovan 01 July 2025 ★★★★★
    I can not express my gratitude enough towards Hillier. I had the pleasure of dealing with Reece, Tracy and Kai. From the first point of contact until after the ashes were released, they have made sure I was looked after and that everything … read more was as requested.
    If anything needed changing they did this quickly and without complaint. They have gone above and beyond to accommodate a complex situation and work around it. Kai was professional and made sure that everyone knew what was happening and fulfilled requests asked of him in a professional but friendly manner. Tracy was professional, friendly and had alot of patience both with organising specific requests and generally chatting. Reece himself went above and beyond expectations. He was quick in his responses, he made dealing with various situations stress free and made sure everything flowed effortlessly. Reece was able to read the tone of various situations and dealt with them accordingly.
    I can not thank the team enough for their patience, compassion and care. I am and always will be forever grateful. If you want effortless planning with kind, compassionate and caring people, there is no other choice. Thank you all again!
  • Avatar Nicholas Morcumb 27 April 2025 ★★★★★
    We cannot emphasise enough how brilliant Hilliers were and would definitely recommend them. They were so helpful in guiding us through the process and were very responsive to our needs and questions. John and Becky were lovely and provided … read more outstanding service. John was very respectful when we visited dad in the chapel of rest.
  • Avatar Joanna Lucas 04 April 2025 ★★★★★
    Hilliers were incredible, professional and caring in every area and detail from Nick organising all of the arrangements from start to finish. Dad looked his best for his big day and Nick even offered him his favourite double espresso whilst … read more I was in the chapel of rest with him. The cremation proceedings were absolutely flawless and I'm so happy dad had the send off he deserved with the gentlest of care from the team.
    I could not recommend them enough. Jo and Adam Lucas
  • Avatar April Thrush a week ago ★★★★★
    We were able to give dad the perfect send off with Hillier's , simple, no fuss and exactly as he wanted. Jo and Chris are the standout staff for us, thank you so much for your kindness and professionalism on all occasions.
  • Avatar Fiona Gibbon a week ago ★★★★★
    Wonderful help from a brilliant team, thank you John and Gerry for everything you did to take the strain away from us as we said goodbye to our dear mum Fiona and Sarah
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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.