Lifting the casket lid on wealthy funerals
A new documentary has opened up the exclusive world of luxury funerals, where no expense is spared.
Last month, Channel 4 focused on how the country’s wealthiest families splashed the cash after their nearest and dearest died. The programme featured fleets of luxury limos, £20,000 gold-plated coffins and even a request from a mother-of three who planned to have a glass coffin at her funeral as she wanted it to emulate Snow White and have a fairy tale theme.
As SAIF members know, most funeral directors will try to meet any and all requests to give a grieving family the send-off they envisaged for their loved one. But, with only one chance to get it right, the pressure is on for UK funeral directors.
The show also focused on the rise of extravagant funerals due to the well publicised ceremonies of late celebrities. Following the death of music legend Michael Jackson, his body was laid to rest in a $25,000, 24 carat gold plated coffin that was made out of solid 48oz bronze. The Promethean casket features a blue velvet interior and has already been sold more than three times in the UK.
For those looking for a cheaper option there is a Millennium casket for £9,999 which is made from premium stainless steel, gold-plated and lined with custom velvet. And for clients who don’t want to be buried, it costs a ‘mere’ £80,000 to be cryogenically frozen.
Tags: luxury, TV