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Westerleigh Group’s Sedgemoor Crematorium has officially introduced a new audio-visual system that allows bereaved families to personalise funeral services using large-scale visual themes, coordinated lighting and sound.
The Somerset crematorium is among a small number of sites in the UK offering immersive funeral services, with mourners able to select from a range of visual backdrops projected across the front wall of the chapel.
Families can choose from 18 inclusive themes, available at no extra cost, including landscapes, seasonal scenes and abstract visuals such as nebulae. Two personalised themes are also available, including options linked to football clubs, where the chapel display can be transformed into a stadium setting featuring a club’s logo and anthem.
The technology also allows welcome screens outside the chapel to display service details or images before mourners enter, while lighting and sound inside the chapel are synchronised with the chosen visual theme.
Following the introduction at Gedling, Westerleigh Group has begun rolling out the technology to other locations, including Sedgemoor. The system was developed in partnership with Obitus, an audio-visual provider specialising in bereavement services.
Laura Williams, manager of Sedgemoor Crematorium, said: “We’re proud to be one of the first crematoria in the world to offer our local communities an opportunity to curate a unique canvas theme for their loved one’s service.
“Since it was introduced at Gedling Crematorium, we know that 99% of families who have held a funeral there have chosen to have a canvas wall, or elements of it, included within their services. The feedback Gedling Crematorium has received has been very positive, with those who have seen it saying that it added a truly personal touch to the funeral.”
She added: “Whether it’s a waterfall or a seasonal background, or even a football stadium, there is a wide range of themes and choices available, with many options to tailor the displays to be specifically relevant to the person being honoured. The technology offers the chance to make funerals even more uniquely personal and meaningful than ever.”
