In my youth, funerals were a Men In Black sort of affair. Some funeral directors still hang onto that pomp and the top hat and tails vibe. For Baby Boomers and the festival-going generation, things are changing.

Anyone opting for a natural burial may prefer wellies and jeans. Funerals that focus on celebrating a life may go for colour. If it’s a young person who’s died, formalities may be trumped by personality and expression.

You can suggest to people what they wear if you want a theme. If you’re invited to a funeral and you’re not sure, just ask.

Thanks to Final Flinger, Yvonne, for sharing her story.

My mum died on 7 March 2010.

She wanted us all to wear something red at her funeral and she meant something that could be seen. It was so beautiful to look down the church which was overflowing and see all the variations of red handbags, ties, shoes, scarves, flowers, coats, dresses.

The chapel wouldn’t allow us to put flowers on her coffin in the church except for one single flower and as she was called Lily there was a single white lily. We also couldn’t play her favourite song: She Was Beautiful and they only allowed us to talk for 5 mins, which of course we didn’t.

Back at her reception, we played all her favourite music and had photo-boards of her and all her family, great converstaion pieces as her she had 8 brothers and sisters and 10 of us children. So we had the biggest party that night and there was lots of singing and dancing which she would have loved.

Yvonne xx