Dear Both,
I just wanted to drop you a quick note – from both my husband and I – to thank you for taking care of B*** this last couple of weeks or so, for being so discrete after the service, and for helping us to give him the sendoff he deserved. We genuinely believe that he would have been absolutely tickled pink with the service and his coffin, and would be very happy with both his final resting place and the knowledge that he will be going back to nature. I suppose we can now begin the process of grieving.
From the feedback we received, we understand that his guests were grateful that it wasn’t ‘depressing’, and B***’s sister said that she ‘enjoyed’ it. I think that a few people will be going away reconsidering the options available when the inevitable comes.
I remember having several conversations about natural burials with a good friend and former  colleague who specialises in Death Studies (Professor Jenny Hockey – you may know her). When she talked about cardboard coffins and such like, I was unconvinced as to how that would work, and that people would never go for something like that. Having seen B***’s coffin, I stand totally corrected. It was absolutely beautiful and the quality of the reproductions superb. For people to have something to look at triggering memories whilst standing at the graveside was very comforting and I think it gave some people a lot of pleasure. “Look, he’s smiling at us”, “I remember his lovely curls”, “Oh, there’s my dad [B***’s own dad]”.