The coffin is lead into the crematorium chapel by the person officiating – a minister of religion or funeral celebrant – with the closest members of the family and mourners following on. Usually music plays as the coffin enters and is then placed on the catafalque, a raised platform at the front of the chapel.

The ceremony takes place and is either a full or committal only ceremony. Once the committal has taken place, the coffin may be obscured from view by means of curtains closing around it, although the decision to do this, or not, is taken exclusively by the family. Music then follows as mourners exit the chapel.

The whole process is relatively brief taking 30 – 45 minutes for a full funeral ceremony, or 10 – 15 minutes for a committal only ceremony.