Zoos, McDonald's Drive Thrus and golf courses are just some of the places that people are choosing over the church for their loved one's send off.

New research by Co-op Funeralcare finds that ever more people are bucking the traditional religious funeral in favour of a more unique farewell. 

Many of us might be familiar with the 'destination wedding', but a survey of directors of the Co-op's 1,000 funeral homes and over 4,000 UK adults reveals that the 'destination funeral' is now taking off.

The study found that only one in 10 people desire the traditional religious funeral service, compared to one in three who would rather have their friends and family come together for a celebration of their life.

Three quarters (77%) of Co-op's funeral directors said they had experienced an increase in people asking for ceremonies to be held outside of the traditional religious setting, with some of the more unique requests being a zoo, teepee and football clubs.

At the same time, the demand for traditional elements have been in decline over the last five years, with the use of pallbearers to carry coffins falling by 78% and requests to arrange obituaries dropping by over a third (37%).  Demand for traditional limousines has also declined by 16%.

Similarly, 44% predicted that funerals are likely to become increasingly informal and a fifth (21%) believe that the funeral service is going to gradually be eclipsed by the wake.  

A third said they didn't want any fuss made at all.

The Co-op said it has also seen a significant increase in demand for direct cremations - where the body is swiftly cremated without any ceremony before the ashes are returned to loved ones - with one in 25 funerals organised by the Co-op being of this nature. 

It reflects an overall shift away from traditional burials, with four fifths (82%) of the funerals conducted by the Co-op now being a cremation.

The research reveals that the desire for uniqueness is not confined to the service or celebration, but the scattering of ashes too. 

Some of the most unique requests made to Co-op funeral directors include placing the ashes inside a firework or the furnace of a steam train, turning them into a tattoo, or sending them up over the sea in a balloon. 

The funeral directors have also reported a 21% increase in requests for ashes being placed inside jewellery keepsakes like tribute rings, paperweights and pendants. 

Samantha Tyrer, Managing Director of Co-op Funeralcare said: "The funeral sector is rapidly changing. Whilst 16.5 million of us still feel uncomfortable talking about death, we're clear on what we want and in the majority of cases, it's no longer a traditional funeral service."

Ricky Tomlinson, actor, comedian and author commented: "Personally, I'm not a fan of a 'suited and booted' funeral. I've been to ones where there has been a 'knees up' feel and that somehow seems to make the family feel more at ease.

"I think it's only right that we get to choose how we exit this world – whether that be in a firework, in bright colours or dancing around with our loved ones."