Which Funeral Service Should You Choose?

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It is fair to say that funeral services are highly personal. If you have a particular preference, then you should stick with it. Equally, if the deceased left instructions on what they would like, then it will be important to honour them. That said, many people simply go along with what they are familiar with from other funeral services they have attended. If you want to do something different or have a limited budget, what are your main options?

Direct Funerals

The lowest-cost option for a funeral these days is called a direct funeral. Under this arrangement, your appointed funeral director will take the body in a low-cost coffin—usually one that is either made from plywood or cardboard—to the burial plot or crematorium for you. There it will be buried or incinerated with no mourners present. Since there are no flowers, officiants, catering concerns or anything else to pay for, this is the least expensive way of proceeding.

Traditional Burials and Cremations

Burials are popular all over Australia among both secular and religious people. Burial services tend to cost a little more than cremation because you need a plot and for a gravedigger to prepare it for you. Traditional funerals remain the most common in Australia but trends are slowly changing. Don't feel obliged to arrange one just because you think there is some social pressure on you to do so.

Burials at Sea

You will need an official permit if you want to proceed with this sort of funeral. Ask your funeral director about how to apply for a permit in the given state. Most undertakers in locations by the coast will know what to do. Rules will apply so that the coffin is suitably prepared. This is to ensure it sinks under the waves and does not float away. Boat hire for mourners will, of course, add to the cost of this type of funeral service.

Eco-Funeral Services

Increasingly popular, eco-funerals take many forms. Some include traditional funeral services at the start but then the body is buried in a natural burial ground rather than a cemetery. Typically, eco-funerals won't feature an ornate coffin but something that will break down more quickly. Equally, embalming the deceased's body is usually refrained from due to the chemicals involved. Some people choose to have their loved ones placed into so-called mushroom suits. These sprout with fungi on burial, helping the natural process of the body being restored to nature to occur.

For more information on funeral services, contact a funeral home near you.

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20 January 2023

Organising a funeral for teenagers

It's incredibly hard to plan a funeral for teenagers. They should have their whole life ahead of them, and even if they have had a terminal diagnosis, often their parents cannot believe that they could actually be gone. When my niece passed away, I worked with her friends to make sure that the funeral worked for them and gave them a chance to grieve as well. It was great to see how much impact my niece had made on the world in such a short time, with her friends and family coming together to pay tribute to the beautiful young woman she had been. This blog has tips for other people planning funerals for teens.