Funeral Planning Guide

Losing a loved family member or friend can cause a significant amount of emotional pain and stress. Having to plan a funeral during this period can make the situation even more difficult to endure. This guide has been written to assist you in the planning and undertaking of a funeral. It is hoped it can help make the process a little easier to go through for you and your family.

Choosing a Funeral Director

The legal and logistical requirements of planning a funeral can be complex, and in a time of grief we turn to funeral directors to look after all of the details for us. Some of the services that funeral directors will offer you include:

registering the death
transferring the body to the funeral home
organizing the funeral service between the religious minister or celebrant and the place the service is to be held
placing death, funeral and obituary notices
preparing the body for burial or cremation
providing a coffin or casket
organizing a viewing of the body if required
transporting the body from the funeral home to the funeral service and place of burial or cremation
organizing and paying for additional services required, such as flower arrangements or catering
advising and helping you receive any government benefits you may be eligible for

Choosing a funeral director that offers a professional, reliable and supportive service is essential in providing you comfort during a difficult time. Some of the things you should consider when making a choice include:

if they are a member of the Australian Funeral Directors Association so that you can ensure they comply with an industry code of ethics and practice
good or bad comments you may have heard about their services from family, friends or acquaintances
how long they have been in business, the size of their business and the overall presentation of their services
your instincts when you first talk and meet with them - if they seem too pushy, unsupportive or unclear about the details of their services, move on to another company
all details of the services you have requested, including the costs, should be provided in writing so that there can be no confusion as to what you expect or what you have paid for

Funeral Details

The details of a funeral are managed by a funeral director, but they are decided upon by the family and sometimes friends of the deceased. If the person who died had left behind details of a pre-planned funeral or had spoken to someone about their funeral wishes, the main decisions may have already been made. If no plan exists or details of the person's wishes for a funeral are unknown, the decisions on how to proceed with the person's funeral can be difficult to make, especially if there are multiple parties with conflicting views.

Some of the decisions to be made include:

burial or cremation of the body
the final resting place of the body or the ashes
to have a viewing of the body before burial or cremation
to conduct a graveside service or a service at a home, place of worship or other location
who is to conduct a service, such as a minister of religion or a civil celebrant
who, if anyone, is to make a eulogy, what form such eulogies will take and the order of the speakers
other details of the service, such as the use of flowers, music and video
the location and constitution of a wake, if one is to be held
if any organs or the body itself is to be donated for transplant, medical teaching or medical research when possible and suitable

The decisions that are made should reflect the intents of the deceased as much as possible, although other factors will often play a part. Religious beliefs, family tradition and monetary restraints will also affect the decisions taken when planning the funeral.

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Minister of Religion or Civil Celebrant

Choosing a minister of religion or civil celebrant to undertake a funeral service is important as they provide a celebration of the life of the deceased through appropriate and comforting words and rituals. As with choosing a funeral director, the following should be considered when making your choice:

the formal training they have had
the extent of their experience
good or bad comments you may have heard about them from family, friends or acquaintances
if it is someone that you feel comfortable with, as they will be leading you and other people attending the service through a grieving process
their ability to communicate clearly their ideas and plans for the funeral service so that there are no unpleasant surprises during the service

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Pre-Planned Funerals

Although it is a morbid task, pre-planning your funeral can be of great benefit to and your family members. By planning your funeral well in advance of your death, you can ensure that you will have the funeral that you desire and it relieves the burden of your family and friends having to go through the process themselves. You can also make financial arrangements so that all or part of the funeral costs are covered, removing the possibility of others being left with unmanageable debt when you pass away.

You should speak with family members once you have decided to pre-plan your funeral. At the very least, they need to be aware that you have made this choice so that they can honour your wishes. Always write down your wishes and provide more than one copy to your closest family members so that your plan can be put into action correctly. Also provide them with details on how to access your last will and other important paperwork they will need when you pass away. You may also want to discuss with them some of the main choices you need to make, including burial versus cremation, body or organ donation, who will pay for the cost of the funeral and other matters most important to you personally.

A big advantage of pre-planning your funeral is that you will most likely have more time to shop around and compare the different funeral service companies than those people entrusted with the task will have after your death. It is probable that you will feel less stressed and emotional than your family and friends will be when they are going through the grief of losing you. You will be able to choose the funeral director that you feel most comfortable with, and you will be more likely to have planned all of the exact details of your funeral to your satisfaction. It could be said that this feeling of control over our own funeral will perhaps provide some comfort in the face of our uncontrollable mortality.

Some funeral service companies have even began to offer pre-planning funerals online. For those who would like to avoid the somewhat awkward and surreal process of going through the arrangements of your own death with a stranger, you can now go through that process with just your computer facing you.

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Funeral Planning Guide

Choosing a Funeral Director

Funeral Details

Minister of Religion or Civil Celebrant

Pre-Planned Funerals

Page Contents

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