Types of Funeral Services Available In Australia

Even the thought of arranging a funeral event for a loved one can fill anybody with stress. But this also remains as a bitter fact that death is foreseeable and one has to remain strong enough to face this loss and bid farewell to the deceased with a grand funeral event.

In Australia, different kinds of funerals are available and in all of them, the funeral director holding expertise in Christian funerals chosen by you will help right from the beginning to the end. Knowing about the types will help you decide which one to go with and which one fits inside your budget comfortably.

Traditional Funeral-

• This is also given the name of “full funeral” and according to the experts; this event begins with a funeral ceremony held in a church or chapel.
• This main ceremony is followed by burial or cremation (as opted by the deceased or decided by the family of the deceased) at a pre-booked cemetery plot.
• Here the funeral directors are given the responsibility of delivering professional, flawless service and make it easier to say “goodbye”.

Direct Burial–

• Experts specialising in Christian funeral service outline say that as compared to the traditional funeral, this is a rather affordable option.
• The reason is that in this kind of event, no funeral ceremony is arranged and the body is directly buried.
• In this kind of event, the family members only have to pay for transporting the body and burying or cremating it.

Cremation–

• This method has become immensely popular in the past one decade because it is a less time and money consuming option.
• In this kind of event, the body of the deceased is disposed by burning into ashes.
• This can also be made a part of funeral services, but this will become an expensive option as compared to direct cremation that is very similar to direct burial and hence, affordable as well.

Important Funeral Services and Role of Funeral Directors in Them

When we talk about funeral related arrangements, the first thing to come to mind is the funeral services that we can avail from funeral directors. These professionals can be immensely helpful in terms of making funeral related arrangements, but mostly people fail to get the most out of them since they are not aware of their rights.

They are not aware of the services that funeral directors are responsible for rendering.

In this post, we have summed up some important funeral services that these professionals can offer.

Types Of Services Where They Can Be Immensely Helpful-

Experts say that apart from helping you arrange prepaid funeral plans, these funeral directors can help you in several other services such as –

• A gathering or visitation
• A religious ceremony
• Burial or placement in a final resting location (committal)
• A luncheon, brunch, or wake

Amongst all these services, gathering is something that can be held on the evening before the service or on the same day, but before the services. As far as the religious part of the ceremony is concerned, experts say that it can be held at the funeral home or at the desired place of worship of the family of the deceased.

Once religious services are over, the role of the funeral director is to direct the procession to the graveside, where the casket is lowered and the body is buried. If the family had opted for cremation, the ashes also known as cremains have to be buried and this can also take place right at that time only. With cremains, the family has some other options to keep the ashes at the home or scatter it in the fields or what the deceased wished for.

In all these events, the attendees can be a part of the funeral ceremony by sharing the memories of the deceased and this can be submitted in the form of a eulogy as well.

HOW ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE IN DIFFERENT CHRISTIAN FUNERALS

Dealing with the death of a loved one is the hardest phase of life and in some religions, things become even harder because of different rituals, belief and so on.

Something similar is seen in Christian funerals because this religion encompasses a vast range of denominations and because of this, versatility increases manifold times.

There are several differences in how different kinds of Christian funerals are carried out and based on this, we will have a look at some basic guidelines to help you feel comfortable and perform a Christian funeral service.

Catholic Funerals –

• According to funeral directors, this denomination of this religion has several rituals to follow right from formal to casual.
• For example – you will see that the last rites are usually performed before the services and then, the mass is generally held before burial.
• In this event, friends and family members, relatives, etc. are welcomed and encouraged to be the part of the event.
• In this event, the priest appointed by the funeral director will speak sacred chants and loved ones will light candles and the congregation will pray together.
• In this type of event, flowers are considered as the perfect way to express our love for the deceased and offer condolence to the bereaving family.
• But there is also the option of offering cash donation to the charity of which the deceased was the part of.
• If you plan to take flowers with you, make sure that the flowers are delivered before the funeral or mass.
  Another very impressive option is of taking a refreshing fruit basket sent to the family home afterwards.

Protestant Funerals –

• Those who are non-Catholics are given the name of Protestants and this has several names included in it like Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Church of God and many others.
• Rituals of mostly life events are similar in all of them, except the ceremony to be arranged during the passing away because some adhere to a predetermined outline.
• Then, there are some who are more liberal and thus, allow the ceremony to be held more freely and more easily.
• As at Protestant funerals, flowers are welcomed and encouraged and experts say that a Lovely arrangement of roses, carnations, lilies, tulips, or a mixed arrangement are perfect.

HOW DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHRISTIAN FUNERALS ARE CARRIED OUT?

Important events of life, the birth, the wedding and the death, all are very auspicious in all religions and cultures and people from all sects and cultures take them personally.

The same is the situation with Christians and in this post, we will discuss Christian funerals and how they differ from funeral services offered in other religions and sects, to understand this in a better manner, we have to first understand that Christian religion has two parts, i.e. the catholic and the protestants.

So in this post, we will try and understand both these groups and their traditions related to Christian funerals.

Catholic Funerals:

• According to reputed Christian funerals service provider in Penrith, the type of event of a catholic funeral could be anything from a casual to a formal event.
• In this event, you will observe that the mass is generally organised before burial and friends and family are welcomed and encouraged to come.
• During this event of “Mass”, the priest will chant some hymns from their sacred books and the loved ones will light candles, and the congregation will pray together.
• Then, its food time, where the family of the deceased arranges food for all the guests either at the home or at the funeral home.
• In most cases, graveside services are very common and there is nothing objectionable in following along with the funeral procession from the funeral home to the graveside.
• This is generally done to show support for the family and respect to the deceased.

Protestant Funerals:

• Those who are not Catholics are called Protestants and this could include a number of beliefs like Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Church of God, and many others.
• The essence of funeral services are almost the same in all of them, but one thing that differentiates them from each other is the formality of the services.
• You will find some of them staying very strict towards the outlined rules, while some are found performing the formalities in a free manner.
• For example – Any suit or dress appropriate for church services will be suitable funeral attire.
• During the service, which usually lasts between 30 minutes and one hour, the minister will read scriptures and lead the congregation in prayer.

USEFUL TIPS RELATED TO THE SELECTION OF FUNERAL MUSIC

There was a time when selecting funeral music meant that you will have to look at the playlist provided by the chosen funeral home.

However, things have changed drastically and because funeral homes have started offering tailor-made services, the options in terms of funeral music have increased a lot.

Now the funeral music can of the choice of the family member or it could be the music or songs that the deceased used to hear the most.

But still, there are a number of things to keep in mind while choosing the funeral music and here are some of them.

FIVE TIPS FOR SELECTING FUNERAL MUSIC OR SONGS:

Think About The Person You Are Memorializing:

• As said above, this happens to be easiest method of selecting funeral music or songs as in this case; you will simply have to remind yourself about the music that the deceased used to hear the most.
• Because the time has changed, one good thing has happened is that the funeral music you select does not have to be traditional “funeral music”.
• Alternatively, you can choose anything that you think will honour the deceased and the same is the case with funeral stationery too.

Decide What Type Of Tone You Would Like To Set

• Choosing funeral music for a funeral event can become simple by one one more method that you simply have to listen to the songs you are considering with that in mind.
• Depending upon the mood that you want to set during the event, you can choose the funeral music accordingly.

Consult With Family Members

• Yes, this is another method that would simplify the entire process of choosing, not just the funeral music, but also the funeral stationery.
• Being the family members of the deceased, they will definitely have suggestions that you wouldn’t have thought of.

Ideally, the funeral songs and music you select should:

• Honour Your Loved One
• Set The Tone For The Service
• Help The Mourners Reflect On The Life Of The Person Being Memorialized
• Offer Comfort In A Time Of Grief
• Be Meaningful To The Deceased

Other than this, the selection process can be made simple by understanding the lyrics or the words of the funeral music chosen by you. This way, you will be able to decide as to which songs relate the most with the deceased.

Dress Codes Related Dos and Don’ts for Christian Cremations and Funerals

As you decide to visit a funeral ceremony or attend a Christian cremation, ideally, your attempt should be to stay as conservative as possible. Therefore, the best solution is to stay with the basics and wear black dress to show respect to the deceased as well as the event. This means that you should entirely avoid any bright colours, flashy prints, and glittery fabrics. But this is only the basic information and there are a number of dos and don’ts to follow regarding these events. Here in this post, we take a look at some do’s and don’ts regarding what to wear during Christian cremations and funerals.

What to Wear to a Funeral: Dos and Don’ts

DO:

• While visiting Christian cemeteries, you need to consider where and when the service is to be held.
• For example – a memorial service at a beach will be more casual than a service at a place of worship.

Use Common Sense:

• When you are visiting the funeral ceremony of someone whom you know to be quite formal, it’s beneficial to get attire that is more conservative.

Ask for Advice

• If you are kind of confused because no dress cede has been recommended, you should not hesitate from asking an immediate family member of the deceased about the dress code.
• This very information can also be fetched from a funeral director or the officials of the chosen Christian cemeteries.
• There are cases that the deceased had some specific requirements and this information could be shared only a family member or the appointed funeral director.
• For example, someone with a hearty sense of humour may have specified in his or her funeral plan that they would like everyone to wear green.

What Not To Wear To a Funeral or a Christian Cremation?

DON’TS:

• Don’t pick this time to be a rebel
• Never under dress and step away from the flip flops!
• Don’t forget why you are there and show respect to the deceased

Why Have Funerals Become so Expensive These Days?

More and more people these days are seen opting for pre-paid funerals plans because of a number of reasons. Firstly, they simply cannot overlook the benefits that these plans come with. Another reason is that these days, the cost of everything is rising and this industry has not remained untouched and because of this, there has been a steep rise in the cost of funerals. Here in this post, we take a look at the factors that have played their roles in increasing the cost and what can be done to prevent yourself from paying so high prices.

Funeral Industry Price Regulation

• A very important fact that continues to influence the costs of services offered by this industry is that mostly, it is an unregulated sector and there are no set parameters regarding price setting.
• In some states, no doubt funeral directors have unanimity in terms of setting up the price of products and services, but in whole, this can be said that the sector is fairly unregulated.
• The biggest mark-ups are on coffins, which can drive up the cost of a funeral by up to 30%.

Hidden Extras

• According to the experts of pre-paid funerals, it is very demoralizing to hear that in this business too, some professionals are solely concerned about making more and more profit.
• For this, what they are very commonly found doing is adding several hidden charges in the quotation that they offer to their clients.
• In such cases, those in disguise, i.e. the family members of the deceased have no other option than to keep paying until the entire ceremony is over.
• As far as these hidden extras are concerned, the top inclusions could be flowers, death notices, catering, music, casket upgrades and more.
• In this regards, those offering pre-paid funerals plans to say that before picking up any service provider, just make sure that you ask and get in writing that whatever quote has been offered to you is the final price.

Some Etiquette That You Should Know About Funerals and Christian Cremations

Visiting Christian cemeteries for cremations and funerals is a serious affair and something that you should never take seriously. There are a number of etiquette’s to follow and at the same time, it has to be ensured that nobody’s sentiments are jolted by your actions. To make sure that no offence is done, it is important for you to read this post that has some tips and etiquette’s to follow.

What to Wear?

• According to the experts, whether they are funerals or Christian cremations, the best option in terms of colour is black or something dark.
• This could include a number of other shades as well like blues, greys, browns, etc., but at the same time, you have to be dressed really simply and conservatively.
• As a man, you should ideally flaunt a jacket and a tie paired with dress shoes.
• But if you are a woman, your best options are a simple dress or just a simple suit and the jewellery should be really simple and minimum too.

What to Say?

• Some people don’t really find the right words to show their sympathy to the breed family or it is simply not getting the right feel or mood to express their grief over this loss.
• This is a very common and a serious problem and therefore, we have tried to address it here and experts from Christian cemeteries say that to begin, offer your condolences to the family.
• However, if you are comfortable, share a memory of the deceased that you have in your mind.

What Not to Say?

• The bigger question is what not to say at funerals or Christian cremations and the answer is really simple that you should not speak anything that could hurt the family or increase their pain.
• Condolences are alright, but you should stop yourself from saying that the passing away was good because the deceased was so much in pain or he/she was suffering from an incurable disease.