Statistics show an increasing trend for families to bypass the traditional funeral – instead having a direct disposal of the body (cremation or burial) with or without a ceremony.
Those families, who do have a ceremony, are holding a Memorial service or a scattering/ placement of the Ashes ceremony a few weeks later or at a time convenient for all to attend.
WHY?
Cost
- the price for funerals has been climbing for the last 10 years
- a burial with funeral service, headstone, and inturnment is the most expensive; a funeral ceremony followed by a cremation is less expensive; direct disposal of the body with no funeral is the least expensive
Choice
Ceremonies such as memorials
- can be held on weekends or evenings, so reduces time away from work
- allow family and friends more time to organise the ceremony and to travel from a distance
- offers more choice of venue and catering options
- finances are spent on those things the family think is most important e.g. their time together rather than the type of coffin
- offers more flexibility as to the type of celebrant
- the style and length of ceremony and its associated 'wake' is not constrained by the time-frame of the funeral home or church.
The farewell ceremony is for those left behind to honour the person who has died and acknowledge their loss.
Often people say they don't want a funeral to save their family time and money, or perhaps even they feel their life is not worthy of acknowledgement.
However psychologists are concerned that not having an appropriate acknowledgement of the death can make the grieving process more difficult and prolonged for those left behind.
Everyone's life is worthy of acknowledgement.
Eulogies focus on the positives rather than negatives because that helps us live better lives.
No person's actions have always been all good or all bad.
Even difficult characters have contributed something to those around them - even if this has been examples of how not to behave or attitudes and values not useful to living healthy, fulfilling, useful lives.
Our Memorial and Funeral Celebrants offer a range of services:
Here are some examples:
- One on one consultation to discuss your funeral and memorial options and / or to complete a Life Story summary
- Civil ceremonies for birthdays, anniversaries, living wakes, memorials, funerals, scattering or placement of the ashes
Community talks
- The role of civil ceremonies in Australia
- Pre-funeral planning
- Recording life stories
You can ask for a specific focus.
Find a local celebrants HERE