As a seasoned Funeral Director, Tony reliably provides outstanding care and meticulous organisation of beautifully orchestrated and compassionately delivered funeral services.
Planning a funeral step by step
Planning a funeral is one of the formalities that can be overwhelming when a loved one has passed. With the added pressure of the funeral being the last opportunity to celebrate your loved one’s life, for most people, it may be the first time they have experienced organising a funeral. It is a highly personal experience that requires a gentle touch. Our experienced and compassionate funeral directors will guide and assist you with planning a funeral step by step.
What should you do first?
In the majority of situations, a person’s passing is expected. It will take place at their home, a hospital, a nursing home or an aged care facility.
When the passing happens at home, you must call a doctor to verify that the person has passed and to issue a death certificate. A palliative care team can issue a temporary certificate when a doctor is unavailable.
Once this has been completed, we will bring your loved one into our care at Blessed Funerals. When the passing occurs in a hospital, a family member must contact Blessed Funerals.
We will coordinate with the hospital to bring your loved one safely and compassionately to our funeral home.
When your loved one is residing in a nursing home or aged facility, most facilities require the family to nominate the funeral director when the loved one is admitted. The facility staff will contact Blessed Funerals once the family has been notified and the doctor has issued the death certificate. Blessed Funerals will coordinate the retrieval of the person with the facility and take the necessary care to bring the deceased person into our care.
If the death is unexpected
When a death is unexpected, there will be much confusion and emotional turmoil. An ambulance should be called in the first instance. The police will need to attend to prepare a report for the coroner to establish a cause of death.
Blessed Funerals can register the death with the Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages on your behalf.
Blessed Funerals can begin making the necessary funeral arrangements; however, the body cannot be returned until the coroner has completed the investigation and a death certificate has been issued. It is essential to contact us as soon as you are able and allow us to support you through the trauma.
Planning the funeral service
Whilst conducting a funeral is not a legal requirement in Australia, most people in our diverse and cosmopolitan society elect to hold some form of memorial or service for their loved one. Everyone is unique and there are no specific rules for how a memorial or service should take place. However, there a number of considerations that Blessed Funerals will assist you with when planning a funeral service.
- Do you wish your loved one to be buried or cremated?
- Would you like a viewing of the person before the service, burial or cremation? If so, how would you like the appearance of the person?
- Do you want a religious or secular service?
- Do you require embalming?
- Do you have a venue or location in mind?
- Do you require a coffin or a casket?
- We will assist you with invitations, memorial booklets, and other printed materials.
- We will assist you with flowers, music and additional media, if required.
Once the service has been planned
Once you have planned the service and set a date, the team at Blessed Funerals will handle all the necessary arrangements. This includes booking the venue(s), organising the invitations and printing of memorial books, the flowers and music and all other requirements you need.
Taking this burden off your shoulders is why we are here to help. This enables you time to grieve while taking care of other important things that need attention after a person has passed away.
Organising a wake
Having a wake is a personal decision and not a formal obligation. In some cultures a wake is not permitted for various reasons. A wake is generally an opportunity for guests to mingle and reflect on the deceased in their own way and share stories. A wake can be an excellent way to celebrate the person’s life with those closest to them.
Normally, a wake will be held at a different venue or location and involves food and drinks in a less formal setting.
Consideration should be made to the age of guests, to ensure that you have adequate seating and other provisions available. Blessed Funerals can assist you in deciding whether to have a wake and, if so, help you decide on a suitable location and time appropriate to the funeral service.
Other important funeral administration
It can feel all-consuming; however, there is a list of non-urgent things that will require attention and these can be done before or after the memorial service.
You will need to notify government agencies, banks and financial institutions, insurance providers, medical and health services, home services, utility companies, any sports clubs, charities and any social media and online service providers.
Government agencies
- The Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
- Services Australia (formerly Centrelink)
- Medicare
- RMS or Service NSW to cancel any drivers licence, and transfer registration of any vehicles
Banks and financial institutions
- Notify the accountant
- Inform the person’s banking institute
- Inform the person’s superannuation provider
- Inform PayPal and other financial institutes, if required
Insurance
- Car and house insurance
- Health and life insurance
- Checking if the person’s superannuation has any insurances attached
Medical and health services
- The person’s GP (may already be aware)
- Dentist
- Any allied health service providers, such as a social worker
Sports clubs and charities
- RSL Club
- Social or service clubs
- AFL, NRL or other sports clubs or sporting teams that the person was a member of
- Any charity that took donations
Social media and online accounts
- Facebook, Instagram etc
- Email accounts
- eBay and subscriptions such as Netflix, Stan, Foxtel, Amazon etc
Utility companies
- Power, gas and water utilities
- Phone and internet providers
- Any home maintenance providers e.g. gardener
- Local council
- Any home service providers
- Newspaper or magazine subscriptions
Engage a funeral director who is experienced and compassionate
Whether the passing of a person is expected on unexpected, it is a time of high emotion and great sadness. There are several excellent support services available and our team can help direct you to the most suitable for your circumstances, if required.
When it comes to planning a funeral having an experienced, professional and compassionate funeral director is one thing that can alleviate much of the burden.
We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When you have lost a loved one, contact our team, and we will be with you from start to finish.
Get in touch with our friendly team to discuss your needs.
1300 800 097