Having a funeral or memorial service in a funeral home is not the only choice a family has, and it is becoming more and more common for people to plan a do-it-yourself service in memory of a loved one who has passed away. Putting together a DIY funeral offers a number of benefits; however, the individual and his family need to be aware of what exactly goes into planning this type of service before choosing to exclude a funeral home from the plans. If you are responsible for making funeral arrangements for a loved one, you will need to cover the entire cost, though you might qualify for assistance with the cost of funerals, if they did not plan a DIY funeral themselves, either through the purchase of a funeral plan or by making funeral arrangements in advance with their local funeral director.
It can be a good idea to compare and find a local funeral director who is willing to provide a specific service or structure that you want, while planning your own DIY funerals Australia. Another option is to ask the local funeral homes about their transport policies, and whether they offer transportation services that will fit your particular needs. That being said, you will likely still need a funeral home’s assistance with certain parts of your funeral planning, such as making arrangements for a burial or cremation.
In terms of legality, most states permit the body to remain in the home before being transported to a crematorium, so it is not unusual for a family to make arrangements for services directly with independent cremation providers as to avoid using a third-party, like a funeral home or funeral director. Technically, you could have the entirety or a portion of someone’s funeral in the home, starting with the services themselves, all the way up to spreading their ashes into the yard following cremation in the funeral home. Many people schedule a pre-celebratory funeral to allow friends and family to see the body.
Many mistakenly assume a funeral and a burial in the cemetery are one in the same, or that choosing cremation means that one cannot have a funeral with the deceased’s embalmed body presented beforehand as well. For instance, you may wish to arrange a traditional funeral service, which includes an advanced viewing/visitation with the embalmed body present in an open casket, even if you wish to have cremation of the deceased as your form of final disposition. You may also choose which form of final disposition (burial vs. cremation) you wish to have.
Whether you plan for basic cremation and then have your funeral services, or if you plan for a natural burial and have your funeral services — you are in control, and can plan for whatever memorial service you want. In addition to planning your funeral, burial ceremony, or memorial service, you will need to decide if you would like to include services before and after your ceremony. You might still want a more formal funeral or memorial ceremony, even though there will be no casket presented. But, you do not need a funeral director to plan the funeral.
Unlike a funeral, a memorial service may take place weeks or months after a death, giving family members time to plan, then gathering in a convenient time and location. Funerals and memorial services offer the opportunity for family members, friends, and others who care for the deceased person to honour and remember the person who died, providing comfort and support for those closest to family members, as well as for one another. Most funeral services incorporate some type of religious component — whether traditional or modern — in order to provide a sense of hope for mourning friends and families coping with living without their loved one.
Music is usually part of a funeral, too, and may feature live or recorded music, and especially songs that meant something to you and your loved one. You may decide to have the funeral service with all of your friends and family in attendance first, followed by a more intimate burial ceremony at the graveside with just your closest loved ones. If you are planning ahead for your own funeral, you could even join a do-it-yourself coffin-building club.
Not only is DIY burial one of the best cheap funeral ideas, it also gives you a lot more flexibility when it comes to planning. A DIY funeral allows you to create a personalised, unique funeral for your loved one, and gives you a lot of control in planning what kind of service or memorial, the burial ceremony, and the other aspects like transportation, music, flowers, coffins, or caskets that you want. Just like planning any event or celebration, like a birthday party or even a wedding, is generally done without hiring a formal event planner, all aspects of planning a funeral or memorial service can be done independently.
If you’d still prefer a formal memorial service, which is closer to the look and feel of a more traditional funeral, then you certainly still could plan a DIY funeral without hiring a funeral director. Arranging for direct cremation and an individually planned DIY funeral or celebration-of-life memorial service not only can save thousands of dollars, it allows family and friends to customise the service in ways that really reflect the unique life of the person who died. Without having to engage the services of a funeral home, direct cremation allows for freedom and flexibility in customising a loved ones memorial service individually, in ways that fit a loved one’s unique personality and for a fraction of the cost.
You can buy the urn, casket, and other products online or in-person, even if you don’t work with the funeral home on overall planning. You are probably going to have to reach out to the funeral home for at least some planning steps. Consider insurance to cover the funeral, trusts, prepaid cemetery spaces, and an advance agreement to pay for the funeral services.
