The modern term for a person who helps organise all elements of a funeral service, liaising with the bereaved, local government services and industry providers. The funeral director oversees all funeral arrangements. Modern funeral directors can provide a comprehensive range of services and help you with every aspect of your loved one’s funeral.
As a council we cannot recommend any particular Funeral Director, but we find this website to be a very useful guide.
Before the funeral
- transferring the deceased to the funeral home or assisting you if you wish the deceased to remain at home prior to the funeral;
- providing facilities for viewing of the deceased prior to the funeral;
- dealing with all necessary paperwork;
- placing death notices in local and/or national newspapers and online;
After the funeral
- helping you to arrange for ashes to be scattered or preserved in a memorial casket following a cremation;
- arranging obituary cards or ‘thank you’ cards
- if appropriate, arranging for transfer of either the deceased or the cremated remains to another area of the country, or repatriation overseas;
The funeral service
- ensuring your wishes and those of the deceased are reflected in the funeral arrangements;
- arranging any musical requests or other special tributes;
- arranging funeral vehicles and for catering at a venue of your choice following the funeral;
- arranging Order of Service sheets at the funeral service;
- ordering floral tributes and, accepting and caring for floral tributes delivered to their premises prior to the funeral;
- offering a choice of coffins and caskets to suit a range of budgets and individual choice;
- accepting donations, online or in person, for a nominated charity in lieu of flowers on your behalf;