With so much emotion and anxiety that comes at the time of a loved one’s passing, it is common to find oneself having difficulty coping with everything going on. As this is also the time that one is required to plan funeral proceedings, it is easy to overlook and miss several key components of planning a funeral. For this reason, many people opt to engage a professional to handle all relevant aspects, however even then there is a predisposition of falling into the same traps and mistakes. Here are a few of the common mistakes while planning a funeral.
Not having a clear direction or brief
While this is as much to do with the time before a loved one has passed away, the end result is a state of heightened anxiety, uncertainty and a rush of activity. Many partners and families often fail to have a conversation with their significant others concerning their final wishes in the event they pass away.
In many respects, there is an information and knowledge gap at a societal level on this front, as we do not encourage the conversation and treat it as a taboo matter. The reality however, is that understanding the final wishes of a loved one provides a clear direction and brief to plan the funeral, all the while minimising the burden that you would otherwise place on yourself. On this basis, the responsibility lies with families and partners to stop delaying or tip-toeing around the conversation but rather tackle it directly.
Planning a funeral because of expectations
In what is a sad fact of reality, there is a sizeable portion of the population that do not understand the benefit derived through a funeral service. Instead, they are proceeding with the funeral on the basis that society demands it, or that others around them expect it to occur. Many experts acknowledge that the greatest power in a funeral comes from the memories it creates and their role in fulfilling the healing experience.
When some family members fail to pick up on this, they start to think of the funeral as merely a service and the end result that comes from that. Where people can draw a comparison between the ways of achieving that end result, it can lead to undesirable outcomes by focusing on matters of less importance such as costs for provision of certain elements.
Falling into line
By far the most popular forms of funerals involve standard burials and direct cremation. However, even within these broad categories, there are a diverse range of specific services and products available to those planning a funeral. For instance, families may select between coffins and caskets, which generally serve for their own respective purposes, and they may even look at other things like viewing ceremonies, open casket services, scattering of the ashes and more. There are also an abundance of providers who now specialise in religious funerals, meaning they can help with planning for specific cultural traditions. Make sure you speak to us for all your Sydney cremation and funeral needs.
