Families are choosing to have more input in funeral arrangements, which funeral director Alastair Hebberd attributes to changing times as well as cutting costs.
The Shone and Shirley funeral director and embalmer says he started up a separate company with his wife Emma last year that was internet-based with cheaper overheads, with the aim of offering families a more affordable option. In its first year it tripled expectations. Funerals themselves are changing too, with many families choosing simple ceremonies to say their goodbyes.
“We’ll be asked to pick mum up and we’ll arrange for the cremation, then they will pick up the ashes. Or people will ask us to bring their loved ones home and put them in the garden for the afternoon and that’s their funeral.”
It follows Funeral Directors Association’s figures that show increasing costs for burial plots, interment and cremation around the country, with families in Wairoa facing a 48 per cent increase this year for a burial and in Marlborough, an 18 per cent increase.
By comparison, Nelson and Tasman families got off lightly with about 5 per cent increases, though both councils had hefty increases last year of 20 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. In Nelson, a burial plot and interment now costs $4,523, which is substantially more than Tasman where it will cost $2,800. Burying ashes in a plot in Nelson costs $1,253, while in Tasman it’s $880.
Alastair says funeral homes are absorbing many of their own increasing costs such as labour, materials and compliance because of the already high council costs.
“If we increase our rates at the same rate councils do, it would make it impossible for some families.”
Funeral Directors Association chief executive, Gillian Boyes, says increasing burial and cremation costs also increases the financial burden of a funeral for families and many are concerned about how they will afford a funeral.
“They may not realise there is not a set price and that the funeral director will work with them to individualise a funeral for their needs. What we really want to avoid is people thinking they have to resort to what they often call a “box and burn”.
She advises families to explain their needs and requirements to funeral directors and let them know of any budget restrictions. They should ask to see an estimate of costs and get advice on alternatives that might be available for each element, such as a cheaper casket or flowers from their own garden. She says pre-purchasing a burial or ash plot can avoid future council price rises.
Alastair says he thinks the shift for many families to a simpler funeral is not only due to cost but also a generational choice. Rather than a funeral open to everyone, an increasing number of families are choosing to say their farewells in a more intimate setting. While that may suit families, he has had people comment that they would have liked to attend a funeral to pay their respect and say goodbye to someone they have known.
Ultimately, it’s up to the family to choose how they say goodbye and Alastair says there’s plenty of options, even with restricted budgets.
