What are the current funeral restrictions in Victoria?
With the ongoing lockdowns, it can be hard to keep track of the funeral restrictions in Victoria. In the current Melbourne lockdown, (in place since 21st August, 2021) funerals are allowed, but only with a maximum of 10 people, plus those required to conduct the funeral. (Children under 12 months old are not counted towards this cap.)
Also, at present, you must wear a face mask when you leave home – both indoors and outdoors and you must carry a mask at all times. For updates check the Victorian government website.
Can we arrange a funeral in lockdown?
Funeral restrictions in Victoria classify funeral services as an essential service, therefore funeral homes can still operate and conduct normal cremation and burial services, as well as ceremonies, (if restricted to 10 people, plus those necessary to conduct the funeral.)
However, for many families the idea of choosing only 10 family members and friends to celebrate an important loved one, is almost impossible and terribly distressing.
At Tomorrow Funerals, we focus exclusively on memorial style funerals, which allow you to arrange a dignified cremation now, then take all the time needed to plan a really, beautiful memorial event once things open up again.
The process a traditional funeral home uses to arrange a funeral is always based on the idea of booking the ceremony as quickly as possible. This is because the body and coffin are present and therefore must happen prior to cremation or burial.
What is a memorial style funeral?
A memorial style funeral is where the cremation happens first and the ceremony happens after – this might be particularly helpful right now given current restrictions.
By separating the memorial service from the cremation, at Tomorrow we can help you organise the event without the typical time pressure of a quick turnaround funeral. When lockdowns and guest restrictions are impacting the ability to host a funeral with all your friends and family, this process can be a much better option.
This modern alternative to the traditional funeral challenges the idea of what it means to celebrate a life – no funeral parlour, traditional chapel ceremony, mortuary services, hearse hire, expensive coffin or difficult to understand packages.
Why does Tomorrow book the cremation first and arrange the memorial afterwards?
The most obvious benefit of using Tomorrow’s ‘cremation first’ model is being able to plan a memorial during lockdown, after cremating your loved one now. But importantly, a growing number of people see the model of ‘cremation first, memorial second’ as a more modern funeral alternative.
Some of the benefits of this model are:
- There is no rush to plan this important life celebration. Experience shows that some families are still in a state of shock at the time of the funeral
- A ‘cremation first’ process, removes the need for a funeral to happen at an outdated chapel. We encourage our families to choose memorial venues and event spaces that reflect their lifestyle
- Taking time to plan a truly personal ceremony, one that better reflects their life, can be an important step in moving through the early stages of grief
- Your loved one is not held in storage whilst you plan the event, instead they are cremated in a dignified way by our highly regarded funeral service providers
- You can choose to celebrate your loved one’s life in a place that matches their lifestyle. For example: a yacht club, golf club, beachside venue, pub, home, city restaurant, hot air balloon!
- By removing the logistical challenge of having a coffin present at the ceremony, the whole funeral can become more bespoke, personalised and cost effective.
- Today more Australians than ever prefer the idea of a no-fuss cremation, with many even requesting no funeral at all. Holding a memorial event allows you to grant them this wish whilst still celebrating their life in a meaningful way
How much is a memorial style funeral?
Our one transparent package includes everything needed to create a beautiful life celebration, such as a personal memorial website, tribute video, an experienced celebrant to help plan and lead your memorial event and much more! (A dignified, quality cremations is also included.)
We’ll be with you from start to finish, managing the entire process and ensuring that we create a remarkable farewell.
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