Extended lockdowns can make planning a funeral seem like an impossible task.
With the ever-changing Melbourne funeral restrictions, one of the hardest hit groups are those with the already burdensome task of organising a funeral, with guest restrictions remaining in place for the foreseeable future.
Most people organising a funeral are doing so for their first time, so the added challenge of indefinite guest restrictions creates more stress during an already difficult situation. In an industry that’s notoriously difficult to navigate, getting support on what to do if you’re currently stuck in this predicament is another unwanted obstacle.
Some religious processes dictate that the person’s body must be present at the funeral with the burial or cremation to follow the service. But if a person chooses to be cremated and they have no religious customs to follow, then there is no reason why this process must be the standard.
Are there any easier alternatives with Melbourne’s funeral restrictions?
By separating the memorial service from the cremation, families are able to 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 fitting event, this process can be a major blessing.
“This means that families can perform a dignified cremation in the next few days, then hold a funeral event in the future with their loved ones’ ashes present instead of a coffin. That might be next week, next month, or even next year if they wish.”
This modern alternative is the model adopted by the recently launched Tomorrow Funerals which is challenging the idea of what it means to have a funeral – no funeral parlour, traditional chapel ceremony, hearse, expensive coffin or difficult to understand packages.
Tomorrow exists in a very traditional marked to offer a more modern funeral package – a simple cremation followed by a remarkable memorial. In the midst of the ongoing Melbourne funeral restrictions, having an alternate solution like this becomes ever more valuable.
An added benefit of hosting the event later on is that it doesn’t have to follow the same traditions as typical funeral services, nor does it need to be hosted at a funeral parlour or chapel.
Here is a more detailed explanation of memorial style funerals.
Luke McInnes, CEO at Tomorrow, notes that “Services might be simple, or they might be sensational and there’s no reason a funeral needs to follow any set process. Beautiful memorial events can be held at people’s homes, places of significance like a beach, park or their favourite venues. They’re limited only by their imagination and our expert celebrants help to design and plan this process to create remarkable memorials.”
Kate Morgan, Tomorrow’s Head of Memorials, has discussed memorial events with families recently that include a hot air balloon ride, a gathering at The Astor Theatre and a big family party at a beautiful event space by the beach. Kate says, “I truly believe that taking time to create a fitting memorial event can be so beneficial for families going through grief.”
A previous version of this piece was published on PRWire.
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