How Much is a Funeral in Sydney?

How Much Do Funerals Cost in Sydney?

When a loved one dies, families are often left with the daunting task of organising a funeral. Not only is it heartbreaking to say goodbye, but it can also be expensive. Funerals in Sydney can cost anywhere from $2,800 to $20,000+, so it's important to know what your options are and understand how much it is likely to cost. In this blog post, we'll take a look at the different costs associated with funerals in Sydney and provide some tips on how to keep costs down. We'll also discuss ways to make the funeral process less stressful for families. So if you're preparing for a loved one's funeral or wondering what your options are, read on!

1. How much do funerals cost in Sydney on average?

Some funeral companies are very coy about the options available to families when someone dies. Did you know, for example, that you can have a direct cremation, or NSNA (No Service, No Attendance), followed by a private memorial service that you can organise yourself at home, in a park or garden, at the beach, or anywhere else that is meaningful to you.

For a direct cremation costs start at around $2,800 and a cremation with a full service starts at around $8,500. For a burial, costs start at around $7,500 plus the costs of the burial plot, grave digging fee, headstone etc and vary widely according to your chosen cemetery.

2. What are some of the common funeral expenses that need to be budgeted for?

If you plan to have a funeral service, these are some of the potential costs:

Funeral Director
Service venue
Celebrant or priest
Viewing of the body
Preparation of the body
Doctor’s fee to confirm cause of death
Coffin, Urn
Death Notice
Videographer/webcast
Flowers
Slideshow
Order of Service
Hearse

3. How can you save money on your loved one's funeral without compromising on quality or service?

A great way to save on costs is to organise your own ceremony. This does not have to be in a funeral chapel - it can be anywhere you like! What about your back garden for example? You can also provide your own flowers and design and print a simple Order of Service and have a friend record the service in pictures or on video for sharing later on.

When you have lost a loved one, it is a stressful time and you may not feel like performing all these tasks, so a great way of saving money is to look for a small family business like Narrabeen Funerals, with minimal overheads, and developing a personal relationship with the person who will be handling your arrangements.

4. What are some of the unique ways people have chosen to say goodbye to their loved ones over the years?

We have seen some imaginative and original ways of farewelling friends and family members. For example:

• Buy a plain, unpainted coffin and have family and friends decorate it with words and images.

• Have a direct cremation, followed by a Scattering of Ashes ceremony at a location that has special meaning for the person who has died.  A range of beautifully decorated scattering tubes is available to form a memorable part of the ceremony.

• Have the ceremony at a golf club, a surf club or a football club, according to your loved one's interests,  is a great way to celebrate their memory.  Not all clubs will accept a coffin at these ceremonies, but it's worth checking. If a coffin is not permitted then most clubs will accept an urn containing the ashes. 

• Have a live band playing their favourite music - bagpipes perhaps?

• Here's an idea - If you know that death is imminent why not have a Living Wake before that person dies so they can share all the lovely things people want to say about them. This means a huge amount as they enter the final days of their life. This is something you can arrange yourself, or I am happy to arrange it for you.

• Record a farewell message by the person concerned to be played at their funeral if they know in advance that they are about to depart - this is very powerful!

• At the service, how about a model wearing some of the clothes and shoes that person was known to have loved, along with much-loved elements of their lives - golf clubs, photography, books, handbags or hats, for example?

• At a funeral recently everyone was given a piece of paper to write a message with the outline of a Japanese Origami crane to fold and place alongside the coffin for the cremation.

• One man requested that his ashes be sent up in a skyrocket and exploded into the night sky.

  Funeral services are limited only by your imagination.

5. Do you need to hire a funeral director in order to organise a funeral, or is there another option available to you? 

There is nothing to say that you have to have a funeral director to organise a funeral service. There are no rules to say a funeral director is required.

Arranging a cremation or burial is a little more involved and probably something you would be better off handing over to a professional funeral director at such a stressful time.

If you would like any advice or assistance, may I suggest you call me before it becomes necessary and we can have a chat about your options. I am happy to meet you in your home and there is no obligation to proceed with me when the time comes.

Please call me on 0414 450 460 if I can help you in any way.

Philip Holland
Narrabeen Funerals