Before Making Arrangements

Often families face the challenge of balancing your loved one’s dying wishes with your own needs as mourners.  Seek to fulfill the essence of your loved one’s wishes, rather than the specific details.  It is okay to put the needs of your family first.

As you start to plan a funeral it is important to provide an opportunity for the family to share their thoughts and ideas.  You will each be experiencing grief and loss in your own personal way.  Be gentle with each other and understand each others needs.  Share and accept each others feelings.

Allow yourself time

You may feel that you need to put the funeral behind you as quickly as possible.  Sometimes, families see the funeral as a painful experience and simply want it to be over. We encourage you to rethink that approach. It helps to understand that the loss of our loved one has caused pain but the funeral can and should be the instigator of our healing. As you plan for a funeral and start to make decisions on day and time, ensure you have allowed enough time to complete everything that needs to be considered.

Things that may require additional time

• Relatives needing to travel
• Opportunities to view your loved one
• Preparing service sheets
• Preparing memory displays
• Compiling a photo story
• Preparing the eulogy

Information required by law

When a death occurs, there is a legal obligation to register the death with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in that State. The Registrar asks for specific information as part of the process of registering the death.  Information you may wish to assemble prior to meeting to discuss arrangements are:

• Date of birth and birthplace of the deceased
• Their occupation through their life-time
• Marriage details-where, when, to whom and age at marriage
• Children(s) names, date of birth and ages
• Parents’ full name and occupations