Our Funeral Homes

A funeral home can also be known as a funeral parlor or a mortuary. A funeral home provides burial and funeral services. The services they offer may include a funeral and wake; sometimes they also provide the use of a chapel as well. Funeral homes will also help with arranging flowers, catering, headstones and cremation if this is what is requested. It is totally up to you as to how much or how little the funeral home will help with.

Above all these services that the funeral homes will offer to you, they are also there to provide you with the emotional support you need at such a difficult time. As well as this funeral homes will be able to offer expert advice and practical help. This is a great relief for most who need this extra support at this time.

The executor (person named in the will who is to carry out the funeral arrangements) or the deceased next of kin should contact a chosen funeral home as soon as possible after the death. A convenient time can then be made for this person to visit the funeral home and discuss the funeral and any special requests. It is at this stage that the funeral home will need to be informed weather they are to take the deceased into their care or if the deceased is to remain at home until the funeral.

You do not need to wait until you have received a death certificate in order to contact the funeral home.

The funeral home will take into account the wishes of the deceased and their family and arrange the service in line with this. Things such as paper work and permits are usually taken care of by the funeral home so that the deceased family do not need to worry about this. The funeral home will also sometimes contact the cemetery and provide the media with obituaries on the families’ behalf. The deceased are taken to the funeral home before the funeral; this can be anything from the day before to weeks before. If the executor or next of kin have chosen to keep the deceased at home till the funeral some funeral homes will come out to the house before the funeral to prepare things. This would have to be discussed and arranged with the funeral home.

Sometimes the funeral home will embalm the deceased. This means the funeral home will replace the deceased blood with chemicals and they will set the persons features. The funeral home do this so that it will delay the decomposition if the body, preserving it for the funeral. This is done more often if the funeral is to take place a while after death.

Funeral homes often have an area where they place the deceased in their casket called a viewing room. This is usually a large area where family of the deceased can gather for a visitation. The funeral home will do this to allow visitors to pay their final respects to the deceased in total privacy.

Some funeral homes will hold funeral services or memorials. This is usually instead of having a funeral service at a chapel.

Funeral homes will arrange the date and time of the funeral and will liaise with the chapel, cemetery or crematorium depending on your requests. This means that you really do not need to do anything. A funeral home is there to take control and take the pressures off you. This is welcomed by most after the death of someone close to them. However understand that funeral homes do not have to do anything you do not want them to. How much they do in relation to the arrangements is totally up to you. The funeral home will only do what is asked of them. Therefore if you want to make the arrangements yourself then just let the funeral home know when you first contact them.

Many funeral homes will offer people what is called prearrangement services. This means the funeral home allows you to prepare your own funeral with specific requests before your death. The funeral home will provide you with a detailed estimate of the costs for their services. Some funeral homes will offer you advice on how best to pay for this. Often the funeral can be paid for by the proceeds of the deceased estate. However if you need to stick to a budget let the funeral home know so they can respect this and offer advice as how best to stay within your budget.

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