Funeral or memorial service
Stu or Mary will sit with you and talk about how to create a farewell that feels right.
Burial or cremation
In Wellington there are two main options when arranging a funeral: burial or cremation
Your choice can depend on all sorts of factors including religious beliefs, the type of send-off you want, or family tradition.
Call us to discuss options, or read more about types of burial and cremation.
Cremation
Cremations can be held at Karori, Whenua Tapu and Akatarawa. Each facility has their own booking systems and pricing.
Burial
There are burial plots available at Makara, Whenua Tapu and Akatarawa, or (in some circumstances) churchyards, Karori Cemetery and urupā.
Natural burial
Wellington City’s natural burial ground is at Makara Cemetery, where nature is embracing those who have gone before us.
Celebrations – a funeral or memorial service
How we say goodbye to a loved one is as individual as they are
You may want something non-religious held at home or in a community space, or a more traditional religious service in a place of worship. There are lots of options.
What about donating my body?
This is an option some people choose when they want to support science by gifting their body to a medical school. You do need to arrange this with the medical school well in advance of your passing, and your family has to consent to it as well. Learn more on the Otago Medical School website.
You may also be interested in learning more about donating your organs, on the Organ Donation NZ site. This is another gift to medical science which needs to be organised prior to death and will need to be discussed with your family and loved ones so they know what to expect.
Pre-planning
Few people enjoy sitting down to think about their own funeral (although we’ve met a few who do).
Writing down what you want for your funeral takes the weight of the burden off your family when the time comes.
We’re always happy to sit and talk things through with you, and to keep your choices on file for when the time comes. We can also provide an idea of the likely costs.
You can download our easy how-to guides from our resources page.
There are two ways you can help your family by pre-planning your funeral:
- Practical information. How many people know off the top of their heads the date and place you were married, or your mother’s maiden name? There’s some family history that is needed for the Death Certificate and writing it down ahead of time makes the registration process so much easier (and more accurate).
- Decision fatigue. For the person or people arranging a funeral, there are a lot of questions to answer, and nobody wants to feel they might have got things wrong. If you hate lilies or want a specific Elton John song at your service, writing it down gives your family or friends certainty when it comes to choosing details that will help them memorialise the real you.
What to do when someone dies
Whether a death is expected or not, it’s normal to feel shock. You don’t have to rush. Give us a call and we’ll talk you through what happens next.
We’ll arrange to bring your loved one into our care and make a time to sit down with you. Our expert Funeral Directors will guide you through the many decisions that need to be made after a death.