Losing someone you love is arguably one of the most difficult and overwhelming times of your life. Whether their death is expected or not, it is inevitably still a shock. Once that initial feeling passes, quite often the next feelings that arise are of overwhelm, and the question “what do I do now?”.
Childers Woodgate Funeral Services is here to help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If the death
was expected, it may be that funeral arrangements have already been started.
Once you notify us of the passing of your loved one, we will proceed with plans
in place.
If not, then we will walk you through the process, you just need to call us to
get started.
During our initial conversation with you, we will make arrangements to transfer the body of your loved one into our care, and we will make arrangements for an initial meeting with you either at your home or at our offices. Both of these things usually take place within the first 24 hours after the death. Please rest assured that your loved one will be treated with the utmost respect and dignity while in our care.
What does the funeral director do?
As funeral directors, our job is to do everything we can to ease the stress on the loved ones of the deceased.
We will arrange for the body to be transferred into our care, even if your loved one has passed away out of town, in a different state or overseas. We will consult with you to ensure that the wishes of your loved ones are respected and their life celebrated as they wished.
We will liaise with the cemetery or crematorium on your behalf, organise the service, liaise with the celebrant or clergy, work with florists, make all necessary arrangements with the church, chapel or venue of your choice, register the death of your loved one, collect the relevant medical paperwork and dispatch as necessary, supply the hearse, collect floral and other tributes on your behalf, prepare the deceased for viewing, organise any required advertising, source music for the service, prepare slideshows if required and provide memorial attendance books for friends and family to sign. We can also refer you to grief counselling services if you feel this would be beneficial.
Our initial meeting
Our initial meeting with you will most likely last approximately one hour, and during this time we will help you to make a number of decisions relating to the funeral. We will also help you with the paperwork to register the death, which we will submit on your behalf. Births, Deaths and Marriages will issue the death certificate to you directly.
During our meeting, we will work through our About the Funeral booklet, which will record decisions that will help us to plan the funeral. This will take into consideration things such as:
- Where the funeral will take place
- Whether a celebrant or religious clergy will officiate the service
- Personalisation of the service – for example, photos, multimedia displays
- Music
- Readings
- Flowers
- Casket/coffin choice
- Pallbearers
- Cremation or burial
- Advertising of the funeral, if any
- Whether or not you would like a viewing of the body
- Who should give the eulogy and readings
- Whether or not there will be a wake
- Clothes and any jewellery for the deceased to wear
We will also be able to provide you with an estimated quote for the funeral at this meeting and discuss adjustments to meet your budget if necessary.
Following this meeting, we will be able to proceed with the funeral arrangements. We may ask you to provide photographs if you wish for us to create a slideshow for you, however some families also prefer to create this themselves. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to ensure the life of your loved one is celebrated and honoured in the best way possible, and we work with a range of local suppliers such as florists and caterers.
The day of the funeral
On the day of the funeral, you will be met by your funeral director, who will co-ordinate all aspects of your loved one’s funeral. Our goal is to ensure the day runs as smoothly as possible and is as comfortable as possible for you and your family.
Local business, local families
We are a local business caring for local families, and we always welcome our families to contact us after the funeral if they have any questions or concerns, or if they feel that we may be able to help them in some way. You can find more information about the services we provide by clicking here.
We provide funeral services to Childers, Woodgate, Gin Gin, Bundaberg, Maryborough and all surrounding areas. We will happily travel further afield to offer our services, so if you would like to know more, please get in touch.