The future of funerals

Written by Stephen Corby for Australian Seniors

The cursed arrival of COVID hasn’t just changed the way we die (it’s still in our top-10 causes of mortality), it’s changed the way we celebrate life, with more people now choosing to hold smaller, more relaxed and less formal funerals. So much so, more of us are sending off loved ones in backyards, pubs and even restaurants.

Kelly Scott, a Victorian funeral director and national president of the Australian Funeral Directors Association, is a passionate advocate for families choosing to mark the passing of a loved one in a way that feels personal and meaningful to them.

“COVID really did cause a bit of a shift; it showed us the importance of gathering together, and there were definitely some additional layers of grief and trauma for people who couldn’t do that during the lockdowns, and that has really made people appreciate funerals more now,” Kelly says.

“A lot of people used to think it had to be something big and formal, and in a church, but that’s changed and it can be something really small and beautiful; some of the most beautiful services I've witnessed have been just 10 or 12 people."

“And we’ve held them in shearing sheds, at picnic spots, people have backyard barbecues. We recently held a funeral in someone’s favourite restaurant, and of course you could have it in your favourite pub, kind of combining the whole funeral and wake idea.”

Funeral live streaming and photographers

Perhaps the most noticeable change caused by the pandemic is that almost all funerals are now virtual as well as physical, with funeral live streaming becoming the norm. And because it’s being filmed anyway, many people ask to keep the video footage. 

More recently, there’s also been a trend towards hiring a photographer to record the event, too. While taking photos at what is traditionally a sad occasion might seem odd to some, Kelly explains that it’s also one of the few times that entire families gather in one place.

“People are so time poor and these days not everyone gets married, so you’re going to less weddings, and 21sts aren’t really a thing, so funerals are becoming even more unique as far as bringing people together, not just for families but social groups, school friends."

“So people want to record the event. Of course, filming was very rare before COVID, it was almost taboo to video a funeral, but now it’s very much standard to film it, and livestream it. And it gives people that opportunity to go back, years later, and watch the eulogies. Because for those close to the occasion, you often can’t remember the day, it can be a bit of a blur, so it’s a chance to remember what everyone said, and what they shared.”

New ways to celebrate a loved one’s life

The recent Australian Seniors Cost of Death Report 2.0 found that nine out of 10 Australians are feeling the pinch when it comes to funeral costs, with research showing that on average, we are paying $11,039 for a basic burial funeral, or $8,045 for a basic cremation funeral (you can calculate the estimated cost of your own funeral with this funeral cost calculator). However, plenty of people are still willing to pay extra to go out with a bang. In more ways than one. 

Companies like Ashes to Ashes will turn your loved one’s ashes into part of a spectacular fireworks display. For something a little quieter, but nonetheless dramatic, there are businesses that will scatter your loved one’s ashes somewhere special via a drone or plane. 

And for something especially out of this world, New Zealand’s StardustMe, which offers a global service, will even launch your ashes into space on board one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets. You can track the ashes as they orbit the earth for years to come. 

Top 4 trends for our own funerals 

The Australian Seniors Series: The Cost of Death 2.0 Report finds…

• 52% of over 50s want their funeral to focus more on celebrating life than mourning
• 47% want it to be good humoured and less serious
• 45% don’t want mourners to wear black
• 31% want their funeral to be less religious