Behind the scenes: The Art of Crafting a Meaningful Funeral Service.

In this week’s piece, we aim to unveil the intricacies of our profession as funeral directors. You Can Never Go Back and Do it Over. Some will say it’s harsh to remind you of this, but we know we must. Our mission is to empower our families to commemorate their loved ones in a way […]

Funeral Planning: It’s Not Considered Fun, but It Can Be

Steve, affectionately known as Mr. Fun-eral amongst friends, is back talking about how he is trying to revitalise funerals by encouraging people to look squarely at their mortality and plan their own funerals long before they might be expected to need to. For Steve, injecting ‘fun’ into funerals isn’t just about creating unique ceremonies; it’s […]

Death is the one true certainty of life, so why are we so awkward about mentioning it?

Facing our own death or losing someone we love… most of us try not to think about the D-word, much less talk about it over the dinner table.  Nevertheless, our resistance is profound. According to a recent survey by Hospice New Zealand, 69% of respondents admit feeling uncomfortable talking about death, despite 82% having experienced […]

“They didn’t want a fuss”. the words a funeral director loves to hear…

 “He doesn’t want anything special”. “It’s not what she believed”. “He wants no fuss”. “That’s not how she wanted people remembering her”.  “He just wants a cardboard box”.  Steve from Tong and Peryer Funeral Directors has heard it all. “I can (and do) wax poetic about death acceptance and reclaiming our death rituals back from […]