Not at all! Anyone can legally arrange a funeral in Qld, and some people will find making these arrangements themselves quite healing. However, most find it helpful to appoint a funeral director to coordinate caring for the body up until the ceremony, transportation between venues, medical and burial/cremation paperwork, and lodging the request for the death certificate.

In Australia, you can choose from traditional burial, natural burial, aquamation or cremation. Each have different legal, financial, and environmental considerations which a funeral director can help you understand.

Yes! Funerals can be held at home, in a park, on the beach, in community halls, or any meaningful location. Your funeral director will discuss your ideas with you and arrange for the appropriate local council or venue permissions.

In Queensland, a funeral is usually held within 7–10 days, but this can vary depending on family wishes, cultural or religious traditions, and logistical needs. If your circumstances mean you need a different time frame, I will work with you to honour these.

Yes. In Australia, if you are terminally ill, you can choose to die at home, you just need the right support in place, such as palliative care, a supporting GP, or a home nursing team. I will work with you to build this team and access the necessary equipment to keep you comfortable, ensuring your last days can be spent in the comfort of your own home.

A home vigil is the practice of keeping the body of a loved one at home after death to allow family and friends time to say goodbye in a familiar, peaceful environment. In Qld, it’s legal to keep a body at home for a maximum of 5 days. Naturally, a body will still require caring for during this time, so I will help you prepare for this.

Planning a funeral typically involves choosing a location, celebrant, type of service, music, readings, coffin or casket, burial or cremation, flowers, and notices. Other considerations include rituals, involving special people in the ceremony, and live streaming/recording the service for guests who can’t attend, and transporting the body between locations. A funeral director helps coordinate all elements so you can focus on honouring your loved one and grieving with your family.

A death doula is a non-medical support person who assists individuals and families during the end-of-life stage. They offer emotional, spiritual, and practical support before and after death to help prepare the family and the dying person so they can meet death with peace and acceptance.

No. Embalming is not a legal requirement in Australia unless the body is being repatriated overseas or held for an extended time. Most families now opt for the use of minimal preservation techniques as it’s more cost economical and funerals are usually held relatively close to the date of death, which makes embalming unnecessary.

The death must be registered with Qld’s Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. This is usually done by the funeral director, but can be done by a family member if no funeral director is involved.

Absolutely. Pre-planning or pre-paying can ease the burden on loved ones and ensure your wishes are respected. Options include funeral bonds, prepaid plans, and clear instructions.

If a person dies suddenly or without a clear cause, emergency services must be called, and the coroner may become involved. When the authorities release the body of the deceased, you can begin to make funeral arrangements.

Not at all. Unlike weddings, there are no legally binding elements to a funeral. Instead, funerals can be deeply personalised to reflect the individual - through location, music, stories, dress code, rituals, keepsakes, and more. There are no fixed rules for how a goodbye should look, so make it true to your person and their legacy.

Funerals can be costly due to the many services, professionals and products involved in caring for a person from their time of death until they are cremated or buried. However, there are lower-cost, simple, and meaningful options available, including direct cremations and home-based farewells. There are also ways to keep costs down by asking your community to help out with flowers, catering, and designing and printing the Order of Service. Many funeral professionals (myself included) are happy to help tailor something respectful and affordable.

A funeral usually includes the body and happens soon after death, while a memorial service may occur later and doesn't require the body to be present. Both honour the life of the deceased and can be tailored to meet the needs of the family grieving the loss.

A direct cremation is when the body is cremated without a service or viewing beforehand. It’s a simpler and more affordable option that allows families to hold a memorial at a later time.

Direct cremations are becoming more popular with families who need an affordable solution to farewelling a loved one, as the family can hold an informal or private memorial service (with ashes present) at a time that suits them.

Death can be made more eco-friendly by choosing a cardboard coffin, going without embalming, or by choosing a natural burial (in participating cemeteries only). Other ways to reduce the impact of a funeral include using plants (instead of flowers for the coffin) to top the coffin and planting these later on, choosing digital (instead of printed) materials for the funeral service, and ensuring your funeral director knows your wishes so they can make additional eco-friendly suggestions throughout the planning process.

Local authorities will alert the Australian embassy or consulate, and a member of DFAT will then notify you/the next of kin. An autopsy may be required, and a death certificate will be issued by the host country.

Once ready for pickup, you can choose to have your loved one cremated and returned to Australia as ashes, or the family will need to pay for the body to be repatriated back to Australia. Your funeral director will arrange to pick them up from the airport. Once back in Australia, your funeral director can help you make plans for burial or cremation.