Key Points
- The cost of funerals has risen significantly since 2019.
- More Australians are choosing simple, non-traditional and even celebratory memorial events.
- Some say planning your funeral while you're still alive enables you to consider what's really important.
When Suzanne Walker's mum died suddenly last December, she started contemplating how she wanted her own funeral to be different.
"Mum's funeral was very rushed and along with the emotional burden of losing her, we had to think about the financials and practicalities."
At 52, Suzanne considers herself "really young" to be thinking about dying, but with costs rising, she wants to minimise the financial shock of her funeral for her daughters.
She also wants to relieve them of the emotional burden and ensure everything will be exactly as she'd like it to be.
Suzanne feels at peace knowing her funeral is all planned out. Source: Supplied
"I want to be cremated and have a huge outdoor celebration with my friends and family," she told SBS News.
"I want a high-quality white coffin adorned with beautiful white roses and greenery."
"For me, life has been really wonderful and I'm an optimist by nature. So I want a champagne fountain to keep the bubbles flowing, and everyone to wear something that sparkles.
"And I want my ashes turned into three man-made diamonds for each of my three daughters to wear."
Suzanne and her husband Mike, 53 are organising funeral bonds, an investment fund that allows you to set aside money to cover your funeral costs is only released upon your death.
"I'm going to budget around $15,000 for my funeral at today's dollars but that value should grow with the investment," Suzanne said.
"Then there will be no financial burden for the family.
"Who knows what will happen in life. If we lose everything, at least that one thing is covered."
The cost of dying
There are almost 200,000 burials and cremations held per year in Australia, generating around $2.2 billion for the funeral industry, according to research firm IBISWorld.
Like many things in life, the costs of dying have also been rising rapidly.
Costs of burials increased from $9,055 in 2019 to $11,039 in 2023, while cremation costs have risen from $6,334 in 2019 to $8,045 in 2023, according to the , based on research conducted by CoreData.
This is mainly due to (many crematoriums run on gas).
Cremations make up 70 per cent of funerals in Australia, according to the University of Melbourne. Source: Getty / Thaishutter
Awareness around the rising prices of funerals, and wanting to shelter their family from a financial shock, is leading more Australians to be proactive with their funeral planning.
And the trend is towards simple, non-traditional and celebratory occasions.
According to the report, around half (46 per cent) of over 50s have made preparations for their own funeral.
And in response to the rising cost of living, over 50s have changed their funeral preferences to be more simplistic (26 per cent), cost-conscious (24 per cent), and focused on cremation or other cheaper alternatives (22 per cent).
Cremation first, ceremony second
Cale Donovan at Bare Cremations describes affordability as "a huge issue" and "rising concern" for those arranging funerals for their loved ones.
Consequently, direct cremations — or cremations without accompanying funeral ceremonies — are becoming increasingly popular.
"If you focus on cremation first, ceremony second, it gets way more affordable," Donovan told SBS News. "We see a lot of people opt for a basic but elegant cremation service initially, then decide later on a more personal ceremony.
"From an affordability standpoint, you can have a beautiful ceremony in your backyard with a barbecue for close family and friends. You could also choose a riverbank or another non-traditional venue. There’s a lot of flexibility.”
Funerals can take place anywhere, provided the venue or location can handle a coffin. Source: Supplied / Grace Funerals
"People are looking for new options when it comes to death," she said.
Tomorrow Funerals offers a memorial/cremation-only service with sustainable cardboard coffins and no upsell options at a fixed cost of $6,800 plus help in organising a memorial.
“A memorial after the cremation doesn’t involve a coffin, so you can budget for a simple gathering at home. We organised a beautiful afternoon tea after the matriarch of a family died. She'd been an amazing cook, so her grandchildren prepared some of her recipes. People shared stories, watched a video of her life and listened to music.
"It was an amazing and authentic way to celebrate her life rather than being in a staid, old-fashioned funeral parlour on a highway where you're spending a great deal of money."
It was an amazing way to celebrate her life rather than being in a staid, old-fashioned funeral parlour on a highway.Kate Morgan, Tomorrow Funerals
Morgan has organised plenty of extravagant events as well as simple ones, including a celebration at the Melbourne Cricket Ground overlooking the turf, large celebrations with champagne at fancy restaurants, beach parties with jugglers and circus acts, a choir tribute, and a marching band of Kylie lookalikes and dancing drag queens at a ballroom.
"It was almost like a concert with music, speeches, and incredible performances," she recalls. "It was a truly wonderful event."
'Unique and fitting'
For those wanting a funeral ceremony, planning ahead of time gives people the chance to get more creative and celebratory.
According to the Cost of Death 2.0 Report, more than four in five (83 per cent) of people over 50 believe funerals should be a celebration rather than a mourning event, and about half (48 per cent) prefer no religious elements.
Asha Dooley, general manager at Grace Funerals Sydney and senior vice president of the Australian Funeral Directors Association, said she's seen pre-planned funerals rise 35 per cent over the past year.
“People are trying to get their financial aspects set up so that, when the time comes, the costs are already covered, providing financial security for their families. We’re also seeing an increase in people wanting to incorporate more fun and creative elements into their funeral plans."
Pallbearers carry the coffin of flamboyant British lottery millionaire Melissa Ede, who died in 2019. Source: Getty / Danny Lawson - PA Images
One funeral she planned involved transporting the coffin by a ute, flanked by motorbikes. She's also organised memorials by lagoons, and another with attendees dressed as mob wives in traditional dark colours and veils.
"They've all been unique and very fitting tribute for those involved," she said.
Reassessing what's important
Dooley said pre-planned memorials tend to look very different to funerals planned in a hurry after a death.
"When people have the time to think about what they want and discuss their preferences with their families, it can lead to something very special. Everything is changing in this world, and we are also changing what we find important."
Morgan said is catching up with the wedding industry, which started innovating around 20 years ago.
"Through Covid, people were open to doing things differently because there were so many restrictions. People now realise there are more options, and they're talking about it more."
Suzanne said it's hard to talk about death and funerals when someone is sick.
"It means you're giving up hope. When you're not sick, you can have a little bit of fun.
"And in pre-planning a funeral, you can make sure it represents you 100 per cent."
