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When you start to organize a funeral for your loved one, people might ask you whether you have any plans for the dress code at the service. You might not have thought about this yet; however, the clothes that people wear during the funeral can help set the tone. You can simply stick with a traditional dress code here, or you can ask guests to wear something different that you feel has a closer connection to the person who has died.

If the deceased didn’t express any dress code wishes to you, then you’ll have to make this decision on their behalf. If you aren’t sure which option to choose, read on for more advice.

When to choose a traditional dress code

If you have a traditional funeral dress code, then people will wear more formal clothes. The will dress in black or in darker colours. For example, male guests might wear formal suits and a tie; female guests might wear dark-coloured dresses, blouses, skirts or dress pants.

This kind of dress is meant to show respect. If you wear black, you also show that you are mourning the passing of the person who died.

Traditional clothes and colours are often the best choice if you are saying goodbye to someone who was older or who held more traditional or conservative beliefs. If you feel that your loved one would be uncomfortable with you having a more modern or unconventional take on the dress code for the service, then it’s best to play it safe.

The traditional route is also the easiest dress code to choose for a funeral service if you aren’t sure which way to go. You’ll create a respectful tone that everyone understands.

Bear in mind that some people might not wear black, even if you specify a traditional dress code. If you have multi-cultural guests, then their traditional colours of mourning might be different. For example, white is the colour of mourning in parts of Asia; and people from some South American regions might wear purple.

When to personalise your dress code

Some people feel that traditional mourning dress is a little sombre and depressing. They prefer to inject a splash of colour or style into the service, and they will ask people to wear something that celebrates the life of the person who has died.

For example, if your loved one’s favourite colour was yellow, then you can ask guests to wear something in this colour for the service. This could be an entire outfit, a single item of clothing, an accessory or even a simple buttonhole flower.

Or, if the deceased supported a local sports team, you could ask guests to wear clothes in the team’s colours. You could also encourage their friends to wear their team’s shirts when they come to say their final farewell.

Many people take comfort in this kind of personalisation. They feel that it allows family and friends to show their connection with the person who has passed in a more celebratory and tangible way.

You may find that it helps to take a more personalised approach if the person who died was young and taken too soon. You might not feel that dark colours and formal clothes are appropriate here. However, adding personalised elements helps you connect with any loved one, of any age, if you have a way to celebrate their life and your love during the service.

Whether you believe in an afterlife or simply view death as being absolutely final—both for your physical body and your consciousness—the only certainty of death is that something needs to be done with your remains. For most people, the ultimate fate of their remains involves burial or cremation. But then what?

If you find comfort in the idea that your final resting place will be alongside those who you loved in life, have you considered the possibility of being buried with your family? In some instances, you can be buried in a casket alongside your family, but sometimes cremation is the more practical option. Discover specific possibilities of family burial, including with cremation remains

Double Grave

This additional burial depth in Australia means that when you or your partner passes away, the burial can take place as usual. When the remaining person passes away, their casket can be buried in the same plot. The headstone can then be updated to include the names and biographical details of both people buried.

Different Choices

What if you and your partner have different ideas about the ultimate fate of your remains? If you wanted to be buried and your partner wanted to be cremated, cremated remains can be buried atop an already buried casket or vice versa.

Interment of Cremated Remains

Cremation and burial are seen as two separate options, but cremated remains can be buried to create a final resting place.

Cremated Ashes

Ashes come in a standard plastic container the size of a tissue box (25cm x 14cm x 12cm). These usually get interned into wherever they are meant to go.

Space Considerations

This is a question of physical mass, and cremated remains will take up far less space than intact remains inside a casket. This means that multiple family members in their respective containers can potentially be laid to rest in a single plot.

Family Plot

This is often the most expensive way for your family to be buried together, and it really depends on your budget. You can purchase multiple plots alongside each other, creating a family burial plot.

Forward Planning

You can’t know how many family members will ultimately use the plot. A point may come where only enough space exists for newly interred family members to be cremated and placed inside a burial urn, but this permits everyone to be included so you can all be laid to rest together.

Family Mausoleum

A family mausoleum will also require some upfront costs, although the subsequent burial costs will usually be lower than a family plot. The primary cost will be the purchase of the plot to host the mausoleum, along with the construction of the mausoleum itself.

Future Residents

All family members who wish to be interred in the mausoleum will not face the costs of a traditional burial. The mausoleum is simply opened, and their remains are placed inside. Just as with a family plot, more of your family can be housed in a mausoleum if everyone opts for cremation.

If you need to organise a loved one’s funeral, then you often have to choose a coffin. While traditional casket designs are still a popular choice, you do have other options if you find it hard to make a decision.

For example, you can choose a personalised image-wrapped coffin if you prefer. How are these coffins different, and what are the benefits of choosing them?

What is an image-wrapped coffin?

Image wraps add personalisation to coffins; they change the way a coffin looks. Designers take a regular wooden casket and put a pre-printed wrap around it. This wrap, which is usually made from plastics like PVC, covers the coffin with high-resolution images or designs.

For example, a nature wrap might cover the coffin with a scenic photographic image of mountains, the sea or flowers. A sports wrap may hold images of a particular sport or a specific team logo and colours.

While many people choose stock wraps, you can create your own cover. Here, you would provide photos or graphics that the image wrap company would then turn into a more bespoke personalised cover.

What are the benefits of personalised coffin wraps?

Discover how personalised coffin wraps can benefit you.

You want to add a personal touch to a loved one’s coffin

Regular coffins don’t suit everyone. While some people like the look of a plain or even ornate wooden casket, others don’t.

Some people find it hard to choose a coffin because traditional options feel impersonal. This is the last home of a loved person, and you may not feel that a plain coffin is the right way to say your final goodbyes.

The traditional coffin doesn’t say anything about the person who died. It doesn’t give you the chance to openly reflect your own sadness and love at this difficult time.

This can be a particularly hard decision to make if you have to organise a funeral for a child or young person who died before their time. A traditional coffin may feel too stark and impersonal in these situations.

Using a customised image wrap makes a coffin feel warmer and more personal. It gives you the chance to do one last thing for the person you’ve loved and lost. You can show that you care and that you understand what mattered to them when they were alive. You’re wrapping them in love and care.

You want to say something about the loved one

Of course, if you wish, you can simply use a general wrap to brighten up the exterior of the casket. You could give the coffin a different colour or add a pattern or texture. However, in many cases, people opt for a more personalised solution.

They choose wraps that say something about the person who has died. You can use a wrap to connect to something associated with the person or to something they loved or liked doing.

For example, if the deceased was a keen surfer, you can use a wrap with images of the sea, waves and surfboards. A music lover could have a guitar and musical notes, and a dog lover could have a wrap covered with puppies.

You want to create a final message

You can also use a wrap to create a final message. A religious wrap with images of angels could show that the person who has died is now in the arms of God. A wrap full of hearts shows that they were loved.

While adding an image wrap will make you feel like you’ve gone the extra mile to show how much you care, it also benefits other people at the service. It connects them to the person who has died. It may make them smile, laugh or cry, but it will give all of them a happy last memory.