After The Funeral
After The Funeral
Dom Maguire (Funeral Director) gives expert video advice on: What happens after the funeral service?; Who organises the after-service gathering? and more...
What happens after the funeral service?
Once the funeral service has taken place, the family may possibly wish just to return to the family home, to the privacy, to gather together and to reflect perhaps on the life of the person who's no longer with them. Other families will arrange some form of reception, a wake type thing, where friends and colleagues and acquaintances can gather together and maybe have something to eat, a few refreshments, and reminisce about happier times.
Who organises the after-service gathering?
The after-service gathering can be organized by the funeral director if the family asks the funeral director to do that. The next of kin may take it upon themselves to organize it. They will probably approach a caterer or some sort of establishment or institution, maybe a pub or a club, et etcetera, who can cater for this particular type of gathering.
Can anyone attend the after-service gathering?
Generally people attending the gathering after a funeral -- the reception, or a wake whatever name you wish to place on it -- they'll only be there by invitation of the family.
What do I do if I am not happy with the service the funeral director provides?
If the service provided by a firm of funeral directors falls short of your expectations and you are unhappy with it, the first thing that you ought to do is to approach the funeral director and say so. Try and resolve the situation between yourselves. If, for whatever reason, that cannot be achieved, then there are schemes in place which allow a form of redress. The National Association of Funeral Directors, for example, have the funeral arbitration scheme, which gives people who are unhappy with their funeral directors service the opportunity to have the matter resolved.
Who will maintain the grave?
It is incumbent on the family to maintain a grave, however, there are a number of people who specialize in the tending of graves today. Their names can be found in telephone directories and for a small annual fee they will make sure that the grave remains tidy and is maintained on a regular basis.
