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Hetherington Funerals Blog
Planning a Funeral Reception: Tips for Hosting a Memorable Wake
Planning a wake is a significant part of any funeral process. It is an opportunity for family and friends to gather together to not only celebrate the life of their loved one, but also provide emotional support to each other during a difficult time. As one of the...
What Makes Hetherington Funerals the Right Funeral Director for You?
How do you choose the right funeral director at one of life's most challenging times? Hetherington Funerals has been a trusted name in Perth since 1999, offering compassionate and personalised funeral services. With over two decades of experience, we have become a...
How to Plan a Green Funeral
More of us than ever before are looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment. Even after our passing, we can leave a legacy that shows our care for the planet by choosing a green funeral. Today we’re going to discover how to plan a sustainable funeral and...
What Can I Do With My Loved One’s Ashes? A Guide and Ideas
Losing a loved one is one of life's most challenging experiences. When faced with the passing of someone dear, decisions about their final resting place can be overwhelming. For those who have chosen cremation, the question arises: What can I do with my loved one's...
The Significance of Different Types of Funeral Flowers in Australia
Amid life's fleeting moments, the fragrance of flowers offers a poignant reminder of both beauty and impermanence. In Australia, where emotions flow as vividly as its landscapes, the art of conveying feelings through funeral flowers is a cherished tradition. Each...
The Etiquette of Social Media Condolences: How to Offer Comfort and Support Online
In the digital age, social media has become an integral part of our lives, connecting us with friends, family, and acquaintances from around the world. With its widespread use, it has also become a platform for expressing condolences and offering support during times...
What You Need To Know Before Scattering Ashes In Western Australia
Cremations can bring powerful advantages to grieving families. From retaining a keepsake of their loved one to the flexibility of scattering ashes at a time of their choosing, it's no wonder cremation services have overtaken traditional burials in Australia....
Australian Funeral Traditions: A Historical View
Funeral traditions in Australia have changed a lot. From the community-centred grieving of Indigenous Australians to contemporary eco-burials, the complicated history of this country is reflected in its many funeral customs. A more positive approach in recent years to...
Pre-Planning Your Funeral – What Are Your Options?
Funeral planning has come a long way. Rather than leaving your funeral service arrangements to family members, it's possible to choose your preferred options while delivering your loved ones of the stress at the same time with a pre planned funeral. Discover the vast...
Sharing Ashes – Keepsake Urns
Cremations have continued to rise in popularity, overtaking traditional burial in many areas. There’s a plethora of reasons for this growing trend, from cost and practicalities to religious and eco-friendly preferences, but one of the main benefits has always been the...
Why Location Really Matters When Choosing Funeral Homes
There are multiple key elements to consider when selecting the right funeral home for you or a loved one, and location is one of the most important. Preparing for a funeral can be a truly difficult time, making it important to find a funeral provider that not only has...
Which Cremation Urn is best?
Choosing a cremation urn is a very personal decision. Whether you’re selecting one for a beloved relative or are planning ahead for you and your family, it’s worth taking the time to find the right urn to honour a life well lived. Making decisions like choosing urns...
How Long Does a Cremation Actually Take From Start to Finish?
When choosing between a cremation and a burial, it’s natural to want a clear understanding of what’s involved. While traditional burials are common for many global cultures, not everyone knows exactly what happens at a cremation, the process involved, and how long it...
How To Support Someone Who Has Lost A Loved One
The passing of a loved one is a difficult time for those mourning and for those around them. When it comes to somebody experiencing grief, you won't always know the right thing to say or do. Here are 5 pointers for bridging the gap and supporting those who are...
8 ways to honour the anniversary of your loved one’s death
No matter how many years go by, you’ll never forget the caring presence of a lost loved one. Taking the time to celebrate their life by honouring their passing is not just a beautiful way to pay tribute, but a positive way to deal with loss in the years following...
Choosing cremation: Why more Australians are choosing cremation over burials
The next generation has spoken, with formal funeral services on the decrease in recent years. There are many different reasons for choosing cremation over a burial - from religious beliefs to cultural reasons - but this does not mean forgoing honouring your lost loved...
Why DIY Funerals don’t work
Preparing a funeral for a loved one, or pre-planning one for yourself, can often feel like an exhausting, stressful process, especially when the weight of payment falls to you. However, it's vital to have the correct information before deciding to disregard the...
Grieving Advice from Hetherington Funerals
Feeling the loss of a loved one deeply isn’t just normal, it’s natural. Grief shows you are an emotional, loving, and complex human being who bonds closely with others through purposeful relationships. While mourning the passing of a beloved friend or family member is...
Why Pre Planning Your Funeral Might Be a Better Choice
It might seem unusual to consider preplanning your funeral. However, once you get past the initial curious feeling, the realities of life make it a positive choice for most people. None of us want to leave this earth without a proper send off. By working with...
Top 3 tips to choosing the right cremation urn
One key part of arranging a cremation service is choosing an urn for the ashes. Providing families with a beautiful urn to carry away the remains of their loved one is both a form of closure and a personalised goodbye. With so many styles and designs on offer,...
Pre-Planned Funerals: Where to Start
Being prepared is a great way to reduce stress about a situation, and pre-planning a funeral is no different. Close friends and family have a tough time when someone passes, and having to arrange a meaningful send-off while simultaneously grieving a heartfelt loss...
Things to Consider When Selecting a Coffin
Finding the right coffin is an important part of arranging any funeral, as it is the physical vessel holding the precious remains of your loved one. The casket often plays a central role during a farewell ceremony, as it is usually placed front and centre, acting as a...
Arranging Transport of a Loved One
Losing someone you love is never easy but should a person close to you pass away overseas, the situation becomes more complicated. Bringing your loved one home for a funeral in Perth or a cremation service can be overwhelming during this time of grief, so here is a...
Finding The Right Urn
When faced with choosing a cremation urn, it’s completely understandable to feel overwhelmed. Making a decision like this comes with a certain pressure, as it’s a visual reminder of what a much-treasured person meant to others, as well as a final resting place. ...
Why A Prepaid Funeral Can Be An Investment
Being prepared is an excellent approach to all difficult things in life, and a funeral is no different. Pre-planned funerals in Perth are a reliable way to ensure you have the sendoff you want, while removing stress for your beloved family when the time comes. ...
Calling for a funeral service while grieving your loss
Calling for a funeral service while grieving your loss The demise of a loved one can be truly earth-shattering. Be it your child, husband, father or someone close, death always takes us by shock. In such times of intense grieving and anxiety, the stress of arranging a...
Dealing With Unexpected Loss
Dealing With Unexpected Loss The sudden, unexpected death of a loved one can raise some complex issues and test our capabilities for coping. Most of us experience feelings of shock and confusion when someone close to us passes away, but a sudden death can add extra...
5 Different Ways to Personalise Your Loved One’s Funeral
5 Different Ways to Personalise Your Loved One's Funeral Funeral memorials serve a variety of purposes. They offer us the chance to say goodbye and provide an opportunity for friends and family to gather to support one another through the grieving process. One of the...
Important Funeral Terms to Know
Important Funeral Terms to Know When a loved one passes away, organising their funeral can be stressful while grieving. Dealing with confusing funeral terms can add to the stress. Here are some important funeral terms you might come across. This article doesn’t cover...
What is a Death Certificate Used For?
What is a Death Certificate Used For? A death certificate is a document produced by the state government for when someone passes away. The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in each state records all deaths that occur. A death certificate is different to the...
What to Do When Someone Dies While Overseas
What to Do When Someone Dies While Overseas When a loved one passes away, it’s always distressing for friends and family. When it happens overseas, it can be even more difficult due to the administrative and logistical complications involved. When we travel abroad, we...
Leaving a Bequest in Your Will
Leaving a Bequest in Your Will Your will allows you to make a gift of any possessions and money you leave behind once you pass away. This is called a bequest. It can be made to any individual or organisation of your choosing. For example, many people choose to leave a...
Where Can You Have a Funeral?
Where Can You Have a Funeral? The most common venues when it comes to holding a funeral ceremony are places of worship and the ceremonial halls of cemeteries and crematoriums. However, there are plenty of other options. In fact, when it comes to the service or...
Managing Social Media Accounts After Death
Managing Social Media Accounts After Death Social media plays a central role in our lives today. But what happens once we pass away? Over the years there have been several unfortunate incidents regarding the social media profiles of the deceased such as the account...
Tips for Holding a Wake
Tips for Holding a Wake When making funeral arrangements, you may also want to have a reception afterwards, called a wake, where friends and family can gather to socialise and remember the life of your loved one. Wakes are generally less formal than the ceremony,...
What is Delayed Grief?
What is Delayed Grief? Grief comes in many forms. Some people experience feelings of profound sadness, anger and guilt for a few months or a couple of years following the death of a loved one, then find they can begin healing and move on. For others, feelings of grief...
How to Support Someone Who Has Lost a Loved One
How to Support Someone Who Has Lost a Loved One When someone you care about is grieving after the loss of a loved one, it can be difficult to know what to say or do. They may be struggling with a variety of painful and intense emotions including depression, anger,...
Tips for Dealing With the Division of Possessions
Tips for Dealing With the Division of Possessions The passing of a loved one is one of the most significant challenges we face during our life. In addition to processing your grief, you need to deal with administrative tasks such as sorting through the estate and...
How Does Body Donation Work?
How Does Body Donation Work? Body donation is different from organ donation, as the whole body is used rather than selected parts. Donating your body to an institution such as a university is a generous way of advancing research in medicine and science while helping...
What is the Role of a Funeral Director?
What is the Role of a Funeral Director? When a family member or close friend passes away, making decisions and handling logistics regarding funeral arrangements can be difficult while you are grieving. An experienced funeral director is there to help organise the...
What Do I Do When Someone Passes Away?
What Do I Do When Someone Passes Away? When a loved one passes away, it can feel overwhelming and you may be unsure what to do first. The process differs depending on whether the death is expected (i.e. due to old age or a terminal health condition) or unexpected...
What Costs are Involved in a Funeral?
What Costs are Involved in a Funeral? Funerals can be beautiful, meaningful ways to celebrate someone’s life and create positive, lasting memories. However, they can also be a source of financial strain on the family. A study by the University of Sydney in 2017 found...
Multicultural Funerals in Australia
Multicultural Funerals in Australia No matter what your ethnicity or faith, death is one of life's unavoidable events. While we may not have much of a choice about how or when we die, we can choose how we depart the world with a funeral ceremony that reflects our...
Do I Need Funeral Insurance?
Do I Need Funeral Insurance? Daytime TV is saturated with advertisements for funeral insurance. They warn of the significant financial impact that organising a funeral can have on your loved ones when you pass away. They also argue that insurance is the...
What Are the Benefits of Pre-planning Your Funeral
What are the Benefits of Pre-planning Your Funeral When someone dies in the family, it’s common for everyone to feel confused about what to do first when it comes to funeral arrangements. Planning at short notice can be difficult, especially when processing grief....
Top 10 Questions Funeral Directors Are Asked
There seems to be a cloud of secrecy surrounding the funeral industry, which makes people very curious about what really goes on. When we meet new people, we tend to get some very interesting questions, and so we thought we would answer the questions we are asked most...
Funerals: The Process Explained
As funeral directors, we encounter people every day who are dealing with grief and loss. We see people at their most vulnerable time, who are then expected to make huge decisions immediately. Over time, we have learnt that one of the biggest factors that contribute to...
The Truth about Funerals in WA
Let’s be honest: the topic of death, dying and funerals makes most of us quite uncomfortable. I am sure most of you are familiar with the words of Benjamin Franklin; ‘In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.’ So, if death is such a...
Can I have my funeral in Perth if I live in the country?
Many people who live in the country have family or friends living in Perth, and therefore wish for their funeral to be held there as it is more convenient. Oftentimes, it is unclear who people should turn to – a local funeral director, or a funeral director based in...
What clothes should I dress my loved one in?
Knowing which clothing to dress your loved in for the last time is more difficult than most people realise. Do you dress them in their favourite pair of boardies, or do you use the suit they wore to work for the majority of their working life? As with most decisions...
Get in touch for more information about Our Funeral, Cremation and Burial Services
It is our responsibility to ensure we meet your individual requirements in any way we possibly can. For more information on burials, cremations or any of our other services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
Because you never know when you’re going to need us, our team is available to contact 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We can talk you through the services and processes of a funeral with a dedication to quality of care, and answer any questions you have. Call us on (08) 9459 2846 or alternatively, send an email to info@hetheringtonfunerals.com.au.