5 Ways the Future of Funerals is Changing

With a dramatic shift away from religion, the future of funerals is changing. Instead of following standard procedures, more people are now choosing funerals that align with their personal values and how they think about religion and death. 

From preplanning funerals to DNA preservation, here are five ways funerals are changing for good. 

Preplanned funerals 

For most, the thought of planning a loved one's funeral (let alone their own) is uncomfortable. But with a shift in how we view death and the desire for a celebration of life, preplanning a funeral is becoming less of a foreign or taboo concept. Here are three benefits to preplanning your funeral:

1. You can ease the burden on your family to make decisions about what you would have wanted during what will be an extremely challenging and emotional time.
2. Prepaid funerals allow you to take advantage of current prices, lessening the financial burden on your loved ones when the time comes.
3. You have the opportunity to decide what you want for a memorial. For example, preplanning your funeral allows you to choose whether you want a cremation or a burial. These wishes will give your friends and family peace of mind when it’s time. 

Green funerals 

There’s no doubt that younger generations are looking for ways they can leave the world a better place. This includes protecting its environment. So instead of traditional funerals, people are opting for green funerals. 

Green funerals aim to reduce the impact of burials on the environment by incorporating eco-conscious elements. These elements can include biodegradable clothes, eco-coffins, and shallower graves to lessen disruption to the earth. Further research also suggests that green funerals can reduce the carbon footprint of typical burials by 30kg.

Ordering a cremation online 

With more than 30% of Australians saying they don’t associate with any religion, it’s no surprise that the future of funerals includes searching and even ordering a cremation online. People will often choose cremation because it doesn’t include all the extras of a traditional funeral. 

With platforms like Willed, people can easily get the information they need about a direct cremation service online, without the pressure of a traditional funeral home. An online cremation service takes care of everything from beginning to end so you can focus on what really matters. 

Personalised funeral services and DIY memorials

Keeping in theme with letting go of the constraints of a traditional funeral home, the future of funerals includes more personalised funeral services and DIY memorials, as opposed to employing the services of a traditional funeral director. By arranging the funeral or memorial service yourself, you get to create a unique and genuine funeral that can include live streaming, vigils and online memorials.

Unlike a traditional funeral, DIY funeral services and memorials tend to take a humanistic approach that makes room for the deceased’s values and beliefs to shine through. With services like these, once the direct cremation is complete, there’s no longer a need to involve a traditional funeral home.

DNA memorial 

DNA preservation, also known as DNA banking, is growing in popularity. Using a special procedure and temperature controlled container, families can collect and store the DNA of their loved ones after they pass away. The collection and long-term preservation of a loved one’s DNA can help with genetic testing for future generations, tracing ancestry and more.

While this funeral trend is more unconventional than the others, it might be a choice people make before they die in tandem with donating their bodies to science. 

Wrap Up  

The future of funerals gives people more options on how they want their friends and family to commemorate their life. So whether it’s preplanning your funeral or ordering a cremation online, make sure to make your wishes known by writing a Will.