If you’re exploring options for Melbourne funerals, it’s helpful to understand the differences between a funeral and a celebration of life, so you can choose the most fitting farewell for your loved one. Whether you choose a funeral, a celebration of life, or both, what matters most is that the event honours your loved one in a way that feels authentic. Melbourne funerals are evolving, with more families seeking personalised, heartfelt ways to say goodbye.

Navigate the early days of grief with compassion. Learn how Melbourne funerals and caring funeral celebrants can help you honour your loved one with meaning and support.

Learn when it’s time to seek extra help while grieving. This compassionate guide explores signs that you may need more support, the role of funeral celebrants in Melbourne, and where to find grief counselling and community help after funerals in Melbourne.

Planning a wake after a funeral in Melbourne? This guide covers everything you need to know — from choosing venues and catering to creating personal touches — to help you organise a heartfelt and stress-free farewell.

In this episode of Deadly Serious Conversations, I’m joined by Megan Sheldon, a cultural mythologist,  a humanist celebrant and end-of-life doula based in North Vancouver, Canada. Megan has a deep understanding of the power of ceremony and ritual, especially in times of grief and loss.

Funeral directors play a pivotal role in guiding families through one of the most difficult times in their lives. But how do you choose the right one? What should you look for and what can you expect from them?  
This episode offers practical advice and thoughtful discussions on the partnership between families and funeral directors. 

In this episode, we have a wonderful chat about the practicalities and logistics of making it happen, but more importantly, we hear about the deep respect shown to honour one person's final wish to be laid to rest at sea.  It was a true community effort - a coming together of family, funeral professionals and authorities to ensure everything unfolded with care and dignity. 

Clare’s artistry reminds us of how meaningful it is to make space for memory and love. A funeral can take many shapes. It doesn’t need to follow the same format every time. It can be soft or bold, traditional or creative, held inside, outside, by candlelight, or under the sun. What matters most is that it feels true to the person being remembered.  

When you attend a funeral, you see a celebrant at the front, speaking with warmth, guiding the ceremony, and honouring the person who has died. But much like an iceberg, what you see on the surface is only a small part of the role.

In this blog, I want to share what really goes into being a funeral celebrant – both the visible and the unseen.

In this episode, we have a wonderful chat about the practicalities and logistics of making it happen, but more importantly, we hear about the deep respect shown to honour one person's final wish to be laid to rest at sea.  It was a true community effort - a coming together of family, funeral professionals and authorities to ensure everything unfolded with care and dignity. 

When we think of a memorial, we often picture a chapel or a funeral home.
But more and more families are choosing to say goodbye in ways that reflect who their person truly was — their passions, their loves, and the things that lit them up.

A meaningful farewell doesn’t need to be lavish or expensive—it just needs to reflect the unique life of the person you're saying goodbye to.

Whether you're organising something traditional or completely unique, this guide will help you plan a funeral or memorial service that feels personal, thoughtful, and genuinely heartfelt.

A Legacy Contact is someone you choose to manage your digital accounts after you die.
Think of them as your digital next-of-kin — someone you trust to download your photos, close down your accounts etc.
Whether it’s your iPhone, your Facebook,  Gmail, or other online accounts, you can nominate someone in just a few clicks.

Someone asked me recently – “what is your why?”

My why is helping families create moments of beauty, truth, and comfort — even on the hardest days.

I think one of the kindest things you can do for someone who is grieving is to remember.

Remember their loved one’s anniversary.

Planning a funeral can be a daunting task, especially amidst the emotional challenges of losing a loved one. Having a checklist can help streamline the process and ensure that nothing important is overlooked during this sensitive time.

Many people assume the Irish wake is just an excuse for a drinking session, but in reality, it’s so much more than that. The traditions surrounding death in Ireland run deep, woven into the fabric of the culture and community.   The dead are honoured with great reverence, and the grieving are embraced, supported, and given the space to mourn in a way that is both personal and communal. 

Every life is a collection of stories—big and small, joyful and heartbreaking, ordinary and extraordinary. These stories shape who we are and how we’re remembered.

Eastern Palliative Care runs an award-winning biography programme where their volunteers work one one-on-one with clients to allow them to record and tell their life story.