Funerals in a Digital and Modern World

With the covid pandemic in the UK, brought about some changes in the funeral industry which haven’t really changed since Victorian times.  One of the main changes has been digitally from organising a funeral, how we communicate and how we attend a funeral. 

Webcasting

With the restrictions from covid-19 we saw the advantage of using the webcam in Crematoria’s enabling mourners to attend virtually from the comfort of their own home. Whether you use the crematorium’s own equipment or hire an independent company to live stream a funeral at another venue location,it allows for anyone in any country to feel part of the funeral. It also allows for the family to keep a copy of the recording as a keepsake afterwards.

Funeral Arrangements

What we’ve seen is less families popping into their funeral directors’ office in the high street, to searching online to find a funeral director.  With the recent large media campaigns from funeral companies offering low-cost funeral options, has driven the increase of direct unattended funerals; although what it has done is reduce the importance of those left behind to say goodbye it can be argued.

Its also meant that much of the booking arrangements of burial or cremation is administered online, which has sped up the processes, increased audit trials, and with less paperwork that’s got to be good on our environment.It’s brought more visibility and access to information too. For example, funeral directors can readily access the libraries of music and hymns that crematoria’s use, so quicker to search for that ideal piece of music.

For us at Amanda-Louise Funeral Services, the digital age has meant we can keep our costs reduced by not having multitude of offices in every high street as many clients communicate via zoom virtually; otherwise, as we are a mobile funeral director, it means we meet our clients in the comfort of their own homes.

So whilst covid has brought us sorrow and changes in our lifestyles,from digital communication aspect, it appears to have brought positives.