‘No Fuss Farewell’: A Meaningful Service Without the Fuss
At Just Funerals, we’ve been serving and listening to families in Christchurch since 2017. Over the years, we’ve heard the same phrase time and again: “I don’t want a fuss.” For many people, this sentiment comes from a place of humility, practicality, or a desire not to burden their loved ones. We understand and respect these feelings completely.
However, we’ve also witnessed something important. When families choose a direct cremation with no service at all, there’s often a sense that something is missing. There’s no moment to gather, no opportunity to acknowledge the passing, and no space for the community to offer support during one of life’s most difficult transitions.
That’s why we’ve created the No Fuss Farewell – a funeral service that honors your wishes for simplicity while still providing a meaningful opportunity for family and friends to come together, say goodbye, and celebrate a life well lived.
Understanding the Need for Connection
Throughout human history and across every culture, communities have gathered when someone dies. These gatherings serve an important purpose. They allow us to mourn together, share memories, support one another, and acknowledge the significance of a life that has touched ours. While modern life has brought many changes to how we approach death and funerals, this fundamental human need for connection and closure remains.
We’ve noticed an increasing trend toward simple or direct cremations, where there is no viewing and no funeral service. While this option serves a purpose for some families, we’ve also seen and understand the gap it can leave. Without any formal gathering, families may struggle to find closure, and friends who wish to pay their respects have no opportunity to do so.
The No Fuss Farewell bridges this gap. It provides everything needed for a dignified, personal farewell without the complexity, extended planning, or significant expense that some people want to avoid.
What’s Included in the No Fuss Farewell
We’ve thoughtfully designed the No Fuss Farewell to include all the essential elements of a meaningful funeral service at an affordable price of $5,995. Here’s what’s provided:
Professional Care and Transfer
When your loved one passes away in Christchurch, our team will provide a respectful transfer from the place of passing to our funeral home at 3/243 Blenheim Road in Riccarton. This initial care is handled with the dignity and professionalism your family deserves.
Eco-Preparation and Viewing
We include what we call Eco-Preparation, which is our environmentally conscious approach to preparing your loved one for viewing. Rather than traditional embalming, we use our cool facility combined with mortuary care techniques such as washing, dressing, and body preparation. This allows families to view the deceased in our family viewing room at our funeral home, or on the day of the funeral while being mindful of environmental impact. If traditional embalming is requested or required, this can be arranged at an additional cost.
Your loved one will be placed in a simple casket of our own design. This kitset casket comes complete with handles and is lined in a traditional way, providing a dignified, but simple presentation for a viewing. A viewing allows families that personal moment to see their loved one and say a private goodbye if they wish. If you would prefer to upgrade to a different casket, this can be arranged at an additional cost.
A Beautiful Chapel Service
Your one-hour service will be held in a purpose-built funeral chapel, which comfortably seats up to 80 people. This dedicated space has been designed specifically for funeral services, creating the right atmosphere for reflection, remembrance, and celebration. The chapel also includes a catering facility, allowing your guests to gather for a further hour after the funeral without the need to relocate to another venue.
Professional Celebrant Service
A professional celebrant is included in the No Fuss Farewell package. Our celebrant will meet with your family beforehand to learn about your loved one – their personality, their passions, their relationships, and the things that made them unique. They will then create and conduct a personalised one-hour service that truly reflects the person who has died. This isn’t a generic service; it’s a personal tribute that honors your loved one’s life and legacy.
Refreshments and Gathering
Following the service, we provide catering for 30 people. This allows family and friends to gather, share stories, offer condolences, and support one another in a comfortable setting. There’s something profoundly healing about sharing a cup of tea or coffee and funeral fare with others who are grieving. When arranging the service with our funeral directors, please let us know if we need to cater for any specific dietary requirements. If you expect more than 30 guests, additional catering can be arranged at an extra cost.
Service Sheets
We include 30 simple, personalised A5 service sheets, professionally printed on card. These printed programmes provide a keepsake of the service and help guests follow along during the ceremony. They typically include a photo, dates, and an order of service. If you’d like more than 30 copies, we can arrange this for an additional charge.
Seasonal Flowers
A modest bouquet of seasonal flowers is included as part of the No Fuss Farewell service. These fresh flowers add a touch of natural beauty and warmth to the service, creating a peaceful atmosphere without unnecessary extravagance. If you would like to upgrade to a larger floral arrangement or additional flowers, this can be arranged at an extra cost.
The Cremation
After the chapel service concludes, our hearse will transport your loved one to the crematorium. The cremation itself takes place at a different location, and this is handled with complete care and respect. The ashes are usually ready for collection from our funeral home within 2 to 4 business days. Ashes will be available to you in our standard urn once the funeral account has been fully paid. If ashes are needed sooner that the standard time, please discuss this at the arrangement with our funeral directors.
Official Documentation
One official death certificate from Internal Affairs is included in the No Fuss Farewell package. This important legal document typically arrives by post approximately 10 working days after the cremation has taken place. Additional copies can be ordered at $33 each if needed for estate administration or other purposes.
Why Choose the No Fuss Farewell?
The No Fuss Farewell offers the best of both worlds. It respects your desire for simplicity and affordability while ensuring that there’s still a meaningful moment to acknowledge your loved one’s passing. Here are some of the key benefits:
It’s Complete: You don’t need to worry about organising multiple items at relatively short notice, or figure out what’s essential and what’s optional. We’ve bundled everything you need for a dignified, personal farewell.
It’s Complete: There’s no need to stress about putting lots of things together at the last minute, or deciding what you really need versus what’s just extra. We are here to guide you and assist you in deciding what you really need.
It’s Affordable: At $5,995, the No Fuss Farewell provides exceptional value. As Christchurch’s first and oldest affordable funeral home, we’re committed to making quality funeral services accessible to all families.
If the deceased is eligible for a WINZ Funeral Grant, this can significantly reduce the cost to the family. The maximum WINZ Funeral Grant is $2,616.12, which would lower the cost of the No Fuss Farewell to $3,378.88 to the family. It’s important to note that the WINZ Funeral Grant is both means tested and asset tested. The assessment considers the deceased’s assets, and if the deceased was married or living with a partner, the living partner’s assets are also taken into consideration. We’re happy to guide you through the WINZ Funeral Grant details with you during our appointment.
It’s Personal: Despite the name “No Fuss,” this service is anything but impersonal. Your celebrant will create a unique service that reflects who your loved one was, and you’ll have the chapel space to welcome those who wish to attend. Our funeral directors can add subtle changes that will make the funeral unique to each family.
It’s Practical: We understand that not everyone wants an elaborate funeral with extended viewings, large flower arrangements, or complex arrangements. The No Fuss Farewell strips away the extras while keeping everything that truly matters.
It Provides Closure: Having even a simple gathering gives family and friends the opportunity to support each other, share memories, and acknowledge the significance of the loss. This is an important part of the grieving process.
Making Arrangements
If the No Fuss Farewell sounds like the right option for you or your family, we invite you to contact us at anytime, day or night to make an appointment to visit us at our Riccarton funeral Home or we can come and visit you at home. As a family-owned and operated funeral home, we understand the importance of personal service and taking the time to understand your needs and wishes.
We’re available for both immediate funeral arrangements when a death has occurred and for pre-planning discussions. Pre-planning your own funeral can be a thoughtful gift to your family, removing difficult decisions and financial uncertainty during an already emotional time.
Our Commitment to You
Since opening in December 2017, Just Funerals has been dedicated to providing affordable, professional funeral services in Christchurch. We believe that everyone deserves a dignified farewell, regardless of their budget or their preference for simplicity.
The No Fuss Farewell represents our commitment to innovation and responsiveness to what families are telling us they need. We’ve listened to your concerns about cost, complexity, and fuss, and we’ve created a solution that addresses these concerns while still honouring the fundamental human need to gather, remember, and say goodbye.
If you have questions about the No Fuss Farewell or would like to discuss whether it’s the right choice for your circumstances, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0800 80 4663 or make an appointment to visit. We’re here to help you navigate this difficult time with compassion, professionalism, and respect for your wishes.
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Just Funerals is located at 3/243 Blenheim Road, Riccarton. Contact us at any time on 0800804663 to make an appointment to discuss funeral arrangements or pre-planning options