Funeral arrangements: compare offers from funeral services
When you have no strength to phone around
Losing a loved one is not the moment when you want to compare ten price lists. But it is exactly then that the price and the set of services often depend on whether you asked what is included in the sum. So it helps to know, at least in outline, what a funeral consists of, and to be able to get several answers without telling the story many times.
What a funeral consists of
You can order everything “turnkey”, or separate parts: a hearse, a funeral bus, a coffin or bier, wreaths and garlands, preparing the grave or cremation, the last rites and farewell ceremony, and a memorial meal. If the body has to be moved between cities, this is charged separately. Cremation has its own terms, and the set of services is slightly different.
Some things depend on local rules and on the cemetery or crematorium: who gives permission, where to book the work, and what the requirements are for the paperwork. Ask the service whether it takes this on.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You write one request, and funeral services in your city reply in the chat. You do not have to phone each one in turn. Your phone number is hidden: contacts go only to the service you choose. Before it is shown, the request is checked and you are told what to add.
In the replies you see the list of services, the price or what it depends on, and the timing. Each service sees where its offer ranks and can improve its terms. The best match by content is shown first, and reviews help you judge the provider. Read more on the “How it works” page.
What to put in your request
- What is needed — a full funeral or separate services.
- Burial or cremation — it affects the set of services.
- Date and time — or “tomorrow”, if urgent.
- City and cemetery or crematorium, and where the body must be collected from.
- Transport — hearse, a bus for a set number of seats.
- Ceremony — rites according to your family's tradition, a hall for the farewell, a priest or officiant, a memorial meal.
- Coffin or bier and items — type, wreaths and garlands, flowers, clothing.
- Budget, if you want to name one.
Example: “I need a full funeral in Montreal, cremation at a nearby crematorium tomorrow at 1 pm. A hearse and a bus for 30 seats, a bier, 2 garlands, a priest for the rites. No separate memorial meal is needed. Budget up to $510.”
How to compare and what to avoid
Ask for an itemised list with a price for each item, not one total sum. Two offers may differ only in that one includes a bus or garlands and the other does not. Ask whether there are extra charges that may appear later, and what happens if the time changes.
Do not sign or pay if you do not understand what you are paying for. Ask for a contract or at least a written specification and a receipt. Do not rush to agree to a “package” with extras just because it is quicker. If you have questions, relatives or friends who have been through this can help.
For remembering the person, when the time comes, there are headstones and memorials and grave maintenance. Everything together is in the “Funeral services” section.
