Funeral services: how to order a memorial, arrangements or grave care
A hard subject, but don't rush the decision
People turn to funeral services at a painful time, when there is little energy left to compare and ask questions. That is why it is easy to accept the first offer, even a poor one. Your aim is to get clear terms from several providers that you can read calmly at home.
There are three different jobs here, each with its own pricing logic: arranging the ceremony, making a memorial, and regular upkeep of the burial place.
Three directions
If you need help with the farewell itself, look at funeral arrangements. A provider can take over the paperwork, transport, coffin or bier, the venue, the setting up and the conduct of the ceremony, or only some of these. To honour a memory there are headstones and memorials, from simple slabs to full monuments with a railing. And if you live far from the burial place, grave maintenance helps: cleaning, painting the railing, flowers and seasonal work.
What to put in your request
- What you need — complete funeral arrangements, separate services, a memorial or upkeep.
- City and burial or cremation ground — permissions, distance and transport depend on it.
- Timing — a funeral is urgent, while a memorial leaves time to make it.
- For a memorial — material (granite, marble, black granite), size, upright or flat, portrait, inscription, finishing.
- For upkeep — one-time or regular, and which jobs.
- Wishes — religious tradition, the form of the farewell, number of guests.
- Budget — the amount you have in mind.
How to compare offers
The most important thing is a full list of what the price includes. A funeral is made of dozens of items, and one offer may include them while another lists them separately. Ask for everything item by item, without vague phrases like “complete package”. Ask about extra charges that might appear later.
For a memorial, compare the material and where it comes from, the thickness of the slabs, the quality of polishing, how the portrait and inscription are made, the making time and the installation. Get the warranty on the work and the foundation in writing. Ask for photos of finished work and, if possible, a sketch or mock-up before production. Installation has to be agreed with the management of the cemetery, and an experienced provider knows these rules.
For grave care, agree on how often they visit, the list of jobs and a photo report after every visit. This is especially valuable if you cannot visit yourself.
A common mistake is to sign a contract without a full specification or to pay a large advance without a receipt. For legal matters, such as permissions and certificates, it is better to consult a professional.
If you order a memorial in advance, don't hurry with the inscription: check every letter, the dates and the surname on the mock-up. A mistake in engraved granite is almost impossible to fix. Ask about installation timing too: the ground needs time to settle, so the foundation is often built first and the slab placed later.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You don't have to phone around funeral services when things are hard enough. You describe one request in your own words, and providers in your area reply in the chat: what exactly they offer, the price or what it depends on, and the timing. Offers are checked for spam and fraud. Providers can see where their offer stands among the others, so they can improve their terms.
The most useful offer is shown first, and reviews of the provider are visible next to it. Contacts stay hidden until you choose an offer, and it is free for the buyer. See also “How it works”.
