$10,000 or more not out of line to say farewell

by PETER GRACE
The cost of a standard funeral, from death to cremation or burial, can be in the range of $7000 to $12,000 —
and even much more.

The most significant costs for a cremation are the funeral director (possibly $2500 or more), the casket ($600 to $4000), cremation ($500 plus), embalming (about $600).
The cost of the Order of Service booklet may be about $4 a copy, and most people are likely to overorder to a degree to ensure there are enough for everyone who attends the funeral service.
The use of the hearse may cost more than people expect. This is often at least two uses — from the place of death to the funeral home, then from there to the place of the funeral service. This may cost $500- 600.
Embalming may cost up to $600.
Catering can be done relatively cheaply if family or whanau work together to help out. But it may also be a reasonably significant expense.
The service celebrant and organist costs may add up to $500-600.
Floral arrangements can range from relatively low cost to something significant.
Other costs that can be overlooked include: certified death certificate, doctor’s fee for issuing certificate, medical referee’s fee, death notice(s), facility hire (chapel or function room), cremation certificate,
ash urn separation, ash plot fee, ash interment, grave marker, video, memorial book.
Close friends and family may be invited back to either the home of the surviving spouse or of a close family member. This is likely to incur costs for drinks and snacks.
Cremation outside standard working hours is likely to cost more.
Likewise, cremation on a Sunday or public holiday will also be more expensive — in some cases, about twice as much.
The most obvious difference between cremation and burial with respect to cost is burlal fees.
At Manukau Memorial Gardens in Auckland, the purchase price of an adult plot is $4000. The digging of the grave is $1072. In smaller centres, the plot cost at least is likely to be significantly less.
In Waikumete Cemetery in west Auckland, the adult plot cost ranges from $3300 to $5000.
The plot cost and digging fee for neonates, babies and children up to 12 years of age should be much less than for adults; in Auckland, it may be from a total of less than $600 up to around $1600, depending on the particular cemetery, and the baby’s or child’s age.Funeral costs can go much higher if a family chooses expensive options,
one of the most expensive of which may be a mausoleum. To buy a mausoleum site at Waikumete Cemetery, as of July 1, 2015, is $34,474.
Presumably mausoleum construction would be a considerable extra sum.