The Scenario: A friend of mine recently went to a funeral and was surprised by the eulogy, which included a video clip of the deceased, who was actually cremated.
The highlight film: Admittedly, it was a very lovely tribute to the deceased person, with photos, videos, narration and music. It was sort of like the types of videos played at anniversaries, weddings and other big tribute events.
The Funeral Cost: $6,000, including the video ($1,000-plus)
My Friend's Assessment: "It was a nice video, but the family could have made it for themselves for a lot less." The family also faced pressure to buy an expensive urn and other perks that lifted the price of the funeral so high.
Some undertakers and funeral homes place a lot of pressure on bereaved families to spend heavily on caskets, urns and now videos to create beautiful tributes for the deceased. That's the observation, from a savvy friend of mine, who recently attended a funeral service.
The unspoken pitch: The amount of cash you spend equals the amount of love in your heart.
How great is the pressure:
At another funeral, my friend overheard this conversation in which a member of the bereaved family had voted against an inexpensive coffin because it "would pinch" the deceased.
Actually, the grief of the has been pinched.
_________________
The Frugal Duchess Boutique
3 comments:
Your post reminds me of an article I read in The New Yorker not too long ago about a Hollywood CA funeral home that involves videos during their ceremonies and as an ongoing feature of the burial area. The funeral director actually helped consult with the crew of Six Feet Under when they were filming.
Didnt know that funeral homes could be such a lucrative business!
Thanks. Apparently, the funeral industry is very profitable!
Post a Comment