Faq's

• When Someone Dies
  • Q. What do I need to do when someone dies?
  • Q. What happens when someone dies unexpectedly?
  • Q. How long does it take for a deceased to be released to the funeral directors after a post-mortem?
  • Q. What is a post-mortem or autopsy?
• About Embalming
  • Q. Does the body have to be embalmed?
  • Q. Why is embalming done?
  • Q. What sort of clothing does the deceased need?
  • Q. How much make-up is applied to the deceased?
• About Funeral Directors
  • Q. Do we need to use funeral directors?
• Viewing the deceased
  • Q. Is viewing the deceased recommended?
  • Q. Should children be allowed to view?
  • Q. How should the viewing process be handled?
  • Q. Can adults learn anything from children?
• The Funeral Service
  • Q. What things need to be considered when planning a funeral service?
  • Q. Should the family use a minister or a celebrant?
  • Q. Is there such a thing as funeral etiquette?
  • Q. What is the funeral procession?
  • Q. Should the funeral be an intimate or grand affair?
  • Q. Can I be confident Mannings are familiar with the customs/funeral rites of my specific religion?
• About Ashes
  • Q. What container are the ashes returned to the family in?
  • Q. Can I be sure the ashes that are returned to me are those of my family member?
  • Q. Can families scatter ashes wherever they like?
  • Q. How soon after the funeral should the family make a decision about the placement of ashes?
• Costs and Formalities
  • Q. How do I get a death certificate?
  • Q. What is the cost of a funeral?
  • Q. Where do I obtain funeral insurance?
  • Q. How do I organise a Prepaid Funeral

What is the funeral procession?

This is sometimes another term for the “cortege” which refers to the transportation of the deceased from the place of their funeral service to their final resting place, i.e. interment (burial) or cremation. In years gone by, the funeral procession would travel at a slow speed, all cars would have their lights on, traffic would pull over for the funeral procession to pass and male pedestrians would doff their caps. Unfortunately nowadays,  the courtesy once afforded to death has been replaced with impatience and road rage.   Martha-Louise asks everyone to put their lights on – this helps when looking in the rear vision mirror to see if most of the cortege are following, but warns families that while she will do everything to keep the funeral procession together, they may become separated.    To avoid inciting road rage, a funeral procession will generally travel at the prevailing speed limit. Time is usually given at the final destination to allow for those who may have lost the main group. When there are a number of people unfamiliar with the area, the family sometimes ask the funeral directors to print off a map in case people get lost.