Unique Funeral Ideas

Funeral services are more than bidding farewell to a loved one. It is a celebration of a life and this is why it should be unique.

During our four decades long service in this field, we have identified unique funeral ideas and that the most personalised funerals are the most meaningful and memorable ones.

You can add personal touches to the funeral or memorial service in a variety of ways and we are capable of assisting you in this regard. Here is a brief overview of the personalised services we offer.

Personalised Coffin

There is a vast range of coffin options to choose from. Our full coffin range can be found here. 

Another way to make the coffin unique is a white casket or coffin and have family members use permanent marker pen to  write a personal message directly onto the coffin.

In some cultures, part of the grieving process is to paint the coffin at the family home. We can organise to have an empty coffin delivered home and once painting is complete we will collect and return to the funeral home.

Heart In A Diamond

Heart In Diamond creates stunningly beautiful diamonds from your loved one’s hair or ashes so you can hold on to your special memories of them — forever.

With your stunningly beautiful diamond, you now get to carry the most special feeling in the world with you all the time. Friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers will comment on how much they love your gorgeous memorial diamond.

You’ll have a tangible reminder to help you cherish the most important loved one in your life. If you’re going through a difficult time or personal tragedy, it’s just what you need to make it through.

Eternal Doves White Dove Release:

White Doves are a universal symbol of peace, hope, eternal love and purity. Releasing white doves will give you immense amount of comfort and consolation on your way back home from the funeral. This comfort will help your soul heal from the loss.

Often we see the responsibility elders place in the children of their family to carry on the family business and name.

Having a younger generation release the elder is  symbolism of the passing of the responsibility of the generation.  The Dove release is a beautiful representation of the respect held for the passed family member, it is an honour that will remain with the younger generation for a lifetime.   The gesture represents respect, gratitude and release.

Professional Tenor Singer

Roger Davy

No ceremony can be complete without music. Unarguably, music helps us express our emotions and for those who have just lost someone they love would find the sound of music utterly soothing and healing. Music can also help in respectfully celebrating an extraordinary life. Roger aims to honour the legacy and life of the deceased with his service. I believe that music can help us express how we feel about those we have lost and the sound of a voice can be both soothing and assist us in the healing process. They can also help us respectfully celebrate an extraordinary life. My aim at your service is to honour the life and legacy of a loved one that has passed away .

Personalised Stubby Coolers

Just Coolers products are an excellent and innovative way to share the memory of your loved one or your organisation in true style using a wide range of design ideas which can add colour to an event. A personalised stubby cooler makes a great gift and an excellent talking point at the wake and every event after that.

They are a Gold Coast company so we’re proud to support them.

50 Units – $4.95 each plus $15 postage

100 Units $3.60 each plus $15 postage

Order through us and add on to the funeral account or contact them directly.

Teddy Bear Urns and Bereavement Bears

Cami Bears come in three varieties: the Keepsake Bear Urn, the Teddy Bear Urn, and the Extra Large Teddy Bear Urn.

– The Keepsake Bear Urn has a small satin lined zip pocket under the left arm to hold the heart keepsake tin. The heart tin then forms the heart of the bear, containing either a keepsake of your loved one, or a portion of the cremated ashes.

– The Teddy Bear Urn has a larger zip at the back of the bear to hold a satin drawstring bag designed to hold up to 1.2kgs of cremated ashes.

– The White Extra Large Teddy Bear Urn comes with either the Keepsake Heart tin, which holds 7grams of ashes, or with the large satin drawstring bag which is able to hold up to 4kgs of ashes.

– The Caramel Extra Large teddy Bear Urn also comes with the option of the Keepsake Urn Heart Tin, or the Satin Drawstring bag which can hold up to 3.5kgs of cremated ashes.

Display Pictures or a Canvas Print

Simply bring along some old photo albums to place on a table at the funeral service or the after funeral wake and let people have a look at a life story in pictures.

We can organise a large canvas print to be displayed at the front of the chapel that can then be taken home and hung on the wall.

Real Scottish Bag Pipes

Having the pipes played at a Funeral or Memorial Service brings with it a beautiful and special part of the service.

Every funeral is an emotional roller coaster for the family and friends of the loved one who has passed away, and for many it is one of the most stressful and deeply emotive days that they have ever had to endure. Many parts of the service are solemn and reflective, and having the pipes play a “special” tune at certain moments can give everyone the opportunity to “have their moment of reflection”, and to remember all the special occasions.

Each service is different, and therefore each is unique in itself. I have been privileged to play at many funeral services, burials, cremations and memorial services, and all have had that “magical moment” where the hauntingly beautiful sound of the pipes has given the occasion that special touch.

Ride of Honour | Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Hearse

A Harley Davidson Hearse motorcycle is available for those looking for a funeral that reflects a free spirit and a sense of adventure. Bookings can be made by contacting us directly. Prices start at $440 inc GST for two hours.

‘A memorable choice that reflects a loved ones sense of adventure.’

Military Honours

If a loved one served in the armed forces, we can arrange for military honours and also present a military flag. You may request to involve the RSL’s participation in a Poppy ceremony whereby The Last Post will be played and the Ode spoken by a member of the RSL. A fitting memorial to reflect on the Service commitment by an individual helping their legacy live on.

An Ocean Funeral – A Beautifully Unique And Natural Tribute.

Celebrating someone’s live in a way that the loved one would have liked or preferred is definitely a daunting task. At Newhaven Funerals you will get superior level of services and a variety of options and ideas to plan a funeral in the way you want to. Our Ocean Funeral Services Queensland is a unique way to plan for funerals in Queensland where you can scatter ashes of your loved one at sea. Newhaven Funerals on the exquisite location of Gold Coast can provide all kinds of services and excellent level of care to the family and guests. This experience allows people to detach themselves from the day to day hustle and bustle and contemplate the simplicity of life”.

Download the brochure here >>

Funeral & End of Life Photography by Mel Noonan

Funeral Photography

Video/ Slideshow Tribute:

You have the option to play a picture DVD at the funeral service along with your favourite music or traditional hymns playing in the background.

Participation from Family & Friends: We offer the exclusive service of asking all your family members and friends to participate in the service by reading some favourite quotes, poem, scripture passage or anything else that the deceased wroteor was fond of. Or else, a personalized note can be read that embodies the deceased.

Please Reconsider Balloon Release:

We suggest that you read this piece of information before opting for balloon release service as it is not an ecofriendly option. Do check out this link:

https://balloonsblow.org/latex-balloons-still-kill/

This link will provide you the necessary information about the laws and applicable fines for balloon release:

https://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/waste/balloon-litter.html

Musicians:

We can arrange special musicians at the funeral such as a pianist, bagpipe payer, organist, harpist, violinist, or vocalist.

Unique Processional:

We can plan a special route to the crematorium, church or cemetery if your loved one was a police officer, fire-fighter or any other type of serviceman/servicewoman. The funeral procession will be led by the respective vehicle.

Encourage Others to Share Memories:

You can request for note cards at the service or visitation on which people can write comments and share stories with the loved ones family. Mourners can also use a permanent marker to write messages onto the coffin directly. If the person is a child, we can offer personalised tribute by pasting pictures of his/her favourite cartoon characters on the coffin. A white coffin is the ideal choice for this option.

Parting Gifts:

You may like to choose to offer parting gifts to the attendants at the funeral such as the loved ones favourite recipe, a packet of seeds or flowers to plant in their memory or a personalised bookmark bearing the picture or a personal quote. We can also arrange personalised coasters, coolers, and other similar items.

Symbolic Ceremony at the Cemetery:

A dove or butterfly release can be arranged at the cemetery or flower petals can be placed into the water while the ashes are scattered at the sea.

Reception/ Wake:

The funeral can be followed by a reception for family and close friends at the church, someone’s residence, hotel, country club or a restaurant. You can use this gathering as an opportunity to share fond memories of your loved one.