Jo Moselen and Jo Samuel are taking an unconventional, more natural approach to funerals. Photo / Michael Cunningham
They call themselves "disrupters around the edge of the funeral industry".
Friends Jo Samuel, Jo Moselen and Jules Palmer from A Graceful Undertaking admit to taking an unconventional approach to life's ultimate certainty - death.
Want to rent a casket or have a natural burial? Sure thing.
Rather use your own vehicle or a vintage car instead of a hearse? No worries.
Not comfortable with the embalming process for your loved one? Understandable.
Or maybe a casket covered with flowering pōhutukawa or made from New Zealand wool or cardboard appeals?
Yes, they do death a little differently at A Graceful Undertaking, a Whangārei-based business with a fresh approach to after-death care and funeral arranging.
"We don't have black vehicles, we don't have black clothes, we want to be in line with the family," Moselen said.
"It's about normalising it and being understood...how the funeral unfolds needs to reflect who the family is."
Then there's the fact they're all women, something the trio believes is advantageous in a typically male-dominated industry.
"One hundred years ago, the body was always at home, they were laid out in the front room," Samuel said.
"Women taught their daughters how to take care of bodies and fathers taught their sons how to make coffins.
"We feel this is women's work, not exclusively, we need men involved, there's no question about that.
"But there's something inherently female about the process.
"We compare it to reclaiming, in the last 20-30 years, women's right to choose and be in control around birth.
"It's the same reclaiming that's happing on a global basis around death."
Samuel, Moselen and Palmer started the business three years ago after personal experiences of loved ones dying and the stress of organising funerals.
During that time they had many conversations with others who said much the same thing: ''It wasn't really what we wanted.''
Their idea to start an alternative service became reality and over the last few years, they have been developing the venture, initially offering funeral services at people's homes.
In 2020 they rebuilt an old cowshed on Dickson Rd, Glenbervie into new premises, marking the occasion with an official opening ceremony in March this year.
The registered funeral directors now offer a raft of options across Northland, from rented coffins using a liner allowing the casket to be reused, and caskets made from sustainable materials including New Zealand-made wood and wool.
Natural burials – where the body is wrapped in a shroud and placed directly into the ground at Maunu Cemetery – are also becoming increasingly popular, they said.
And if people want to use a coffin they already own or use their own vehicle instead of a traditional hearse, that's totally okay.
A complete service is there if needed, but there is the choice of going with less.
"One of the most important things for us is informing people of their choices; the natural burial ground exists, you don't have to use a coffin, you don't have to be embalmed, you don't have to leave home," Samuel said.
"People feel empowered when they know these are all choices.
"For people who are questioning their options, we're a good fit."
According to Consumer NZ, the average cost of a funeral is $10,000 - and people can end up paying a whole lot more.
An investigation by the consumer watchdog looked into the various costs, options and services and concluded: "Finding out what it will cost for your final send-off is often harder than it should be.
"Many funeral companies don't publish prices for their services. Some may only provide estimates before the event itself."
The Graceful Undertaking trio knows people are grappling with intense emotions while needing to make quick decisions for their loved one.
Often people don't understand all the options, costs and what is actually needed, they said.
That's why they strive to be transparent, with prices for their caskets and services available on their website.
It's about working collaboratively with families, Samuel said.
"We have had people choose options for economic reasons and for environmental reasons.
"More and more people are mindful of not burying or burning significant amounts of timber.
"We're more interested in breaking down the separation between families and their dead and supporting families to stay more engaged and have more control."
They don't embalm bodies, "unless it's necessary and we find that's less than 5 per cent of the time".
Instead, they take care of bodies using essential oils and natural products.
"Basically, we take as natural an approach as possible with minimal intervention," Moselen said.
"We will help families take care of their dead in their home, often without the person having to leave their home until the funeral."
In 2017 the funeral operation won the commitment award at the inaugural Pick competition run by Northland Inc.
The awards recognise Northlanders with a business idea or start-up that they wanted to get off the ground or make more viable.
Recently, Kerikeri resident Les Robinson joined the team and is now the point of contact in Kerikeri.
The women want to promote conversations about death, which is something many shy away from.
"When you get to support a family and see them move through a challenging time and feel supported it's incredibly heart-warming," Samuel said.
"We've got so disconnected from death and the whole process and it doesn't feel very healthy. Sometimes people don't even know a person's wishes.
"We don't have a problem with death. It's part of life."
Maunu Cemetery in Whangārei is a 14ha natural burial site in native forest offering a natural approach to burials.
A natural burial means the body, which must not be embalmed, is buried in a relatively shallow grave, wrapped in a heavy shroud or put in a shallow box made from cardboard or other untreated woods or fibres.
Burials plots are dug to 800mm, so the casket sits in an active layer of earth, breaking down at a faster rate than a traditional burial plot.
The cemetery's natural burial area was established three years ago, and in May was recognised with the 2021 New Zealand Cemeteries and Crematoria Innovation Award.
It has also twice received the international prestigious Green Flag Award, which recognises well-managed parks and green spaces.
To date, six burials have taken place there and six more have registered that when their time comes, that's where they would like to go.
There are avenues for financial assistance when someone dies.
Work and Income New Zealand offers grants to contribute to funeral costs for low-income families.
If the death has been a result of an accident, ACC will contribute to the funeral cost.
Veterans' Affairs New Zealand will cover funeral costs for eligible veterans.
Source: Funeral Directors Association of NZ
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