It harks back to a bygone era, but horse-drawn funerals are starting to prove popular for one Wanganui funeral home.
Dempsey and Forrest first used a horse-drawn carriage for a funeral seven years ago and co-owner James Forrest said several others have been carried out since then.
"A young lady passed away in 2006 and her family requested that she have a horse-drawn funeral so we managed to put that together and then thought why not offer it as another part of our service," Mr Forrest said.
It was the first time a horse and carriage had been used in a funeral in Wanganui for at least 80 years and he said the sight and sound of a horse-drawn funeral carriage was evocative and added dignity to the occasion.
He said there has not been a big call to use the horse and carriage and those that have had pre-arranged with the undertakers that was what they wanted for their funeral.