Funerals are serious occasions, but they can also be overly sentimental and even corny. So how do you ensure the funeral you are organising is not corny at the end of the day? Funerals are events, so they need to be well planned…

As with most other occasions, dressing for a funeral is a matter of personal taste. There are guidelines about what to wear to a funeral available. However, the fact that funerals are centred around death gives this occasion a sense of sobriety. There…

Funeral etiquette is no different to any other form of traditional etiquette. Because it involves dealing with death, it’s just a little more complicated for most people What is Etiquette? Etiquette amounts to a traditional or accepted way that we behave in public.…

Sometimes people are at such a loss as to what to say as sympathy messages to others who have just lost a loved one; they tend to avoid those people. When you need to offer some words of condolence or when you need…

Who to invite to a funeral or restrict funeral attendance is something only you can answer. But here are a few scenarios to help you decide who not to invite to a funeral and who to leave on the list. If the deceased…

Three short years ago, the quality insurance company Hollard got together with fashion retailer PEP. The plan was to provide a PEP burial plan to the South African market. For Hollard, this strategic partnership provides them with 1,500 now outlets through PEP stores…

You can’t imagine that something so fresh and beautiful as a flower was once used centuries ago to lessen the effect of offensive odours emanating from the decomposing body. Yes, that is the origin of the traditional funeral wreath. Today, people use flowers…

Can a Person Legally have Ownership of a Funeral Plan if they have not Negotiated with the Insurer? The funeral insurance Ombudsman has often had to answer the question of ownership of a funeral plan. That’s because they often have to sort out…

You might have the task of creating a funeral programme or booklet for the funeral or memorial service. So you will want it to be professional and in keeping with the person who has passed on. The funeral house will give you ideas…

What happens to a baby that is born after the 26th week of pregnancy but is stillborn? Does funeral insurance cover a stillborn child? What do the different funeral insurers in South Africa have to say? The insurance Ombudsman spends time resolving disputes…