By Matt, Funeral Director & Celebrant at Idyllic Funerals
A family friend recently asked us how Idyllic Funerals works without a traditional funeral home.
It’s a fair question, and one that comes up from time to time. Where do we meet families? Where is someone cared for? And how does a funeral come together without a funeral home or shopfront?
The short answer is that an independent funeral director can do everything you’d expect another funeral director to do, just in a slightly different way.
I’m Matt, the funeral director and celebrant at Idyllic Funerals. We’re a small, independent, family-run business based in Marrickville, in Sydney’s Inner West, arranging cremations, burials, traditional funerals and more personal celebrations of life across Sydney.
I thought it might be helpful to explain a little more about how we work, and why we’ve chosen to do things this way.
What being an independent funeral director means to us
There are all kinds of funeral businesses in Sydney. Some are family-owned and some are part of larger groups, and a local name doesn’t always tell you which.
Idyllic is independently owned and family-run. For us, that means we make our own decisions about how we work, who we work with and how we look after families.
One of the things I value most is being able to take the time to get to know the people I’m helping.
When I meet a family, I want to hear about the person who’s died. What were they like? What mattered to them? What made them laugh? And what sort of farewell would feel right?
Some families already have a very clear idea of what they want. Others haven’t thought about it at all, and that’s absolutely fine.
There isn’t a right or wrong kind of funeral. It might be a traditional church service, a simple cremation, a gathering somewhere meaningful or something a little less conventional. My job is to listen, offer suggestions and help bring it all together.
And because I’m involved from the first conversation through to the funeral itself, families don’t have to keep explaining things to different people along the way.
So how does it work without a funeral home?
For a start, I usually come to you.
Most families prefer to talk through arrangements at home. Often we’ll sit around the kitchen table with a cup of tea, sometimes with several family members joining the conversation.
I find that being somewhere familiar can make those first conversations a little easier. There’s no rush, and nobody needs to have all the answers straight away.
Of course, not everyone wants to meet at home. I’m equally happy to meet somewhere else or talk things through over the phone or by video call.
Once we’ve worked out what a family has in mind, we take care of bringing everything together: the venue, coffin, flowers, music, transport, printed materials and all the other details that go into a funeral.
Some decisions are straightforward. Others need a little more thought. We talk through the options, work out what’s important and take things from there.
Where is your loved one cared for?
This is often one of the first questions people ask when they hear we don’t have our own funeral home.
We work with Dignified Mortuary Services in Canterbury, owned by Leann Bulloch. It’s where the people in our care are looked after and prepared for their funeral. Leann and her team are highly experienced in mortuary care and treat every person with the utmost care, dignity and respect.
I coordinate these arrangements and remain the family’s point of contact throughout.
If you’d like to see your loved one before the funeral, we can arrange a private viewing and talk through what that involves.
It’s an important part of the process, and choosing people we trust to provide that care matters enormously to us.
The people behind the scenes
Something people don’t always realise is just how many different people contribute to a funeral.
Over the years, we’ve built relationships with people who are excellent at what they do and, just as importantly, who share our approach to looking after families.
Richard Garland, for example, regularly drives our hearse and has more than 30 years of experience in the funeral industry. He’s someone I know I can rely on for an important part of the day.
We also have people we trust for flowers, printing, audiovisual services and all the other details that help a funeral come together.
One of the benefits of being independent is that we’re free to choose who we work with. And if a family has a florist, musician or venue they’d particularly like to involve, we’re very happy to work with them too.
You don’t need to coordinate all these different people yourself. That’s our job.
Does not having a shopfront make funerals less expensive?
Not having a traditional funeral home does mean we avoid some of the overheads that come with maintaining a building.
But funeral costs aren’t simply about whether a business has a shopfront.
There’s the time and work involved in arranging and conducting the funeral, along with things like the coffin, transport, venue, cremation or burial fees, flowers and any extras a family chooses.
Different funeral directors structure their pricing differently, which can make it difficult to compare quotes.
At Idyllic, we charge a funeral arranger fee that varies depending on the type of service, along with a fixed professional services fee. Other costs depend on what’s needed for the funeral.
We provide an itemised estimate and explain everything before arrangements are confirmed. If something changes along the way, we’ll talk it through.
I think it’s important that families understand what they’re paying for, especially when there’s already so much else on their minds.
How do families find us?
Without a shopfront on a busy street, families tend to find us in other ways.
Many discover Idyllic through Google, often while searching for a funeral director in their area or reading reviews from other families. We’re also seeing more people find us through AI search tools.
Others come to us because someone we’ve helped has recommended us. Those personal recommendations mean a great deal, particularly as a small family business.
I know that choosing a funeral director can feel like a big decision, especially when someone has just died and everything is unfamiliar.
That’s why I always think of the first phone call as a conversation rather than a commitment.
You can ask questions, find out how we work and get a sense of whether we’re the right people to help. There’s no expectation to make a decision on the spot.
A few questions we’re often asked
What’s the difference between an independent funeral director and a corporate funeral director?
Mainly ownership. As an independent funeral business, we make our own decisions about services, pricing and suppliers. Businesses owned by larger groups may share systems and policies across several locations. Either way, the experience you have depends on the people looking after you.
Can you arrange a traditional funeral if you don’t have a funeral home?
Absolutely. We arrange church funerals, including Catholic services, as well as burials, cremations and services in cemetery chapels, crematoria and other venues throughout Sydney.
Can we choose our own venue or suppliers?
Yes. Some families have a particular church, venue, florist or musician in mind. Others would prefer us to make suggestions. We’re happy to work either way.
Is an independent funeral director always cheaper?
Not necessarily. The cost depends on what’s involved and how each business prices its services. It’s worth understanding what’s included in a quote, rather than comparing the final figure alone.
Are you available when someone dies?
Yes. We’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can call whenever you need to, even if you’re not yet sure what needs to happen next.
Which areas of Sydney do you cover?
We’re based in Marrickville and look after families across Sydney, including the Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, St George, Southern Sydney, Sutherland Shire and Lower North Shore.
A different way of doing things
We started Idyllic because we wanted to offer something personal: funeral care built around people rather than a building.
Not having a traditional funeral home is part of how we work, but it isn’t really what defines us.
For me, what matters is getting to know the families I’m caring for, being there when I’m needed and paying attention to the details that make each farewell personal.
If you’d like to ask me anything about how we work, or talk through arrangements for someone you love, I’m always happy to have a conversation.
