Funeral Pricing

How much does a Funeral cost?

As no two funerals are the same, the pricing for each Funeral Service can differ greatly too.  There are many choices that can influence the final cost including: burial or cremation, Church or Chapel service, Celebrant or Minister, newspaper notices, coffin or casket, printing, catering, etc.

At Mason Park, we understand that for many families navigating the financial cost of services related to your specific needs can be quite complex.  At Mason Park we believe in absolute transparency in our pricing.  Therefore, at the time of each initial Funeral consultation an itemised estimate of costs is provided.  This ensures no confusion or unexpected extras later.  What is important to us, is that you believe that the charges involved represent value for your choices.

Our Professional Service is the fee we charge for our availability 24 hours a day, our guidance, expertise, staff time, facilities, mortuary care, viewing, Hearse, other associated vehicles, administration and legal costs, graphic design and music, Funeral and Cemetery equipment, Public Address systems and more.

As a guide for you, below we have prepared six Funeral scenarios with an itemised breakdown of the fees involved to deliver these chosen Funeral services.

Scenario One

This family chose to honour their Dad’s life with a Service held in our Mason Park Chapel in Wangaratta led by one of our Civil Celebrants.  Following the service, he was laid to rest with his late wife at the Wangaratta Lawn Cemetery opposite our Funeral Chapel.  A viewing was held the evening before the Funeral for family and close friends. Due to his love of the bush the family adorned his Montcedar coffin with native flowers and gum leaves and chose individual roses for family members to place on the coffin at the graveside and rose petals for other mourners to place as their final tribute.  Due to long-time involvement in the local lawn bowls club, a guard of honour was formed as the coffin was carried from the Chapel.  Catering was held following burial in our Memories Room for 100 people with a Bar tab for people to share a beer and wine together.  The family chose our river tribute book for family and friends to sign and printed 100 personalised service sheets with offset bookmark.  Death and Funeral notices were also placed in the Wangaratta Chronicle and Herald Sun and an online tribute was included on our website.

Total cost: $14,897

Inclusions:

• Professional Services
• Transfer from place of death
• Mortuary care
• Hearse
• Montcedar coffin
• Tribute book
• A Life in Pictures slideshow
• Catering in the Memories Room for 100 people including alcohol
• Mason Park Chapel
• Cemetery
• Government Death Certificate
• Civil Celebrant
• 100 personalised service sheets with offset bookmark
• Newspaper Notices
• Native floral tribute, individual roses and rose petals

Scenario Two

This family chose a traditional Catholic Mass for their wife and mother held in a Catholic Church in Myrtleford preceded by Rosary prayers with an open Grecian Urn casket for family and friends to pay their last respects.  The casket was decorated with red roses and rose petals were placed by mourners at the Cemetery. Following Mass, burial took place in a new Headstone Lawn grave at the Myrtleford Lawn Cemetery.  This family chose to have 4 tribute books printed so that each immediate family member could keep one.   200 beautiful 12-page Mass booklets were produced with a photo montage on the inside pages along with 200 personalised Santini cards.  An organist played traditional hymns during Mass and a Life in Pictures slideshow was played on the hired LED screen as a time of reflection. Light refreshments with hot food was served in the Parish Centre for 200 guests.  Death and Funeral notices were placed in the Myrtleford Times and Border Mail with an online tribute on our website.

Total cost: $20,112.50

Inclusions:

• Professional Services
• Transfer from place of death
• Mortuary Care
• Rosary prayers and viewing
• Hearse
• Grecian Urn Casket
• Tribute books
• Cemetery
• Church and Clergy
• Organist
• Life in Pictures slideshow
• LED Screens
• Mass booklets and Santini cards
• Casket flowers and rose petals
• Catering
• Newspaper notices

Scenario Three

This family chose to engage Mason Park to transfer their father from his place of death in Wangaratta, arrange all medical and cremation certificates, register his death with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages and apply for his Government death certificate.  At the family’s request there was no Service or viewing held and he was cremated in a basic coffin with no family or friends present. No notices were placed in newspapers or online.  His family collected his cremated remains from Mason Park two weeks after his cremation.

Total cost: $4,899

Inclusions:

• Professional Services
• Transfer from place of death
• Mortuary Care
• Basic coffin
• Government Death Certificate
• Medical Cremation Certificates
• Cremation

Scenario Four

This family chose to farewell their mother in an intimate gathering in our Mason Park Chapel in Wangaratta followed by an unattended cremation.  A Uniting Church Minister led the Service.  Her favourite music was played throughout the Service including during a Life in Pictures slideshow.  Everybody at the Service came forward and lit a candle to symbolise the light that she brought into their lives and at the conclusion of the Service her 4 children and 2 granddaughters wheeled her Hume coffin decorated with a seasonal mix of flowers from the Chapel to the Hearse.  The family joined in our Memories Room for afternoon tea for 40 guests. Her cremated remains will be scattered at the family property later.  A simple death and funeral notice were placed in the Wangaratta Chronicle newspaper.

Total cost: $9,541

Inclusions:

• Professional Services
• Transfer from place of death
• Mortuary care
• Chapel
• Hearse
• Hume coffin
• Minister
• Life in Pictures slideshow
• Candles
• Coffin flowers
• Refreshments
• Newspaper notices
• Cremation
• Government Death Certificate
• Medical Cremation Certificates

Scenario Five

This family wanted to pay tribute to their husband and father and acknowledge his love for the Alpine region and the bush.  They held an informal gathering at their property at Porepunkah and chose not to engage a celebrant, but instead for family and friends to share stories and memories with each other. His High Country Cedar coffin represented his love of natural timber and the native floral tribute depicted his love for the bush.  We supplied our Public address system so all the 120 guests could clearly hear stories and reminisce.  As the hearse drove from the property the music True Blue played through the PA system. An unattended cremation followed the service and guests remained at the property where light refreshments had been prepared by the local CFA members at no charge to the family. Death and Funeral notices were placed in the Alpine Observer newspaper.  No printing was required but the family chose a tribute book with wattle on the front.

Total cost: $12,144

Inclusions:

• Professional Services
• Transfer from place of death
• Mortuary care
• Hearse
• Tribute book
• PA System
• High Country coffin
• Coffin flowers
• Government Death Certificate
• Medical Cremation certificates
• Cremation
• Newspaper notices

Scenario Six

This family experienced the death of their father at a relatively young age.  They chose to hold his Funeral Service in the Anglican Cathedral in Wangaratta with the Service led by the Dean of the Cathedral. The family arranged a family friend to play the guitar and sing inside the Cathedral and a Life in Pictures tribute was viewed to the music Memories by Maroon 5.  6 of this man’s closest friends carried his Bradford coffin from the Cathedral to the hearse as the Collingwood Football Club theme song played.  There were over 600 guests at the Funeral and following the Hearse doing a lap of honour around his beloved Football Club oval he was laid to rest at the Tarrawingee Cemetery in a family plot. Following burial, 300 guests gathered at a local hotel to raise a glass and continue celebrating his life.  He was known far and wide, so newspaper notices were placed in the Wangaratta Chronicle, Herald Sun and Border Mail.  Mason Park produced 500 square bifold personalised service sheets to be handed out to all in attendance.

Total cost: $ 17,669

Inclusions:

• Professional Service
• Transfer from place of death
• Mortuary care
• Hearse
• Tribute book
• Government Death certificate
• Cathedral, Clergy and Verger
• Bradford coffin
• Coffin flowers
• Cemetery
• Wake at Hotel including food and alcohol
• Newspaper notices
• Service sheets