Mortuary Care
Embalming and Mortuary Care:
What You Need to Know.
About Embalming
Firstly, embalming is not a legal requirement, unless your loved one is being repatriated overseas.
The purpose of embalming is to slow down the natural changes that occur after death, helping to preserve the body in the time leading up to the funeral.
It can also help restore a more natural appearance, which some families find comforting when spending time with their loved one.
The embalming of your loved one is highly recommended if the funeral is significantly delayed, it is during the warmer months, and/or if they are to be transported long distances.
We’re here to talk through your options with you. We will offer guidance based on your needs, wishes, and cultural values. Our role is to advise professionally and respectfully. The final choice, wherever possible, remains with you.
Embalming is a skilled and delicate process. It should only be carried out by trained professionals who are members of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand (FDANZ) and/or the New Zealand Embalmers Association (NZEA).
At all times, your loved one will be treated with the utmost respect and dignity.
The No-Touch Approach
Not too long ago, embalming was often done without discussion.
But times have changed. At Wairarapa Funeral Services, we believe in offering informed choice.
For some families, a ‘no-touch’ approach brings peace – especially when a loved one has had a difficult journey, and potentially suffered through a long illness.
Simply leaving them to rest as they are, can feel right.
It is, however, helpful and recommended to keep your loved one in a cool environment when choosing not to embalm.
You can still spend time with them.
You can still take things slowly.
You can still honour them in your own way.
Just as every life is different, so is every death. That’s why we believe each family deserves a respectful, honest conversation about whether embalming is appropriate, or necessary, for your specific situation.
Our role is to advise you professionally and supportively. But the choice will always be yours, where possible.
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