Our Services
The Shone & Shirley family offers our community a modern service, meeting traditional and family values while giving the families we care for flexibility and freedom of choice on how they want to say good-bye to their loved one.
Financial Assistance
If you require financial assistance, a number of benefits are available to assist in payment of funeral expenses, including Work and Income, NZ Funeral Grants, Returned Services Grants and Accident Compensation Grants. Further information is available on request, and wherever possible, we will assist you with the completion of the necessary forms.
The Funeral Account
It is our normal practice to forward the funeral account seven days following the funeral service. The account is due for payment 21 days after the funeral service. We offer varying payment options. Please contact us for details.
When Someone Dies
If someone dies at home you need to call a Doctor. You can then call us and we will advise you further.
If the cause of death is not immediately obvious, the police will act on the Coroner's behalf and organise the deceased to be taken to a public mortuary so that the cause of death can be established in the meantime. we can meet with you to discuss funeral arrangements.
We will lead you gently through the process of organising your loved one's funeral:
We will:
Provide a professional liaison with family, doctors and clergy/celebrants
Meet with you to discuss your and your loved one's desires for the funeral service at a time and location of your choice
Discuss with you the options for burial or cremation
Organise the placement of death notices in local, national or international newspapers and online if you require
Show you a range of caskets so that you can decide the appropriate one for your loved one
Planning a Service
A beautiful funeral captures the essence of your loved one and a celebration of their life.
At Shone & Shirley, we will help you design a farewell that is a fitting and meaningful memorial. Our team will do everything they can to help an emotional day be a meaningful and positive experience. There are only a few legal requirements to funerals and the options are as limitless as yours or your loved one's imagination.
Being Nelson’s longest established funeral home (established in 1862), we pride ourselves on old-fashioned values and attention to detail. We will listen and transform your ideas into reality to create a unique service appropriate for your loved one. We offer a complete bereavement service from funeral planning to chapel facilities and catering lounge and also monument services.
Funerals are most meaningful when they’re personalised. As you are planning, think about the qualities that made your loved one special and what he or she meant to others. Consider passions, hobbies, pastimes, likes and dislikes. Work together with your family, friends, funeral director and the person who will lead the service to find ways in which to capture this unique life in the visitation, funeral, memorial service or graveside committal. A few things you might want to consider include:
Celebrant, Minister or Family to lead the service | Venue of Service
Public or Private Service | Burial or Cremation | Choice of music
Readings | Hymns/Songs | Video Photo Tribute | Eulogy and Tributes
The wake or gathering after the service
The cost of a funeral varies dependent upon the style of the service chosen. We have a range of choices available to suit your budget or preferences and we will work with you on this.
Care of your Loved One
The care and respect that Shone & Shirley gives the person who has died begins from the time they are transferred into our care. Our funeral team are fully trained in conducting the transfer in a dignified and caring manner, whether the place of death is in a private home, hospital or more public place.
This standard of care continues right through the entire process of the funeral reparations.
We have trained and qualified embalmers who take care of the preparation of the person who has died. At all times the person is handled as if family members are present; with full dignity and care.
We attach a great deal of significance to the preparation for a viewing; the dressing and grooming are a very important part of this process. Some families choose to be apart of the dressing process and our team will support you in this.
The end result of mortuary care is that the person who has died is presented in a safe, clean and hygienic way.
Saying Farewell to your Baby
Losing a baby at any stage of their life is a tragedy. We have a passion for assisting families at this traumatic time. At Shone & Shirley we show we care by offering our services at no cost. This service includes the following:
We meet with families and will arrange the transfer of your baby from the hospital or your home to Shone & Shirley
We provide special baskets to transfer your baby into our care. If you would prefer a casket please discuss this with us
We will arrange for a burial or cremation to take place according to your wishes
We will return your baby's ashes to you
Castings are available free of charge as our way to support families
Emma Hebberd, Company Director, is the Nelson SANDS coordinator. Shone and Shirley host the International Baby Lost anniversary each year on 15 October. For more information contact Emma on 0278732565 or join our Facebook community.
Livestreaming & Recording Services
Livestream can be a way of connecting your family and friends who are unable to make it physically to the service and gives you a recorded copy to keep.
We can set up a personalised memorial page where we can stream the service to and the page will stay active for one year. In this time you can go back and view the recording as many times as you like with no limit to how many people can view. This page can be made public or private - password protected.
We can also upload to the memorial page a digital copy of the service sheet, and guests to the page can leave a message there for you to read.
We will need 24 hours notice to arrange and book in the livestream so we can send you the link to then be passed on to who you wish if the service is being held in our funeral home. If the service is off site we would need 48 hours notice and is dependent on the availability of a videographer. Please let us know as soon as you can if you would like the service livestreamed.
Caskets & Urns
Choices of caskets can depend on cost, what appeals, and what you regard as a fitting tribute to the deceased. The team at Shone & Shirley can guide you through the various styles and assist in selecting the most fitting option.
We understand that choosing the right one can take time and careful consideration. There are so many options available that it can be overwhelming. Shone & Shirley has a long tradition of assisting families with this important step and our staff will willingly spend time with you sharing their expertise and showing you the many options available.
You can browse our range of caskets here.
Headstones & Memorial Services
Headstones and memorials are a beautiful and lasting tribute for those who have passed on, providing a link from generation to generation and a focal point for precious memories to be rekindled.
We understand that choosing the right one can take time and careful consideration. There are so many options available that it can be overwhelming. Shone & Shirley has a long tradition of assisting families with this important step and our staff will willingly spend time with you sharing their expertise and showing you the many options available.
We have a range of styles on display at our showroom 164 Tahunanui Drive and can also show you many other possibilities.
Please contact our monumental sales advisor Emma Hebberd on 03 546 5700 to make a time to visit and discuss your loved one's memorial.
Traditionally headstones consisted of a simple marker with the name of the deceased, their birth and death dates and a simple inscription. With the developments in technology and craftsmanship, it is now possible to include photos, art and advanced stone carving to create a memorial that is unique and personal.
