Simplicity Funerals Christchurch

31/05/2026

A funeral doesn't have to happen in a chapel.

It can happen at the rugby club.
At the beach.
In your garden.
At the hall where they danced every Friday night for 40 years.

We can conduct services at Canterbury Crematorium, Harewood Chapel, a church, a family home - or somewhere quite different and personal.
Let us manage the requirements and make it straightforward.
If there was a place that mattered to them - a view, a room, a field - there's a good chance a service there is possible. Ask us.
This is one of the most common things families wish they'd known earlier.

You don't have to choose from a list - You can choose from a life.

29/05/2026

Wee Teddie 🐾 has been feeling a bit off colour this week, so he popped in for a bit of supervisory duties..... and who needs the most supervising other than Dad (The Manager) here at Simplicity Christchurch,
We shall await Teddie's performance review.

28/05/2026

After the service, after the people leave, after the casseroles stop arriving at the door — that is often when grief gets harder, not easier.

The busyness of the first week is over. The world expects you to return to normal. But you are not normal. You are living with a hole that was not there before.

This is something we see in the families we work with, and it is why we partner with The Grief Centre - a New Zealand charitable trust that provides loss and grief counselling for individuals, families, and whanau.
They have counsellors in Christchurch. They offer sessions in person, online, and by phone. WINZ subsidies may be available.

Grief does not keep office hours. But support is available.

27/05/2026

Dear Team Simplicity 🐾🐾

This week had a positive surprise in store for me. As you know, we moved recently, and I am still exploring the new neighbourhood. This week we took a new turn and went through a school – it was after school ended, so unfortunately no adoring kids around to get cuddles from. But schools are great for another reason: during lunch break, or before going home, the kids have to get rid of all the sandwiches and muffins they don’t like. And some of them don’t bother to put them in the right bin (I KNOW, right). Fortunately for them and for me, I can take care of those. I love finding a peanut butter and jam sandwich 🥪 in the bushes, or half an Oreo somewhere in a corner, and am happy to dispose of them the correct way by gobbling them down.

Love, Belle ❤️🐾❤️

24/05/2026

Nobody really explains why we bring flowers to a funeral.

It is one of those things people do instinctively — and there is a reason for that. Flowers have been part of mourning for thousands of years, long before anyone had words for why.

They say: I was here. I wanted to mark this.
They bring colour into a room that can feel heavy. They fill a space with something living, on a day that is about loss.

Flowers for a funeral do not need to be elaborate. They do not need to follow any rules. A single stem from a garden that mattered to them is as meaningful as an arrangement. Sometimes more so.

If you would like help thinking through flowers for a service - we work with Victoria Florists in Christchurch, and they understand exactly what this moment calls for.

22/05/2026

Pre-planning a funeral is not about expecting to die soon.

It's about making sure the people you love don't have to make those decisions in the worst week of their lives.

When you pre-plan, you record what you want — the type of service, your wishes for your body, the music, the tone. You take the guesswork away from the people who will be too devastated to guess well.

It's one of the quietest, kindest things you can do for the people who love you.

We offer a free pre-planning and information pack. No commitment. No pressure. Just the information you need to make a decision when you're ready.

Request yours https://christchurch.simplicity.co.nz/plan-a-funeral/plan-ahead

21/05/2026

After a death, the paperwork doesn't stop.

Most families don't realise how much administration follows a bereavement. Notifying banks, Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver, Work & Income, the Passports Office - each one separately, each one asking for the same information. On average, it takes an executor 52.1 hours just to close down accounts, and estates can take up to a year to wind up.
myTrove is a free online service that lets families notify multiple organisations at once. One process. One set of information. No repeated calls, no repeated paperwork.
It's one of the practical things we talk through with every family we work with - because grief is hard enough without the administration.
If you'd like to know more about what happens after a death, practically and emotionally, we're here.

📍 58 Coleridge Street, Sydenham
📞 (03) 379 0196

20/05/2026

Dear Team Simplicity 🐾🐾

After last week’s excitement about the photo shoot, we took it easy for a few days. This included several walks to new parks with so many new smells that I got to walk about 100m in total but needed an hour to take it all in. It was great! So many stories! Mum doesn’t mind, we just take our time and enjoy the time we have together. After our walks, we sit in the lounge and, well, lounge on the couch for a while. Nothing beats an afternoon nap💤💤, don’t you think?

Love, Belle ❤️

P.S. sorry my weekly post is late - Nina from Simplicity was away and shared my update late.....

18/05/2026

Sometimes a family wants more than a direct cremation.
But they're not ready - or it's not right - for a full service.

We heard that. And we listened. 🌿
Simply Family is designed for families who want a little more time before they say goodbye.
A private gathering of up to 20 people. Up to three hours in our Memories Lounge. Exclusive use of the space, Spotify, screens for your photos, even available afterhours for your convenience from $6,365.

Simply Family sits between direct cremation and a full service - and for many families, it's exactly what feels right.
A little more time together, before you say goodbye.
Talk to us about whether Simply Family might be right for your family. 💛

16/05/2026