More and more people choose a farewell ceremony in aula funeral home

The trend has started and is only going up. The choice for an auditorium was boosted by corona when we said goodbye in a limited circle. In the event of a death, 46% of the population in Poperinge opts for a funeral in the auditorium of a funeral director. In Diksmuide this is 55% and in Lichtervelde 60%. ate then continues to rise to even 70% in Zwevegem.

“In more urbanized areas, we see that it is 65 to 70%. I am thinking of Menen, Kortrijk, Roeselare too. I think corona is part of that. People were obliged to say goodbye in an intimate circle and therefore looked for alternative locations to allow the farewell to take place. And then we saw that the demand for an auditorium received an enormous boost,” says Aaron Serrus of Uitvaartzorg Serrus.

“People can say goodbye at their leisure”

People can freely choose to say goodbye in the church, the crematorium or an auditorium, but the change in the funeral culture continues. There is more demand for a personalized service with image and sound and internet. “We can also offer livestream, which is starting to come up more and more. And here in our auditorium we have three different points where we can take shots of the service to pass on a nice memory to the family,” explains Simon Serrus.

Some West Flemish funeral homes are opening their doors to the public today, such as in Kuurne. “I think that’s a good system. The people can say goodbye to their beloved at ease. I think that’s great. I live down the street and I find that calming, hopeful. And I think it’s great to say goodbye here,” says Katrien Vanfleteren.

There are some major players who are trying to strengthen their grip on the funeral landscape, but apparently people are now opting for the warm and personal care in small West Flemish family businesses. Wim Vanwynsberghe of Uitvaart Vanwynsberghe: “A lot has changed. It used to be Dela, who has taken over a huge number of funerals and funeral homes. We now also have Sereni, who have also been with me to take over, but I want to remain independent. I want to do it on my own. We treat the families as our family. And that stimulates the people who say: we felt good.”