Grave tending services range from one off jobs to clean up and turn around an unkempt grave, to regular monthly visits to place fresh flowers on a grave or monument for a next-of-kin.
Other services might include:
- Changing water and cleaning headstones
- Trimming grass around a headstone and weeding
- Washing or replacing decorative stone
- Planting bulbs & plants to make a living grave garden
- Visiting on particular dates specified by the NoK like birthdays and anniversaries of marriage and death.
It is also something different I can talk to local funeral directors about as they can also recommend me if it is a service they get asked about.
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In an ideal world, if a celebrant has a website which can take payments (most successful wedding celebrants have such a website) then a small upgrade will also allow subscriptions which is the most efficient way to receive regular payments for grave tending.
Take a look at my Grave Tending pages. See how I provide different grave tending packages as different types of subscriptions.
Click here.At an additional cost of £144 per year, my website (provided by Squarespace, but other website builders like IONOS, GoDaddy, WIX etc will all be the same) allows customers to buy subscription packages online. Customers can choose how often they want me to visit, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or annually. Once set up, I simply pay 1-2% bank charges on each subscription payment. It continues until the customer cancels.
I take a phone call with the next-of-kin before they book me to clarify what is needed and the where the grave is. Based upon what they tell me they want, I advise them on what type of grave tending package or subscription to purchase. If it is a one-off job, I will may need to visit the plot to give a quotation of hours or the family may send me photos.
I have set up my own Grave Tending business Facebook page which is enough for people to find me on a Google search. Also, it has not taken long for local cemetery and bereavement services to be aware of my services to also recommend me when members of the public contact them for help.
Grave tending is not for everyone. I love gardening, I love flowers and have always had a talent for flower arranging and landscaping. Consequently, this lends itself well to grave tending. After each visit I send a photo of before and after to the next-of-kin via WhatsApp and sometimes I arrange a graveside video call to discuss additional or different work.
It makes me about £1,000 net income each year on top of my funeral celebrant earnings. It continues to build gradually every year. I love the comfort and joy my work brings to families who can't get to their loved-one's grave because they either live abroad, live many miles away or unable to visit the grave personally either for physical or personal reasons.
There do not seem to be many other businesses providing these services across the country. There are a few grave tending agencies and some florist provide services. But it is not widespread. Families always feel relieved and amazed when they find me. As celebrants happy with the concept of death and being professional in how we honour and giving dignity to the deceased, I cannot think of any other profession better placed to provide these services.
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