New Suffolk County-Based Company Offers Alternative to Traditional Wakes and Funerals

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. - Oct. 28, 2013 - PRLog -- SHOREHAM, NY — After attending traditional funerals and wakes for friends and family members, Donna Aliperti and Pam Hoffman realized something. The services didn’t seem personal in any way. They were left feeling more could have been done to honor their loved ones’ individual lives. That’s why a year ago, they decided to form Good Mournings, in order to help families not only mourn a loss, but celebrate a life. It is their belief and understanding that people want to be remembered for how they lived, not how they died.

Offering alternative services to traditional wakes and funerals, Good Mournings plans personalized life celebrations that provide mourners additional closure by creating more of an experience. Good Mournings typically plans such events at homes, vineyards, beaches, restaurants, and catering halls — or any place that may have been special to the individual who has passed. By taking the service outside the funeral home, Ms. Aliperti and Ms. Hoffman are hoping to “change the way we say goodbye.”

“No one wants to talk about death or the passing of a loved one,” says Ms. Aliperti. “While it’s an extremely sad occasion, there are other ways to celebrate and honor a person’s life than standing in a room full of chairs with a casket at the front. To us, that just didn’t seem like the proper sendoff for someone who is special to so many people.”

Aside from the gap in the marketplace for this kind of service, Ms. Aliperti and Ms. Hoffman realized that, due to the economy, many were opting to have direct burials or cremations to save on costs. Additionally, while some feel obligated to have a traditional service, there has been more of a shift in recent years towards spirituality, as opposed to religion.

“The industry is seeing changes,” says Ms. Hoffman. “Many people cannot afford the $15,000 that it costs to plan a traditional funeral. Families shouldn’t be financially exploited when they are at their most vulnerable. Direct cremations and burials can cost as little as $1,500. Good Mournings was formed with the hope that it would allow families to have it both ways. We can help create something more meaningful, yet the cost of our services is typically much lower than those of the standard ceremonies.”

In addition to life celebrations, Good Mournings also offers services for pets, grief healing and support, and celebrations for the anniversaries of a loved one’s passing.

“Your goodbye doesn’t need to be limited to the funeral,” says Ms. Aliperti.  “Many times, people want to celebrate a loved one’s life on their birthday or the anniversary of their passing. We look for ways to truly honor a life by creating an extremely personalized service. Did they have a favorite food? Favorite musician? Favorite flower? We’ve found that the inclusion of such details really helps families feel closer to the person they’ve lost.”

In addition to planning every detail of the life celebrations, Ms. Aliperti and Ms. Hoffman also play host for the families, so those that are grieving do not feel pressure or obligation at their darkest hour.

“We have found it to be more memorable when loved ones stay together at a life celebration, as opposed to streaming in and out like they would at a funeral home. Sometimes it’s hard for families in mourning to also host and greet everyone who attends a service for a loved one,” says Ms. Hoffman. “Our goal — in addition to changing the perception of one’s passing — is to really help people grieve and heal together.”

For more information, please contact 1-888-540-8688 or visit www.goodmournings.net.

About Good Mournings

Good Mournings (http://www.goodmournings.net/) founders Pam Hoffman and Donna Aliperti came from diverse backgrounds in business and healthcare. Both wives and mothers, they found they shared a passion for helping families through their darkest hours. They created Good Mournings to help families not only mourn a loss, but celebrate a life.