Alternatives to Hiring a Greek Funeral Director for Orthodox Funeral Coordination

If you're planning a Greek Orthodox funeral and there's no specialized Greek funeral director in your area, the best alternative is pairing a reputable local funeral director with a structured Orthodox funeral protocol guide. A secular funeral director can execute every physical aspect of an Orthodox funeral — the body preparation, casket setup, cemetery coordination, transport — as long as they have clear, specific instructions for the Orthodox requirements they won't already know. The Eastern Orthodox Funeral — Greek guide includes a body preparation protocol designed to be handed directly to a secular mortician, covering every step from the ritual washing to the east-facing casket orientation.

The exception: if you're in a major Greek community (New York, Chicago, Melbourne, Toronto, London), a specialized Greek funeral director who works with Orthodox families regularly is still the path of least friction. They already know the protocol, and the coordination savings are worth the premium.

Why a Specialized Greek Funeral Director Matters (and When You Don't Need One)

A Greek funeral director who works regularly with Orthodox families brings one major advantage: they already understand the Orthodox-specific requirements without being told. They know the body should be washed, anointed with olive oil and wine, and wrapped in a Savanon shroud. They know the casket faces east in the nave. They know funerals don't happen on Sundays. They know the casket stays open for the Kiss of Peace. They have relationships with local parishes and know how to coordinate with the church office on scheduling.

This matters because it eliminates an entire category of communication overhead during a time when the family's cognitive capacity is at its lowest.

But specialized Greek funeral directors are concentrated in cities with large Greek diaspora communities. If you're in Portland, Charlotte, Perth, or Winnipeg — or in any smaller city or regional area — there may not be one available. That doesn't mean you can't have a proper Orthodox funeral. It means you need to bridge the knowledge gap yourself.

The Realistic Alternatives

Option 1: Local Funeral Director + Orthodox Protocol Reference

How it works: Hire any reputable local funeral director and provide them with written Orthodox funeral preparation instructions. Most funeral directors are professionals who serve families of all faiths and cultures — they're experienced at following specific preparation protocols when given clear directions.

What you need to provide them:

• Body preparation steps: ritual washing with warm water, anointing with olive oil and red wine, Savanon shroud placement (under the burial garments for most families, or over the garments for those with a Jerusalem shroud), barefoot custom (no shoes)
• Casket orientation: the deceased's feet face east toward the altar in the church, so if the deceased were to stand, they would face east
• Open-casket setup: a cross or icon of Christ/the Theotokos is placed on the chest or in the hands of the deceased, along with a crown inscribed with the Trisagion hymn placed on the head
• Candle and incense logistics: the funeral director should confirm the church permits candles (virtually all do, but fire codes in some venues require specific safety measures)

What the funeral director handles independently:

• Casket procurement (they'll offer their standard selection — you don't need a specially "Greek" casket)
• Transport and hearse
• Cemetery coordination (you'll need to specify that the grave is oriented for the body to face east, and that an outer vault is required in most diaspora cemeteries)
• Death certificates and legal paperwork

Strengths: Works anywhere. Any funeral director can follow a written protocol. Cost is often lower than a specialized Greek funeral home, especially outside major cities.

Limitations: The funeral director won't catch your mistakes. If you forget to mention the barefoot custom, they'll put shoes on the body. If you don't specify the Savanon, it won't be there. You need to be comprehensive in your instructions, which is difficult under grief.

Option 2: Parish Priest as Coordination Anchor

How it works: In smaller Greek communities, the parish priest often plays a larger coordination role than in big-city parishes. The priest may have a working relationship with a local funeral home that has served Orthodox families before, and can recommend them. The priest can also brief the funeral director on Orthodox requirements.

Strengths: The priest's involvement gives the funeral director a direct line to the liturgical authority, reducing the family's coordination burden.

Limitations: This depends entirely on the priest's availability and willingness to play a logistics role. In parishes with a single priest covering a wide geographic area, the priest may not have time for extended funeral director coordination. The priest is also not going to handle the family-side tasks: Koliva preparation, Makaria planning, interfaith guest communication, or financial negotiations with the funeral home.

Option 3: Remote Coordination with a Greek Funeral Director

How it works: In some cases, a Greek funeral director in a nearby city can provide phone consultation and coordination guidance even if they're not physically handling the funeral. They may charge a consulting fee for this service.

Strengths: Gets you the expertise of someone who knows Orthodox protocol without requiring them to be geographically local.

Limitations: Not all funeral directors offer remote consulting. The local funeral director still handles all physical logistics, so you still need to provide them with written instructions. This adds a layer of coordination rather than simplifying it.

Option 4: Community Elder as Protocol Guide

How it works: An experienced family member or community member — a grandmother, an aunt, a Philoptochos president, a longtime parish council member — who has personally organized Orthodox funerals serves as your real-time guide.

Strengths: This is the traditional way it's always worked. An experienced elder knows not just the canonical requirements but the specific customs of your family's regional tradition (Cretan, Macedonian, Pontic, island vs. mainland). They also understand the family dynamics and social expectations in a way no written guide or professional service can.

Limitations: This resource is becoming increasingly rare in diaspora communities. The generation that carried this knowledge is aging. If the person who died was that knowledge carrier, the family faces the hardest version of the planning challenge: organizing a tradition-heavy funeral with no one available who has done it before.

What No Funeral Director Handles (Regardless of Specialization)

Whether you hire a specialized Greek funeral director or a local secular one, the following tasks always fall to the family:

Koliva preparation. The funeral director does not make Koliva. The Philoptochos may do it in some parishes. In others, the family handles it. The boiled wheat must be dried thoroughly (4–12 hours on lint-free cloths), and the powdered sugar goes on only immediately before the service.

Makaria meal planning. The funeral director may suggest a restaurant, but the menu requirements (fish, no red meat, specific traditional sides, Metaxa brandy, no celebratory desserts) are the family's responsibility to communicate to the venue.

Family diplomacy. The funeral director is not going to mediate a disagreement about cremation vs. burial, or explain to a non-Orthodox relative why the service usually uses an open casket, or navigate the stewardship status conversation with the parish office.

Memorial cycle management. After the funeral, the family is responsible for organizing memorial services at 3 days, 9 days, 40 days, and annually for three years — each requiring coordination with the church; memorial services involving Koliva require fresh Koliva.

Interfaith guest communication. Sending a brief etiquette guide to non-Orthodox guests (dress code, standing posture, the Kiss of Peace, what to expect) is a family task that no funeral director handles.

Who This Is For

• Families in cities or regions without a specialized Greek funeral director
• Anyone comparing costs between a specialized Greek funeral home and a local alternative
• Families who want to understand what a funeral director handles and what remains the family's responsibility, regardless of which option they choose

Who This Is NOT For

• Families in a major Greek community with access to experienced Greek funeral directors (Astoria, Chicago, Melbourne, Toronto) — in those communities, the specialized option is the straightforward choice
• Anyone planning a non-Orthodox or secular memorial service

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a secular funeral director handle an open-casket setup for the Kiss of Peace?

Yes. Open-casket viewing is standard practice in the funeral industry across all traditions. The Orthodox-specific elements — the icon placed on the chest, the Trisagion crown on the head, the east-facing orientation — are details you provide in advance. A professional funeral director can follow these instructions without difficulty.

Will a non-Greek funeral director know how to source a Savanon shroud?

Probably not. The Savanon (white linen shroud with iconographic prints) is sourced from Orthodox religious goods suppliers, not from funeral supply chains. The family or the parish typically provides the Savanon. Ask your parish office or Philoptochos whether they have one available. Greek Orthodox religious goods retailers also sell them online. Provide it to the funeral director with instructions on placement.

Is a Greek funeral director required for body repatriation to Greece?

Not strictly, but a funeral director experienced with international repatriation (any cultural background) is strongly recommended. The process involves embalming requirements that vary by country, consular documentation, and airline cargo booking. A funeral director who has handled international transfers before — even for non-Greek families — has the logistical framework. The Orthodox-specific requirements (body preparation protocol, Savanon) are handled before the transport logistics begin.

How do I find out if there's a Greek funeral director near me?

Contact your local Greek Orthodox parish office. Even if the nearest Greek funeral director is in another city, the parish will know about them. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese maintains a parish locator on their website, and the parish secretary can typically recommend funeral homes that have served Orthodox families in the area.

What's the biggest risk of using a non-specialized funeral director?

Missing an Orthodox-specific preparation step that the family forgot to communicate. The most commonly missed items are the barefoot custom (funeral directors instinctively put shoes on the deceased), the Savanon shroud (the family needs to source and provide it), and the east-facing casket orientation in the church (which needs to be communicated to both the funeral director and the cemetery). A written protocol checklist — either from a structured guide or prepared by the family — mitigates this risk almost entirely.