David Monn has planned some of the most high-profile funerals, including Oscar de la Renta’s star-studded service at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in 2014.
At the recent funeral of another fashion designer, he assembled 120 gospel singers who performed as the casket was carried from the hall. He arranged for a marching band to perform at one service, and once covered Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in blue hydrangeas to mirror his client’s Hamptons home.
Last Salon
Monn has recreated the living room of a famous playwright at Lincoln Center, lugging her furniture on stage so she could have one last salon with family and friends. At a service he planned for a world-class boxing coach at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, professional fighters in suits jumped in the ring and sparred as the deceased’s remains were carried out.
These funerals are usually by invitation only, Monn said. Just like a wedding, he notifies guests by mail -- often including former presidents, sitting politicians and celebrities.
Monn, who also plans weddings, parties and corporate events, said he’s never advertised his funeral expertise online -- until now. He’s updating his website to include “life service" because he sees this as a potential growth area.
“This is about putting the right punctuation mark at the end of the book," Monn said.
‘Tax Issue’
Private wealth managers and accountants are advising their ultra-rich clients to “deal with the topic of their own mortality,” said Elizabeth Meyer, who works as a funeral consultant for wealthy families and businesses looking to invest in the industry.
“It used to be a luxury not to deal with death,” said Meyer, author of a memoir called “Good Mourning.” “But at a certain economic level, end-of-life planning is a tax issue.”