Why Should I Pre-Plan My Funeral?

Why Should I Pre-Plan My Funeral?

Funeral pre-planning is important. In the 48 hours after a death, the family can be left with up to 70 decisions to make if there aren’t any arrangements in place. This can make a difficult time that much harder when the family is left to plan a service quickly.

There are many reasons to consider pre-planning a funeral. For some people, rising costs are a factor. The cost for a service is today is different than it was 10 years ago. By pre-planning now, you can avoid rising costs and save some money down the road. This can also help you relieve the financial burden from your family. Depending on the circumstances, an unexpected death could create financial hardships for the surviving family members. Prepaying for a service helps avoid the possible rising costs and provides peace of mind to you and your loved ones.

Financial concerns aren’t the only reason to consider funeral pre-planning. Some people enjoy the ability to make their own decisions. While life is unpredictable, many people find comfort in knowing they’ve planned the service they want. Doing so can also help lessen the chance for potential family conflicts that may arise when you have multiple people trying to be involved.

Planning your own funeral doesn’t need to be stressful. It can actually bring you closer to your loved ones as you talk about your life and how you want to be remembered.

How to Plan A Funeral, Step-By-Step

Pre-planning a funeral takes some work. But doing so will help make it easier for your loved ones to honor and celebrate your life. When the time finally comes, your loved ones will be able to focus of comforting one another and grieving rather than spending time at the funeral home completing arrangements.

To help make sure you are prepared and ready to pre-plan your funeral, we’ve compiled this helpful step-by-step checklist to guide you through the process. By taking some to start thinking about the steps listed below, you’ll feel prepared when you meet with the funeral director to complete the arrangement. 

1. Make sure your will is up to date
Your will is very important. Without one, a probate court judge will be tasked with deciding how your assets are distributed to your heirs. This could lead to loved ones disagreeing over who gets what and creating added stress. Furthermore, certain assets you wish to pass down to specific assets may not happen.

2. Designate an executor of the estate
The executor of an estate is responsible for carrying out the wishes of the deceased and settling the estate. This includes making sure assets are distributed, debts are settled, and accounts are closed.

3. Select a method of disposition
One of the first decisions to make when planning a funeral is how to care for your remains. Do you want to be buried or cremated when you die? This is important because it impacts other decisions that need to be made. For instance, if you’re cremated you can care for the remains right away and hold the service when your family is ready. Alternatively, if you wished to be buried and have a wake, the service will need to be held soon after death occurs.

A rising trend in funeral service is the desire for more environmentally friendly options. More and more people are conducting green funerals or using alternative cremation methods like flameless cremation. If you wish to have a green service, talk to your funeral director and family.

4. Planning the service
Are you religious and want a more traditional funeral service? Perhaps you want something more casual and celebratory. The next decision to make is what kind of service you want. For years, the traditional funeral service has been popular and most common. However, more and more people are choosing to plan a more upbeat celebration of life service. Both types of services aim to celebrate a life well lived. Ultimately, the choice you need to make is what the service should include.

5. Flowers, music, and other considerations
Personalizing your service is important. You were special and your service should be too. In most cases, the family will choose to decorate the space with your favorite flowers. If your planning more of a party or reception, they might want to play your favorite music during it. Other ways people personalize the service are by planning a theme and decorations, serving your favorite food, or creating a special element for it.

For instance, you might want to have an ash scattering ceremony at a special place. Maybe the guests celebrate your love of crafts by having a craft station setup to create a keepsake from the service. Talk to your funeral director about we can help celebrate your life and make the service personal.

6. Who will be involved?
As you plan your service, start to think about who you want to be involved. If planning a traditional funeral, you’ll need an officiant to conduct the service. You may also wish to have certain loved ones do a reading, say a prayer, or perform a song. Certain family members may want to be involved in the service, so make sure to talk with them about. If you’re being buried, you’ll need to select some pallbearers to carry the casket.  

Keep in mind that not everyone may feel comfortable getting up in front of a room of people. If you have something in mind for a friend or loved one, make sure to talk about it with them first. 

7. Share ideas with your family
Last but certainly not least, make sure to talk about your final wishes with your loved ones. As mentioned above, they may have certain ideas and want to be involved in the planning process. Talk to them about some of the things they would like to include, and what you’re thinking. They might have a creative idea you might not have consider and want to include.

If you have any other questions about pre-planning your funeral we encourage you to look at our other resources pages, listed blow, or contact us. We are always available to help. 
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