The passing of a loved one can be a complex, emotional, and confusing time. Prearranging your funeral is an act of consideration and care for those you leave behind. This practical step is a powerful gift you can give to your loved ones.
Why Prearrange Your Funeral?
Preplanning not only relieves the emotional and logistical burden on family members but also relieves the financial responsibility. Preplanning allows you to express your own wishes and preferences while relieving the pressure of making difficult decisions during an exhausting and unfathomable time.
Prearranging ensures that your funeral reflects you and your remarkable life. Choosing each specific detail provides a lasting legacy for those who will remember you.
Practical Steps
First, choose a funeral home that you feel comfortable with and trust. Research local funeral homes, read reviews, and talk to funeral directors to get a full sense of confidence to ensure they will provide your detailed wishes while providing support to your family. Ask questions to know what all you need to feel confident in making the right choices.
Make Your Selections
Prearranging your funeral allows you to select the specific details and arrangements you desire. The funeral home’s preplanning advisor will help guide you through these selections. You will need to consider where you are having services, such as at a church, funeral home, or other location. You will also arrange details like the type of clothing you will wear, who will speak at your funeral, and who will officiate. Will you have music, a slide show presentation of pictures throughout your life, or display flowers?
Your preplanning advisor will also give you details about funerals, cremations, green burials, and other options. They can help you choose the best option for you and will guide you through selecting specific items like caskets, urns, and markers. All these choices and more can be made with your preplanning advisor so that you can plan the best service for you and your loved ones. While talking to your funeral director and asking them questions may be uncomfortable, preplanning gives you peace of mind that is more than worth the discomfort.
Document Your Decisions
Documenting what you choose is crucial and helps ensure your desires are known and respected. Your specific requests, disposition, and service type are all important decisions. Your preplanning advisor can help you record these details and store them until they are needed. Prearranging these details helps your preferences be honored while sparing your loved ones difficult decisions.
You may also use this time to consider more legal aspects such as wills, organ donation, and advanced directives. Talk to your funeral director and communicate any wishes made through legal professionals so that they have a record of your decisions. Provide your family with these documents and let them know the funeral home used to prearrange. You can let them know the hard decisions are taken care of for them.
Concerns & Myths
There are several myths and misconceptions about preplanning. Many families worry about funeral homes going out of business, families moving away, or that their pre-paid funeral might not cover all their services. We encourage you to talk these over with your funeral director. Most states have rules protecting you and allow you to transfer your prearranged funeral to a different location if the need arises. Your funeral home is trained in these details and can answer any concerns you may have. Allow them to explain your options in case something out of your control happens so you can rest easily.
While your prearrangements are guaranteed by the funeral home, your choices are not set in stone. Funeral directors understand that circumstances change. Your prearrangements can be adjusted accordingly, allowing flexibility to adapt to progressing preferences.
A Gift of Love
In the complexity of life and death, a prearranged funeral is a personal and compassionate act. Leaving this gift of love to your loved ones offers unmatched comfort in a devastating time. By taking control of your final chapter with prearrangement, you not only provide for your loved ones but also allow the beautiful story you lived to be told for all to remember.
Prearranging your funeral is an act of consideration and care for those you leave behind. By taking proactive steps to plan and document your end-of-life decisions, you provide a meaningful gift to your loved ones, offering them solace and a clear path forward during a difficult and emotional time. This compassionate act allows you to shape your final farewell, leaving a lasting legacy that reflects the unique story of your life.
Other resources:
Pre-Planning Your Funeral Will Help Your Family Heal
