Pre-Arranging a Funeral? Guidelines and Best Practices

Investing the time for pre-arranging a funeral can offer your family comfort after you have gone and ensure that your own desires are met. The grief of going through the funeral arrangements can cause those left behind to argue about the details or struggle to make decisions. Here are some ideas for pre-arranging a funeral:

Talk to your family. You want them to understand the choices that you are making and they may even have some suggestions that you might want to add to your funeral plans.

Talk to a funeral home about the costs of pre-arranging your funeral. Once you make the plans, you want to have the finances in place to cover the expenses.

Consider the people who will be left behind. Adding in special touches to the funeral that your family or friends have expressed could be a gentle healing reminder for them during the service.

Get everything down in writing. It is important that you have all of the details in writing so that there are no questions when the time comes for your funeral service. A funeral home will have many of the forms that you need to get the funeral arrangements documented.

Talk to the funeral home about financing possibilities if paying for the pre-arranged services in a lump sum is an issue.

Store the paperwork in a safe location. You may want to consider having copies stored with family members. Many funeral homes will also keep the records of the pre-arrangement plans.

Consider additional funeral expenses that may come up. Adding a burial policy to your insurance policies will provide some financial cushion for those working through the grieving process after you are gone. Funeral pre-payment options are available at many funeral homes also.

Don’t put off pre-arranging a funeral, take time to get the plans in place today.

Don’t rush through the process. Although talking about funerals is not a comfortable subject for most people, you will find more comfort if you invest a little time into the process.

You don’t have to do it alone. Friends and family are there to help support you through the process. The funeral home director or pre-arranging specialist will also be there to help guide you through the steps.

Don’t overthink the funeral process. You can cause yourself stress by worrying over too many details. Keep the pre-arranging plans basic and simple.

Remember special details. Consider adding a list of music and even ideas for flower centerpieces into your pre-arranging plans.

Making decisions during an emotional time can cause more stress to those that have been left behind. Arguments or worry over the details of the service can create strife in the relationships of friends and family. You can help make things easier and also ensure that your own desires are met by investing some time into pre-arranging your funeral.