You Can Do Your Research
Planning a funeral isn’t as simple as checking a series of boxes, especially if you’re wanting to keep a budget in mind. When you decide to plan ahead, you give yourself a buffer of time to do your research and find the right funeral home for your needs. This is especially important if you’re wanting a less traditional burial, such as a green burial or natural burial. Not every funeral home provides these kinds of services, so researching beforehand can be very helpful. Where you decide to be put to rest matters, as it will be the place your family honors and pays tribute to you. If you know that someone close to you may have difficulty walking uphill or will need physical assistance, you may want to choose a cemetery that is more easily accessible or offers transportation across the cemetery grounds. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call to ask questions or compare prices. Once you’ve done your research, you’ll be able to choose the funeral home that best suits your wants and needs.
You Can Prepare Financially
Regardless of whether you are planning an intimate service intended only for close friends and family, or a huge gathering with catering and drinks, financial planning is essential to ensure your final wishes are being met. The spectrum of funeral costs is vast, depending on what you want to do. Paying all at once can be a huge stress, not only for you but your relatives and loved ones. Once you find the right funeral home for your service, you can speak with a funeral director to work out a payment plan that will suit your needs. Budgeting is key, so look at what money you can comfortably set aside for installment plans that will eventually cover the cost of your desired services. While some families set up payment plans decades in advance, it’s okay if you begin planning later in your life. The goal is to ease your stress so that your desired ceremony can be arranged easily and without extra financial obstacles. Take your time, and be gentle with yourself.
You’ll Ease Your Family’s Burden
One of the most important reasons to preplan a funeral is the assistance it will provide for your family. The days after losing a loved one are usually a stressful, emotional, and uncertain time. There are papers to sign and calls to make and loved ones to comfort. However, if your funeral has already been preplanned, the burden on your family can be greatly reduced. Talk with the people best equipped to help with your affairs ahead of time. Building a digital or physical file of your funeral arrangements, including paperwork such as your will and testament, helps your family more easily navigate the often confusing legal waters after a death occurs. Imagine that preplanning your funeral is like leaving behind a map for your family to follow, guiding them forward in your passing as you did during your life.
Your Choices Are Yours
Preplanning is a great way for you to handle the finer details of what kind of service you would like. When there is a lack of preplanning for a funeral, family members are often guessing what their loved ones would have preferred, usually with a fair amount of uncertainty about their decisions. When you’ve already been in contact with your funeral home of choice, working towards a specific memorial service and payment plan, your family will be able to complete the work that you started. This includes specifications for music, flowers, people to invite, how you would like to be buried or cremated, and your preferred casket or urn. With every I dotted and T crossed, you’ll be guaranteed the service celebrating your life that you truly wanted.
You’ll Get to Say Goodbye
Let’s put aside the financial and logistical reasons to preplan a funeral. Instead, let’s focus on perhaps the greatest gift that funeral preplanning can give you: an opportunity to say goodbye. While planning in advance of need lets you handle necessary details, it also allows you to take the time to express your love for your family and friends once you’ve passed on. This can include special instructions, such as pre-written notes to be given to people or gifts to be delivered after the service. Preplanning can also help you cope with the emotional stress of facing the next chapter of your life. Some take the time while preplanning a funeral to patch up fractured relationships, grow closer to loved ones, or focus on their spiritual faith. Overall, this can help ease your eventual transition.
We hope that these five reasons to preplan a funeral will help you and your loved ones as you continue to live your life to the fullest.
We want to help you make the best decisions for you and your family to celebrate the memory of a life lived. If you have any questions about our cemetery, funeral home or cremation services, please contact us.
