How to Plan a Funeral

Funeral planning is something that most of us will experience in our lifetime. When a loved one dies we are thrown into a situation revolving around mourning their loss and trying to plan their funeral. It can be an emotionally charged time period, to say the least. You may be anxious and unsure of what is supposed to happen next. Do not fret. Take a deep breath and relax. All you need to do is find the right funeral home for your needs, and they will help you every step of the way.

It may seem like a daunting task for some, but you should trust your instincts and do the proper research when trying to choose the best funeral home for you. Here are a few things to look for when deciding on the best funeral home.

• The staff: Are they compassionate and knowledgeable? The staff of the funeral home is there to help you. They should not only be qualified to perform their job, but they should also be supportive and compassionate to you. I would choose a funeral home where the staff went above and beyond their job title to make my journey as smooth as possible.

• The planning process. Many of us have never had to plan a funeral and during this time we may not be up to going through all the minute details involved in the planning process. You need to find a funeral home that will help you through the entire process. Many funeral homes will not only walk you through the list of funeral needs but will also help you file all the necessary paperwork and insurance forms. As stated before, you want to opt for the funeral home that goes above and beyond your needs.

• Experience. I would choose a funeral home that has been around awhile. They will have contacts within the industry and will be knowledgeable about all the details involved in funeral planning. You can rest assured that they know what they are doing because they have done it many times before. You can also check their reviews. You can see what other people experienced with this business, which will help you decide if they are the best fit for you.

Once you have chosen the funeral home, you will need to move on to the next daunting task, which is completing all the necessary paperwork. You could do your homework and choose a funeral home that will help you file all of these. However, there are still some documents and information you will need to have in order to do this paperwork, such as

• Full name of the deceased

• Social security number of the deceased

• Parent’s, spouse’s and children’s names

• Maiden name of the mother of the deceased

• Educational history

• Military status

• Church affiliations

• Membership to clubs or organizations

• Hobbies or interests

• Up to date picture

After you have completed all the necessary paperwork, you can begin to plan all the details of the funeral. A meeting between you and the funeral director will take place to help you plan the funeral or celebration of life ceremony for your loved one. You will discuss all the details of the event, and you will also need to bring a few things to the meeting, such as:

• Burial clothes for the deceased

• Charities for memorial purposes

• Preferred reading and musical selections

• Cemetery information

• List of pallbearers

Planning a funeral can be a difficult and trying time. Hopefully, the information above will make this task a little more attainable. Also, remember, each and every funeral is different. If there is something important to the deceased that you want to add to the funeral, do not be afraid to ask. Never be afraid to ask for any help during the funeral planning process and make known any special details. Remember the staff at the funeral home is there to help you through this.