How to Plan a Funeral for Your Spouse

Losing a spouse is like losing a half of yourself and for many of us, the pain and difficulty of making any decisions without the input of a beloved husband or wife can seem overwhelming. It seems impossible right now, but life will go on for you even as you mourn your spouse and your life together. To help you through this difficult time, we’ve put together a guide to help you plan the funeral.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Plan a Spouse's Funeral

1. Choose a funeral home where you feel comfortable. The directors will help you through the decisions you are about to make.

2. Decide between a coffin or urn, and pick out the one you like best. You should also decide if you want the coffin (if you choose burial) to be open or closed for the ceremony.

3. Arrange for a date and time for the funeral with your local church or other venue.

4. If you are having a viewing or prayer service of any kind, arrange for a time and location for that as well.

5. Order the flowers for the funeral service and for the gravesite. If you order through the funeral home, you can possibly order programs and other necessary things at the same time.

6. Call friends and family and ask them to help pass the word to people you may have forgotten to add to the guest list. Also ask them if they are interested in offering readings, songs or speaking at the funeral.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to remember how wonderful your life was together rather than worrying about the future. Take things one day at a time and take all the support you can get.
• If you do not already know the preferences of your spouse in regards to the burial, make sure that you obtain a copy of the will so that his or her wishes are followed.
• You will also have to arrange for the burial itself, which means buying a grave plot, arranging things with the graveyard and buying and erecting a headstone.
• Services can be expensive. Find out if you are entitled to insurance benefits of any kind, which will help cover the burial costs.