How to Plan a Funeral Service

No matter how many loved ones you have had to mourn, you can never be prepared for the toll that a death can take. If the burden of planning a funeral service falls to you, it can seem like an overwhelming task. There are a lot of details to consider, and you must plan for all of them.

Instructions

1. Visit the funeral home of your choice. They will help you with every decision from choosing a casket to embalming and beyond.

2. Choose a casket and decide whether you would like it open or closed for the service, and whether or not you want a viewing. If the deceased has requested cremation, choose an urn.

3. Contact your church if you are having a religious service, and arrange for the service through their offices.

4. Set the date for the funeral as well as the date for a wake, viewing or prayer service, depending on your choices and religious needs.

5. Order flowers for the service. You might be able to do this through the funeral home, as well as other necessities such as invitations (if you are sending them out), programs for the service and memorials such as packets of wildflowers.

6. Call family members to invite them if you are not sending invitations, and also ask if any of them would like to do a reading, sing a song or otherwise contribute.

7. Ask friends and family to pass the word to anyone that you might have missed.

Tips & Warnings

• Take all the support that you can get. Arranging a funeral is difficult to do alone.

• If you do not already know the preferences of the deceased, 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, making arrangements with the graveyard and choosing a headstone.

• Services can be very expensive. Find out if you are entitled to insurance benefits of any kind, which will help you cover the cost of the funeral.