How to Arrange Your Funeral

Arranging your own funeral, is a way of providing peace of mind to your family. It shows them love and consideration, as it helps reduce some of the stress and uncertainty that they will suffer after your death. Today pre-arrangement of funerals has become a normal part of estate planning, along with creating wills or trusts, and it insures that your service will be exactly as you want it to be.

Instructions

1. Discuss your thoughts and feelings about a funeral service with your family, and include them in your funeral arrangements. Your funeral service should address their needs as well as your own.

2. Choose the location of your burial. Do you prefer to be buried in the ground, or in a mausoleum? If possible, you should make arrangements to purchase your plot, as it can be one of the most expensive parts of your funeral.

3. Plan a will as soon as possible, and continue to keep it updated. Keep your will on file with a lawyer and be sure they know what you would like to be done when the time comes.

4. Call local funeral homes and ask if they offer pre-funeral arrangement services. Most funeral homes will offer a free consultation to explain their method of payment and the arrangements of your funeral.

5. Prepare for your consultation meeting by gathering all of the important information, such as your will, as well as birth and military records. Ask the funeral home in advance if they require other documents or information.

Tips & Warnings

• Speak with your church, if you would like to have a religious service. You can plan as much of the service with your church as you would like, but remember to include your family in the discussion, as they will want to have a space to speak as well.