Step1
Meet with the other principal mourners to discuss their wishes and preferences. Find out if the deceased left any instructions regarding the funeral. Discuss religious preferences and how much money the family is willing to spend.
Step2
Consult with a religious leader or a funeral home if you would like help with any of the details, including location of a burial site or disposition of ashes, casket or cremation container selection, transportation, legal issues, flowers and music.
Step3
Choose the site where the funeral will take place. This is most often a church or temple, but it could also be a funeral home or at the graveside. (You may also decide on a more informal memorial service.)
Step4
Select someone to conduct the service. This could be a religious leader, funeral home personnel or a friend of the family.
Step5
Appoint pallbearers if you are having a formal funeral. Pallbearers can include special friends or business associates of the deceased, though the funeral home can usually provide them if there are no preferences.
Step6
Assign someone to give the eulogy. Typically, the family will choose a family member, religious leader or close friend. Contact the person who will give the eulogy as soon as possible to give him or her time to talk with the family and organize notes for the service.
Step7
Consider including music in the service. Choose a piece with special meaning for the family, perhaps having a family friend be a vocalist or instrumentalist.
Step8
Choose flowers for the service. What is appropriate depends on the family's wishes and the amount of money it wishes to spend.
Step9
Place an obituary in the local newspaper announcing the date, time and place of the funeral.
Step10
Consult the funeral home about having printed programs for the funeral service. Get input from the family regarding their design.
Step11
Buy a guest book for guests to sign as they arrive, if one is not provided.
Step12
Coordinate all of the above with the funeral home, which will arrange to transport the coffin to the funeral, remove the coffin to the burial site, or take care of other details as requested.
Comments
DonaldMan said
on 7/1/2008 Go to http://www.rappardlaw.com/The%20Importance%20of%20Writing%20A%20Will.htm
Then scroll to the bottom of that page. There you will find two excellent forms to assist you in
conveying your wishes to your family regarding your burial and memorial service. There is also a
section regarding personal information, that can assist you in providing information for writing
an obituary. There is also some helpful probate information for handling the estate for the heirs.
Anonymous37 said
on 6/16/2008 Hey Nicole, is this a plug for your business, memorialpreferences.com??? $12.95 for the workbook? contact nicole@memorialpreferences.com --
coincidence or free advertisement??? shameful
NicoleAndiem said
on 4/20/2008 Check out the "Memorial Preferences" website @ www.memorialpreferences.com They offer a concise workbook for planning your own funeral including an outline to create your own obituary. Very helpful.
maggiesmom33 said
on 3/11/2008 You can save money by purchasing a guest book on line and not at the funeral home. There are plenty of guest books out there. Most are lined, some are blank and some are unique. blueskypapers.com has a pretty unique and classy one.
You can find nice thank you cards on line cheaper as well. Try cranes.com or williamaurthur.com
With all of these, you can request expedited shipping and you still made out... and with a better product!
maggiesmom33 said
on 3/11/2008 You can save money by purchasing a guest book on line and not at the funeral home. There are plenty of guest books out there. Most are lined, some are blank and some are unique. blueskypapers.com has a unique one.
You can find nice thank you cards on line cheaper as well. Try cranes.com or williamaurthur.com
With all of these, you can request expedited shipping and you still made out... and with a better product!