Planning Funerals are never easy. They might be simple. They could be beautiful and meaningful celebrations of life. But no one looks forward to attending a funeral, and many people try to avoid thinking about the subject altogether until they have no other choice.
But planning your own funeral now, when you’re healthy and clear-headed, can be a gift to your loved ones. No one knows your wishes better than you do. Instead of arguing over what you’d have wanted or worrying about paying for your final expenses, your family can focus on their grief.
How do you plan your own funeral? Here are four steps that will help you get started.
Start Sooner Rather Than Later
Many people put off thinking about their funeral arrangements because they’re not sure where to begin.
How do you decide between burial or cremation? A graveside service or a church funeral? Should you buy funeral insurance or go for a prepaid funeral through a mortuary? What happens if the funeral plan company goes bust after you make your plan?
There are so many things to think about that planning in advance can seem overwhelming.
But there will never be a time better than right now to begin thinking about your funeral plans. These questions won’t be any easier to answer later, and your loved ones may have an even tougher time deciding without your input.
Starting early ensures that your affairs are handled if something happens to you. It also allows you to carefully consider your decisions. This gives you peace of mind. If your circumstances change in the future, you can always modify your plans. If not, your funeral plan will be safely kept with the funeral home until it’s needed.
Think About What Your Family Will Need
Funerals are for the living. Your funeral or memorial service should reflect your unique personality and final wishes, but ultimately it’s your loved ones who will benefit from the service. Many people think of being cremated without a funeral service as a way to keep things simple, but this is a disservice to loved ones who will want an opportunity to say goodbye.
Funerals and memorials are important grief rituals that provide space to share and process grief. Whether you wish to be buried or cremated, consider planning for some kind of service that will help your family heal, and talk to your family about your wishes to be sure that everyone is on the same page.
Assemble Your Essential Paperwork
You may already have a will or estate plan, but if not, it’s a good idea to discuss this with an attorney. You may also want to think about vital paperwork and information your loved ones might need after you die.
Do you have a list of your bills and online accounts? Do loved ones know how to find your birth certificate, military records, and other important papers or legal documents? If someone were to write an obituary for you today, would they know what to put in it?
If not, it might be worth taking some time to write down biographical information like when and where you were born, the names of your parents and grandparents, where you worked, and so forth. Store this information somewhere safe, like a physical lockbox in your home, and tell a trusted friend or family member how to access it.
To make this step a little easier, we provide a funeral preplanning checklist that can help you get your affairs in order.
Meet with a Funeral Home to Formalize Your Plans
There’s a lot to consider, but you don’t need to handle it all on your own. When you preplan with a funeral home, an expert will help guide you, answer your questions, and work with you to create a plan that meets your needs.
The funeral home will also help you make a payment plan for your expenses if necessary. When you plan in advance, you lock in your prices with the funeral home to protect against inflation and price increases. When you pay for your funeral expenses upfront, you know that your family will never have to worry about surprise costs.
Thinking about your funeral can feel daunting, but planning arrangements takes less time than you might imagine, and the relief you feel knowing your family will be relieved of a burden is well worth the effort. An experienced funeral director helps make the process as quick and easy as possible. You can reach out to any of our Chapman Funerals & Cremations locations to make an appointment with one of our preplanning specialists.