Only one in three American adults have an advanced directive planned.
Planning your funeral before you pass helps take some of the stress off your loved ones in the future. By sitting down and figuring out the specifics of your funeral, you’re more likely to make informed decisions that represent your final wishes.
Want to plan your own funeral but now sure where to start? Keep reading to learn the basic steps of how to plan a funeral.
Meet With Your Preferred Funeral Home
When you first start planning a funeral, you need to meet with your preferred funeral home.
By meeting with your funeral home, you can make an advanced plan for your loved ones to follow. They will be able to take you step by step through every aspect of your funeral that you need to plan. On top of that, they’ll give you the option to pre-pay, which will help relieve the financial burden of your loved ones when you pass.
Not sure which funeral home you want to choose? Here are the benefits of choosing local funeral homes.
Decide on the Specifics
Next on your list of funeral planning steps is to decide on the specifics of your funeral.
One of the biggest choices you’ll make is deciding if you want to be cremated or have a traditional burial. There are pros and cons to both. With cremation, you can save money but it goes against some religious beliefs. With a burial, you follow traditional beliefs but can expect to pay more money.
Regardless of whether you choose burial or cremation, you also need to decide on your final resting place. If you go with a traditional burial, you’ll need to choose a cemetery to be buried in. With cremation, you can be buried in a cemetery, have your ashes spread in a significant location, or have them placed in an urn.
Choose a Service Type
You’ll also need to discuss which type of service you want when planning your funeral arrangements.
Most people go with a religious graveside burial. This is when a religious leader comes to your burial site and leads everyone in prayer or religious rituals. You can also opt for a military burial service, a fraternal funeral service, or a non-traditional funeral service.
Besides the graveside funeral, you can also plan for a memorial service. A memorial service is generally held before the burial at the funeral home or a church. This is when people can come to pay their respects to your loved ones.
Now You Know the Basics of How to Plan a Funeral
After reading this article, you better understand how to plan a funeral.
Start by meeting with your preferred funeral home to make a plan for your future. Then, you can decide on the specifics such as if you wish to be cremated or buried. Finally, you can choose a service type including a traditional religious funeral.
Not sure what else you should prepare for your future? Browse the rest of our site to find articles about how to create your will or establish a trust.
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