Funeral Arrangements: Why Pre-Plan a Funeral

There are a number of advantages to making funeral arrangements in advance. Talk with your local funeral director about your plan for a funeral.

Have you considered making funeral arrangements in advance? Here’s why you should consider pre-planning:

The death of a loved one is a difficult time for everyone.  As a funeral director, I have noticed many funeral planners are pre-planning before the need arises – that is, they are making their own funeral and burial arrangements in advance so that they can select what they want and so family members will not face the burden of making decisions while under emotional stress and time pressures.

Pre-planning starts with the collection of your personal information, including biographical information, photos, career achievements, hobbies, and special interests. You will then make decisions around the following questions:

• What kind of funeral would you like? If you’re unsure, a funeral director can help you understand the various types of funeral services as you plan a funeral.
• Would you prefer a burial or cremation?
• What type of urn or casket would you prefer?
• Who should be notified when the need arises?
• Do you have specific readings or songs that you prefer for the funeral service?

When making funeral arrangements in advance, you may also want to consider pre-funding arrangements through a trust or insurance. By setting aside the fund in this way, you could help easing some of the stress and potential financial hardship to your family and ensure that the money will be set aside to cover all costs.

Pre-arranging your funeral enables you to personalize your funeral, relieves your family from future financial responsibility, and gives you peace of mind knowing that you’ve reduced some of the stress your family will face when that difficult time occurs.

This article is part of the eFuneral Resource Center and was written by Brad Forward, Vice President and Funeral Director at Brown-Forward Funeral Service. Those thinking about end-of-life should visit eFuneral.com for help researching, planning, and arranging a wide variety of funeral-related services.