When my grandmother passed away, I was astonished to learn that I had been named the executor of her estate. After splitting up her belongings amongst my aunts and uncles, I turned my attention to planning her funeral. I didn't know where to start. Fortunately, I was able to find an excellent funeral home that understood how to help people plan beautiful memorial services. It was amazing to go through the process of planning the music, the speakers, and even the set-up of the room. This blog is all about planning gorgeous memorial services for the people that you love so that you aren't left grappling with difficult decisions.
If you're considering pre-planning your funeral, you'll be shopping for a local funeral home. Many of the basic services offered by funeral homes are the same, but each may have special services that you'll find helpful for you or your family. When you talk with the funeral director at each facility, make a note of these offerings as a way to decide which funeral home is right for you.
Grief Counseling
Discuss the type of grief counseling the funeral home offers. Some facilities have their own grief counselors on staff to work with your family individually. Some sponsor grief support groups. Others work with counselors and groups outside of the facility. When choosing a funeral home, consider the type of grief counseling your family will benefit from the most.
Cemetery Management
Some funeral homes own and operate their own cemeteries. The advantage to you is fewer people to work with when making your funeral arrangements. Cemeteries have their own regulations, such as whether a concrete vault is required for burial and the size and materials allowed for the headstone. You may find it more convenient to work with a funeral home that runs its own cemetery instead of a separate facility.
Funeral Arrangements
Funeral homes offer different levels of support for organizing a funeral. Some may make the following arrangements entirely for your family while others offer less assistance:
Decide how much support your family may need with any of these services when selecting a funeral home.
Filing for Benefits
Submitting the paperwork for your family to receive insurance benefits, especially military benefits, can be complicated and stressful. Some funeral homes offer varying levels of assistance from getting the paperwork together to doing the entire filing for your family. This is one way to reduce the stress on your family during a time when they are grieving your loss. Discuss the level of help that the funeral home can offer your family for receiving death benefits.
Funeral Pre-Payment Options
Another way to reduce the stress of your funeral arrangements on your family is to pre-pay for your funeral. This reduces the financial burden on them at a time when it may be difficult for them to cover the expenses. It also locks you into the costs of the funeral at the time you did your pre-planning.
Make sure you understand how the funeral home manages your money from the pre-payment. Some put the money in an escrow account while others will purchase a funeral insurance policy. At the time of your death, the funds will be made available to the funeral home and your family. Discuss any fees required to manage your pre-payment so your family won't have to cover those costs, too.
For more information about your options, talk with someone such as Danks-Hinski Funeral Home.
Share27 November 2015
