According to the National Funeral Directors Association, only 21% of Americans talk to their loved ones about their final wishes.
Talking about death is difficult, but it’s an unavoidable event in life. If your loved ones died without ever discussing their wishes, this leaves you with a lot of decisions to make.
Are you trying to figure out how to plan a funeral but need some help? Keep reading this article for a simple funeral planning guide.
Review Your Loved One’s Wishes
Even though your loved one didn’t discuss their final wishes with you, this doesn’t mean they didn’t have anything planned out. One of the best tips for planning a funeral is to carefully review the deceased’s last will and testament.
While most of these legal document includes how they want their assets to be taken care of, it’s commonplace for people to include funeral wishes. Many people choose to preplan their funeral and burial to make the process easier for loved ones.
Meet With Your Preferred Funeral Home
If your loved one didn’t include any funeral planning wishes, you’d need to choose a funeral home on your own. If the deceased had any recently deceased relatives, it might be a good idea to find out which funeral home was used. And if not, research funeral homes in your area and get a feel for which one you’d like to work with.
Funeral homes and mortuary employees are experts in the planning process. They’ll schedule a time to meet up with you and anyone involved in the planning process. They will go over all the steps you need to take and give you clear instructions along the way.
If you have any questions or concerns, these employees are the best people to speak with.
Decide on Funeral and Viewing Options
Are you still wondering what to do to plan a funeral? The two basic things you’ll need to plan are the funeral and viewing.
The funeral is when your loved one is laid to rest. The viewing is held before the funeral when people can come and pay their respects to the deceased and their family.
Your funeral home can help with planning both of these events. The viewing generally happens at the funeral home, while the funeral itself will happen at the cemetery. Sometimes, the sermon before the burial occurs at the deceased’s church.
Use This Funeral Planning Guide to Say Goodbye
With this funeral planning guide, saying goodbye to your loved one should become a little easier.
Once the funeral plans are taken care of, you can give yourself time to grieve this loss. Instead of worrying over every detail of their burial, you can now pay your respects and fulfill your loved one’s final wishes.
Did this recent death remind you about how cherished life is? If so, head to the Family section of this site for ideas on how to honor and love your family while you still have the chance.