HOW TO PLAN A FUNERAL

Funerals are a time of celebration and remembrance of those you’ve lost, but they’re also times of mourning, so having some help for the planning process is beneficial. You may be planning your own funeral by investing in pre-planning services or perhaps you’ve been tasked with planning the memorial service of a loved one; either way, there are some important considerations to make.

First Memorial Funeral Services has helped many make end-of-life arrangements and plan family funeral services, so they wanted to share some insight with you below. Here are some steps on planning an Ottawa funeral for yourself or a loved one.

Many nearing the end of their life choose to lessen the financial and emotional burden on their family by planning their own funeral. Doing so can take out any of the guesswork involved in end-of-life decisions and ensure that all your specific needs are met.

1. Should I Visit a Funeral Pre-Planning Specialist?

To plan your own end-of-life services, one of the very first things you need to do is pay a visit to your local funeral home. There you’ll be able to speak with a funeral director and select the type of service that’s right for you. These types of services include a traditional funeral, a service of remembrance or memorial ceremony, a same-day service, graveside services or even away-from-home arrangements.

2. Do I Need to Make Sure Money is Handled Professionally?

One important component of funeral pre-planning services is ensuring your finances are kept under lock and key by a professional, rather than simply the funeral home. Most funeral service providers will employ an outside firm, such as an independent insurance holder to make certain your investment is protected and will be there when your family needs it.

3. Should I Ask Questions & Build Trust?

There are a lot of details to funeral planning. For example, did you know that when you and your family move, your pre-arrangements can easily come with you? Most funeral pre-planning arrangements are transferable. The ideal pre-planning service will be more than happy to answer these types of questions and do their utmost when it comes to making their clients feel comfortable.

When a beloved friend or family member passes away, the burden for planning their memorial or funeral services can fall to one person. Several friends or family members may also choose to work together, each taking different tasks upon themselves to lessen the burden during their time of grief.

Here are some tips for planning the funeral of a beloved friend or family member.

1. Who Should I Call First & What Transportation is needed for the Deceased?

When a loved one passes away, the first thing you should do is contact close friends and family members to notify them that they’ve moved on. After doing so, you’ll need to have the body of the deceased transported from their place of death to your local funeral service director.

2. Do I Need to Meet a Funeral Director, Arrange Funeral Services & Interment Details?

After transporting the deceased to the proper locale, it’s important to then discuss details with your local funeral director. This is the time to include family members to settle upon the type of memorial and burial services for the deceased, as well as whether to have them buried or cremated.

3. How do I Choose the Right Funeral & Memorial Products?

One important consideration to make is how to house the remains of your deceased friend or family member. There is a range of options offered when planning your Ottawa funeral, the most common being a traditional casket or burial vault. A variety of different urns are also available for those wishing to invest in cremation services. This is also the time when families have the opportunity to choose a grave marker or niche to display personal details of the deceased.

4. What Cemetery Arrangements do I Need to Select?

If you have chosen to have the remains of your loved one interred in a cemetery, there are some options you’ll want to discuss with the cemetery you’ve selected. This includes how to house their remains, such as in a mausoleum or columbarium if they’ve been cremated, or a plot or crypt if they’re being placed into a casket.

After the death of a loved one, there may be matters regarding their finances or estate that also need to be put in order. These responsibilities can range from speaking to lawyers about their will to settling debts or other financial obligations the deceased left unfinished.

Some of questions & responsibilities you should include are:

1. Who Will Commence Estate Proceedings?

An executor may have been named in the will to handle these proceedings. One can also be appointed by a probate court if necessary.

2. Do I Need to Account for Assets?

Make arrangements to cover any outstanding bills or payments the deceased may have left behind.

3. Which Death Claims do I Need to File?

After a loved one has passed away, contact important parties such as their insurance providers, Social Security personnel, unions, and any other related groups.

4. Who else Should be Notified?

In addition to taking care of their financial obligations, it’s important to notify other parties of the passing of the deceased, such as their work if they were employed, as well as churches, fraternal organizations, and other social groups they may have been members of.

5. Do I Need to Change the Status of Joint Accounts?

After the death of a loved one, it’s important to change the status of their joint accounts, such as bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages, loans, and accounts at similar institutions.

Having a trusted funeral planner at your disposal can make preparing for the interment of your loved one much more pleasant. To discuss your end-of-life options and learn more about the friendly and compassionate staff from First Memorial Funeral Services, contact us today.