Funerals are something we all come across in our lives. We attend many a funeral and sometimes we simply wonder "What does it take to Plan a Funeral?".
Planning a funeral may seem like a daunting task given the number of options and choices available to one today. Many feel intimidated by the complexity and sheer number of choices offered by the commercial funeral industry, making us unsure about the "Right" thing to do. Most of us wouldn't even know where to start, or what questions to ask. The commercial funeral industry can be confusing but finding a simple and cost effective way of honoring our deceased loved ones doesn't have to be a rocket science. Remember that it is always your choice whether to have a simple disposition or an elaborate funeral. The type of your funeral should be dictated by your taste, beliefs and budget and not the other way round. You have no Obligation to satisfy anyone else's ideas or requirements as to what is correct and what should and shouldn't be done. The following steps will provide you with a guideline to follow when planning a funeral for yourself or for someone else. Also remember you can get the best out of these steps if you plan in advance of death.
Step 1: Funeral Planning is a Family Issue
Death comes to all of us, and as a family it is important to discuss these issues as a family. Families discuss weddings, home-buying, college, parties etc so why not funerals? Avoiding the critical discussion about death will not save us from its inevitability, but instead make it painful and most often than not expensive for those bereaved. Carrying out funeral planning as a part of normal life can actually help families bear the pain of a lost loved one.
Step 2: Know and Understand your Options
Most people have little to no idea on what they can and cannot do. While the commercial funeral industry promotes what it calls "Traditional Funerals", we must understand that these are merely commercial inventions which are not so practiced outside North America. List out your options, make sure they fit into your budget and other preferences, and select what you think is best suited for the funeral. As mentioned beforehand it is always up to you to choose what you feel is best.
Step 3: Shopping
A funeral may be simple and inexpensive or more elaborate and costly, but unless you plan ahead and shop around a little it is most likely that you will end up spending a more than you actually need. Surveys carried out in this regard have shown that people don't usually shop around that much, instead they just pick the funeral home closest to them or the one their family has always used. It is always better to shop around and the best place to start is your local funeral consumer group. These volunteer groups can usually recommend reasonably priced funeral homes and other related service providers.
Step 4: Connecting the Dots
Once you've listed out all the options available to you and done a good amount of shopping, it is finally time to bring them all to the discussion table. Show them what you have found and express your opinions about what and how things should be done. Share the information such as funeral home prices etc. Don't forget to put your plans in writing. This is most important since it will help in clearly organizing what needs to be done and how.
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