In the simplest terms, it is planning and paying off your own funeral before you die. Pre-planning goes into writing up wills, the funeral event design, the payment of the funeral, and much more.Talking about death can be an uncomfortable and, for many, a taboo subject, but it is an important thing to come to terms with and plan for.
Why is Pre-Planning Important?
Many people believe that pre-planning helps take off a financial burden that loved ones might feel when someone has passed. By paying in advance, loved ones and family don’t have to worry about planning a funeral that wouldn’t be enough to show their affection towards the late person. They can just focus on helping each other get through the loss. Not only that: the people left to plan your funeral won’t have any guilt of not planning the right funeral for you. They won’t have the stress of planning something that would or would not have made you happy. They know that when you pre-planned your funeral, you decided how you wanted it to be exactly.
How do I Start Pre-Planning?
Every year, millions of North Americans pre-plan their funerals. There are some basic steps that you’ll need to cover regardless of your preference between burial versus cremation or between a celebration-of-life service versus a traditional funeral. Here is a checklist to help you get started:
- Draw up a will: With the help of a lawyer, write out your will and don’t forget to sign the bottom along with the signatures of two witnesses and place it somewhere your family will be able to find it. It is also helpful to designate an executor to administer the will after you die.
- Plan the Actual Funeral: This is where you have to write on paper whether you would like to be buried or cremated. If you choose burial, do you want it underground (which means time to buy a casket) or do you want to be above ground (you’ll need to buy a mausoleum crypt)? If cremation, then would you like the ashes placed in a specific spot or scattered in a certain location? Some people choose to have their organs donated before burial or cremation. All of these details should be written down in advance.
- Decide on the Type of Funeral: You might choose a traditional funeral with a home visitation (with a closed or an open casket). You can even have a funeral and then be cremated. Or you might want your loved ones to just focus on the stories of your life in a Celebration-of-Life ceremony instead.
- Payment Plan: Tally up the cost, and figure out the best way for you to pay off your funeral. More likely than not, it will be costly so it’s good to find a payment plan to steadily pay for all the features you picked out.
Of course, there are other factors to pre-planning, like filling out personal background information about yourself (family history, military status, etc.) or writing out who will be the participants at your funeral when planning out your funeral with a professional at a funeral home. Fortunately, funeral homes like Legacy Chapel in Madison, AL are here to help you with these personal and important decisions in every step of the process. Contact the best Madison funeral home Legacy Chapel at 256-325-5011 or talk to your local funeral home for the right guidance to get started with your pre-planning.
