How To Pre-Arrange Your Own Funeral

Pre-arranging your own funeral gives you the opportunity to have a funeral and burial the way you want it to be. You can make it as lavish as you can afford, or you can make it as simple as your tastes dictate. You can also make your death and subsequent burial as easy as possible on your loved ones at a time when they can be deeply mourning your loss – especially if your demise happens suddenly and without warning. Here is how you can pre-arrange your own funeral.

Create a Plan

Sit down and take the time to make a detailed plan listing everything you want at your funeral. Look at every single aspect you can from the type of casket you want to any flowers you want to have put around your coffin. If you want to have a church ceremony, you should list that, too. You want to make sure you have thought of everything you possibly can before you walk into a funeral to tell them how you want things done during your wake and funeral.

Select Funeral Home

You should take the time to shop around if you don't already have a funeral home picked out to see which one is the most appealing to you. You should decide if you want a small out-of-the-way facility to have your wake and funeral, or if you want to hire one that is well-known and prestigious in your community. The cost of the services you desire will vary from one funeral home to the next and will affect how much you will have to pay.

Pre-Paying for Your Funeral

An added benefit of pre-arranging your funeral is that you'll know how much it will cost in today's dollars. You can usually set up a pre-payment arrangement with your funeral home based on those costs – even if your funeral won't happen for many years from now. The funeral home will take the money you pay in today's dollars and put it into a special interest-bearing account. When you pass away, the money in the account goes to the funeral home to pay for your final expenses (this will usually cover your funeral bill in full).

Pre-arranging your funeral allows you to choose what you want to take place during your wake and services. This takes the pressure off of your loved ones and ensures your last wishes are followed. You should do your pre-arrangement soon if you are thinking about it, because you never know when it could be too late. Talk to a professional like Ryan-Parke Funeral Home to get started.