Funeral planning involves arranging and paying for your funeral in advance, ensuring your final wishes are respected, whilst relieving your family from the emotional and financial burden of making arrangements themselves at an incredibly difficult time.
With a funeral plan, you can lock in today’s prices, protecting yourself against future inflation and rising costs. This means your family won’t have to worry about covering unexpected expenses, and you can feel secure knowing your wishes will be honoured and respected exactly as you planned.
From cremation to burial and religious to humanist ceremony, there are a range of choices you can make ahead for your final farewell. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when pre-planning:
Who would you like to organise and lead your funeral?
It’s good to appoint someone who’ll take responsibility for the “on-the-day” arrangements e.g. contacting the funeral director, ensuring the day goes as planned.
What would you like to happen to your body?
Think about whether you’d like to be cremated or buried, or if there are any particular requests when it comes to how you’d like your body to be prepared e.g. what clothes you’d like to wear. Who would you like to carry your coffin? What would you like your headstone to read? Where would you like your ashes scattered?
What do you imagine your ceremony to be like?
These days, you can personalise your ceremony with just about anything – whether religious or humanist. But thinking about special music, photos, poems, prayers, readings, speeches, stories or memories that you’d love to share on the day is a great way to be organised and lighten the load for your loved ones. Reminiscing is always special, and a key thing to do when planning your funeral.
How would you like to be remembered?
Think about whether you’d like to receive flowers or organise a charity donation. Would you like to have a wake, gathering or “fun-eral” party after the ceremony to celebrate your life? Decide on where you’d like this to be held, maybe somewhere of importance to you?
Planning your funeral is a hard task, so take your time and talk through all your ideas and plans with someone you trust, be it a friend, family, or funeral director. There is often no right or wrong way to go when it comes to putting things in place and respecting your wishes.
Benefits of Funeral Planning
Preparing for your funeral may sound daunting, but there are various reasons why planning ahead has its advantages:
- Protect Your Loved Ones from Financial Stress: By arranging and paying for your funeral in advance, you can ensure that your family won’t have to bear the financial burden of your final expenses. This can be especially important if you want to make sure your family is not left with any unexpected costs during a difficult time.
- Lock in Today’s Prices: Funeral costs are rising year on year, but with a funeral plan, you can lock in today’s prices, protecting yourself against future inflation. This means that, no matter how much costs increase, your plan will cover what you’ve arranged.
- Ensure Your Wishes Are Respected: Funeral planning gives you the freedom to decide exactly how you’d like your funeral to be, from the type of service to the music and flowers. This way, you can be sure that your final wishes are fulfilled.
- Flexible Payment Options: You can choose to pay in one lump sum, or spread the cost over monthly payments, making it easier to find a plan that suits your budget. This flexibility helps you plan ahead without putting strain on your current finances.
How to Get Started with Funeral Planning
Getting started with funeral planning is easier than you might think. Here’s how to begin:
- Research and Compare Plans: Start by looking at different funeral plan providers to compare what they offer. Providers offer various plans covering everything from a basic service to more comprehensive options, ensuring you find the right fit for you. Or, if you have a cemetery or crematorium already in mind, you can enquire ahead of time to find out which funeral director services that site.
- Get a Free Quote: Contact your chosen provider for a free quote. This will help you understand the costs involved and what each plan includes, making it easier to decide which option is best for you.
- Choose Your Plan and Payment Option: Once you’ve decided on a plan, you can choose how you’d like to pay—whether upfront or in monthly instalments. Your provider will guide you through the process, ensuring it’s as smooth and straightforward as possible.
- Put Your Plan in Place: After setting up your plan, you’ll receive documentation confirming all the details, so you can rest easy knowing your arrangements are in place. Keep this in a safe place and share it with a trusted family member or friend. You could include your plan in your will for added peace of mind.
And of course, you don’t have to plan all of your funeral if it feels too overwhelming- it’s really up to you. But it’s important not to be scared. When preparing for a birth, we like to have the finer details sorted – as much as we can ahead of time. Death should be regarded as the same – it’s inevitable, but can be just as personal, warm and a celebration of your life.
