Funeral Service Planning Involves Many Steps
If you are planning a funeral for the first time, you may be amazed at the sheer number of tasks involved. So, what do you need to be prepared for? These are some of the items that you may need to do in order to plan a funeral that is suited to honor the life of somebody you care about deeply.
Request the Death Certificate
One of the first steps involved in the process is getting the death certificate from a physician or medical examiner. This is the document that makes official the death of your loved one, and you will need this document when you take care of the steps that follow.
Transportation of the Deceased
Your loved one will also need to be transported, likely several times. The first step will involve transportation to a funeral home or coroner's office, and then to the site of the funeral. Finally, you'll need transportation to the burial. When you work with a funeral home, they will help with your transportation.
Determine Your Funeral Budget
Next, you need to assess how much money is in your funeral budget. What are you able to spend? Did your loved one pre-pay for anything, or did they have life insurance to cover a funeral?
Choose Funeral Services
Just as you choose a funeral location, you also need to think about the different services you would like to include. What kind of officiant would you like to oversee the service, for instance? What kind of music would you like? Will your loved one have a military funeral? You'll need to decide early on in the process so that you can inform people of the plan.
Choose a Burial Option
You will also need to select an option for your loved one's burial. For example, would you like your loved one to be buried in a casked or cremated? Did your loved one plan for a green funeral or natural burial? These are decisions to make before the funeral.
Contact Family Members
Finally, you are tasked with contacting family members and other loved ones. These are people who need to know about the death, preferably in advance so that they may attend the funeral if they would like to.
A Funeral Home Can Help
Is this list overwhelming? If so, you are not alone. Now is the best time to book a funeral home to help you plan these services. During this difficult time, you can use all the help you can get.
For more information, contact a funeral home to learn more about funeral services.
