Funeral Planning Tips to Help You Make Smart Decisions

Death and funerals are something you do not like or want to talk about, but everyone knows eventually, the time will come, and they will have to face it. According to a report by the National Funeral Directors Association, only 36% of people have written or communicated their funeral wishes to their families and loved ones. Well, the reasons are too obvious to mention. But talking or communicating about it makes it easier to plan a funeral.

Losing someone you love is a big deal, and it takes time to understand the whole situation. In the midst of all this, planning a funeral becomes punishing. Well thanks to the internet, you can now just look up funeral services and planners around you. For example, if you live in Sydney, you can search for Sydney orthodox church funeral arrangements, go through the list of funeral planners in your neighborhood and book the ones that satisfy your requirements.

Planning a funeral needs you to make smart decisions. You don’t want to know about something you forgot to do in the middle of a funeral. So here are some tips that will save you all the worries and help you make all the right decisions to plan a funeral.

Learn what’s involved

To plan a funeral, you first need to know what happens at a funeral. The important things that need the most attention are preparing the body of the deceased, the ceremony, and then the interment. Is there a burial or cremation? Full funeral service at a funeral home or a small service near the grave? Viewing of the deceased or not? Burial in the ground or a tomb? Who and how many people are going to be there? Where are the ashes to be scattered? These are the most important questions you need the answers to for planning a funeral.

Find out the Average costs

Before just going to a shop and buying the things you think you need, go around other places and find out the average costs. Although there are a lot of things going on in your head, you still need to be attentive towards this and be smart with finances. Finding out the average costs might help you save a lot of money.

Shop around

Instead of buying the whole package the funeral home or the funeral planners introduce, you must go around nearby shops and buy things individually. Also, don’t buy more than what you need. It will be a waste of money and resources. Buy whatever you need but always keep a check on how much you need.

Make a List 

Instead of trying to memorize a whole to-do list, just write it all down on a piece of paper and always keep it with you. It will save you the burden of remembering everything, and you can always keep adding things in there as soon as you understand the task. Keeping a to-do list helps you be specific about your tasks and deadlines. Missing a task and remembering it in the middle of the service will surely make you feel worse. So a written list is always the way to go. 

These planning tips will ensure you plan the funeral in the best way possible without anything going the other way.

5 Tips for Planning a Service with a Funeral Home

It's unfortunate, but death is a part of life, and all life has to end. Some people say it's hardest when you experience the death of a loved one for the first time in your life. They say it gets easier after you have been to a couple of funerals. But no matter what people say or how prepared you were, losing a loved one is never easy. For help getting through this tough time, check out the following tips on planning a service with a funeral home. 

Learn What Happens At a Funeral

Before you arrange a funeral, you must know everything that happens at one. 

Generally, three things happen at each funeral. First is preparing the body of the deceased. The second is holding the service. The final one is handling the internment. 

With all three of those, you have a variety of choices, and you need to pick the right one. Therefore, you should start educating yourself on the things that are involved in each part of the process. You can even find some helpful checklists on the internet for planning funerals, as they can help you make decisions. 

Pick the Right Funeral Home

When you know the kind of funeral you want for your loved one, you can start looking into funeral homes that can help you set it up. 

There are many funeral homes out there, which is why you should pick the closest option that caters to your needs adequately. Alternatively, a place where all the relatives, family members, friends, and acquaintances can gather. 

You can ask your close friends and family members to accompany you everywhere. It can be tough to do everything by yourself. 

Choose the Kind of a Service

Familiarize yourself with the types of funeral services that funeral homes generally offer. For instance, you can get anything from direct cremation to a full funeral with a proper burial.

When you're at funeral homes, they will most likely offer plenty of packages. At this stage, you're more than likely not to be thinking clearly because of the death. That is entirely understandable. But, you should still try to keep an eye out for these packages. 

Often, people don't look too deep into the details of a package and agree to it because it offers the basic things they need for the service. But you should only get what you want and not pay for anything more. You can even go out of the package. 

Keep the Service Personal

Not every funeral needs to be precisely the same as the other. For instance, everyone shows up at a cemetery. They sit on the chairs, listen to some eulogies, and finally bury the dead. That's what happens in most movies and TV shows as well. 

However, you don't have to stick with the basics. These days, many people are going with the option to personalize the funerals of their loved ones. It makes the funerals more unique and personal. 

Take Care of Yourself

Regardless of how ready you were for the news of their passing away, the death of a loved one can be incredibly heavy.

Therefore, you need to seriously take care of yourself during these challenging times. For starters, you should try to be closer to members of your family and close friends. While you can be alone, it's better not to be by yourself. 

If you're having a challenging time processing the death, you can also look into support groups or counseling. They can really help you process the death and move on with your life.