Show Me Where to Begin » Plan a Funeral or Memorial Service

We plan our wedding, our vacation, and our retirement. Planning our funeral or memorial service can take a burden off our family when we die.

For most of us, our funeral is not an event we’re especially looking forward to, or even want to think about. Yet if we do wish to have a funeral or a memorial service after we die, there are some big advantages to planning it in advance.

Why Do It
1. Your service can be a gift of comfort and community to those you leave behind, helping them come to terms with your death and to start the process of healing.
2. Pre-planning your funeral or memorial service takes a burden off your family members, who otherwise would need to make these decisions under pressure after you die.
3. You can make sure that your obituary features those events and achievements in your life you’d most like to be remembered.
4. You can create a budget for the service and the reception that you feel is appropriate.

If You Don’t
1. There could be disagreements between your family members about what kind of service to hold, especially if there are differences in their religious or philosophical beliefs.
2. It can be an added burden to your family to discuss and plan your funeral or memorial service at the same time that they are dealing emotionally with your death.
3. Your obituary may not include the details that you feel most accurately reflect your life.
4. Due to feelings of grief or guilt, your family could end up spending more money on your service than you would feel necessary or appropriate.

Funeral or Memorial Service Details
Funeral or memorial service
Obituary
Visitation and viewing