Seeing a loved one pass away is hard enough, but planning their funeral while grieving is very difficult. However, you will need to make preparations to make sure there are no problems in getting them to their final resting place. There are many things that you will need to do, but these tips should help.
Contact A Funeral Home
You should sit down and try to process what happened. Call all the members of the family, your friends, and all the people that the deceased was close with. Then you should contact a funeral home nearby or any similar facility. They will come and take the departed away, giving you time to make funeral arrangements. If you need to take them to another city, then you will have to call another facility in that area and ask them the process.
Funeral Services
You should contact the deceased’s lawyer, or look around their home, and see if they left any plans or requests for their funeral. If they haven’t, you can ask any family member or friend who has gone through the process for help. The last choice would be meeting with a funeral director. They can make the entire process very easy on you. You will need to make many choices, and here are some examples:
- Whether you want to cremate or bury them?
- What kind of service would you like?
- What caskets and urns would you like? They will have a list of options.
- Pick a payment option.
Cemetery Arrangements
You, your family, and other close people will be visiting the grave from time to time, which is why the location is very important. Most people buy cemetery property in advance to make it easier on their next of kin. However, keep in mind the ownership is only the right to be buried and the cemetery property is not your land. If you don’t own any property, then you will need to purchase a plot before making plans for their funeral service. Most graveyards also include opening and closing of the grave, or crypt, in the price of the purchase, as well as installing a marker. However, some charge recurring fees. Most people like to hire a gravestone maker because they will give you more options and do a much better job.
Choosing Funeral Products
It will be difficult to buy these things, but they are necessary. The first thing that you should do is set a budget. People tend not to think about money when they are grieving, and the salespeople take advantage of that. Having a budget will take care of that problem. The second thing that you should do is ask for a list of prices. They will show the most expensive and extravagant items first, but you have a right to ask for cheaper ones. If you are getting the arrangements done from a funeral home, it is not necessary that you buy a casket or urn from them as well, look around for something in your range.
Take Care Of Their Affairs
Take some time for yourself after the funeral. However, you will need to take care of some financial, estate, and administrative matters as soon as possible. If the departed had a will, it would make things much more manageable. If they don’t, then there are several things that you should. Here are some examples:
- Start by sending letters expressing gratitude to people who sent flowers, gave assistance, or helped with the financials.
- You may need to hire an attorney to take care of estate disposition. The case is usually taken to a probate court, and they settle based on the will. They will look at the size of the estate and other things if there is no will.
Going through all of this should make you ask the question, what would happen if I died suddenly? Help your loved ones by doing some pre-planning.
