A funeral arrangement is never an easy conversation to broach. It makes people uncomfortable, and it reminds everyone of mortality. But it’s part of life. And at some point, you’re going to have to plan a funeral service for a family member.
Here’s a quick guide to make this send off as manageable as possible for everyone.
Consider a Funeral Director
A funeral director will add to the cost of the service. You may be able to save £1,000 if you were to arrange a service on your own. Although that certainly is ideal, the tasks before you may become overwhelming. Without a funeral director, you’ll have to register the death, choose a lead for the ceremony and arrange to have the body transported, among others.
A number of decisions have to be made as well. You’ll need to pick the coffin, determine how the service will go, where to hold the service and other such concerns. Your funeral director will help you along.
Deciding on the Service
You can customise the service according to your loved one’s personality or endeavours. For example, if the loved had a hobby of photography, then showing off some of their personal works would be a great idea.
You can choose to do a traditional service at the funeral home, with a proper ceremony that involves hymns and readings from family members. Alternatively, you can opt for a graveside service that allows you to incorporate eco-friendly elements. If the deceased was a supporter of the green movement
You will also need to decide on the budget for the service and other details that your funeral director will be able to point out to you. Two of the important factors to decide on are the location of the service and who will be speaking during the service.
Guest List and Invitations
Close family and friends should be at the top of the list, but beyond that is up to your discretion. Have a date ready for the service and notify those whom you will be inviting to the service so that they can clear their schedule – the formal invitation can come later.
Once you’ve finalised the guest list, work with a printer to create an invitation that also doubles as an order of service booklet. This gives people an idea of how the service will go.
Final Details
With the funeral approaching, you should finalise some of the details. This includes catering and the other minutiae. Your funeral director will be a great help to identify what still needs to be decided. After ironing these out, the funeral should run smoothly, especially with the assistance of the funeral director.
Say Goodbye with Dignity
Funerals should be solemn occasions in which the dead are remembered. You don’t want a loved one’s final goodbye to shoddy or ill-planned. With the above tips, you should be able to ensure that the funeral is going to go smoothly and provide everyone with a chance to say goodbye to and honour their loved one.