First Steps in Funeral Planning

Planning a funeral starts the first day or so after the death of a loved one. It is not always easy to get your mind in gear to plan for a funeral as you are in the midst of deep emotions and grief, but these steps will help you organize the funeral planning process.

Preparing for a funeral can reap positive results. While planning for the funeral, you may gain a deeper appreciation of your loved one as you contemplate his or her life, a crucial step in the healing process. Furthermore, reminiscencing about your loved one may allow you to remember important events that you may not have originally remembered.

Some aspects of the planning will be determined by the depth of the person's religious faith or for their love for a particular kind of music, flower, or poetry. Family and environment are other possible factors that may affect the funeral planning process.

The following are the first steps for funeral planning:

1. Take some time to brainstorm with a paper and pen in hand. If you are having trouble starting, consider asking friends and family for help. An affiliated clergy may be able to give some insight on the spiritual and emotional aspects of the service. A funeral director can help provide some practical advice.

2. Contemplate everything that was unique to your loved one: interests, personality, and passions are 3 solid places to start. Recollecting every aspect of your loved one may allow the service to truly capture the essence of life, and the spirit of his or her personality.

3. Fulfilling the wishes of a loved one is essential to the healing process. Consider all, if any wishes conveyed by the deceased regarding his funeral services.

4. If your loved one was religious, consider holding a funeral service in a church of an appropriate denomination. Note that with a secular service, it is still possible to implement religious themes and ideas. You might choose to hold the service outside a church but bring in a member of clergy to speak or include bible verses or hymns. If you are wavering between types of services, choose whatever you are most comfortable with.

5. Will you hold a Funeral Service or Memorial Service? The difference between the two is the body is present at the funeral service whereas in the Memorial Service, it is not. Funeral homes can accommodate either desire. It is noteworthy to point out that a Memorial Service is much more practical as it has much flexibility.

6. Consider having close friends and family members of the deceased officiant the the service. If you are fortunate an know someone who is experienced in doing this, enlist their help. It often gives a whole new meaning in the way the service is orchestrated.

7. Who attends the service? Funeral or memorial services can be attended by a small number of family and friends or by a large group of friends, acquaintances or anyone who cares to attend.

8. Note that the funeral service is held soon after the death. Because a funeral service may be held some time after the death, a memorial service is a more flexible option.

9. Create funeral programs. They are the one item that is kept for many years after the funeral service and will highlight and pay tribute to your loved one's life.

We are not always prepared to plan a funeral. It's one of those things that is inevitable but somehow when the time comes, we are at a loss emotionally and also as to how to begin. By following these simple and basic guidelines, it can help make the planning process a bit clearer.