Planning your own funeral

This is a subject that is very close to my heart. I meet a lot of people on a daily basis when speaking with them about their loved one's funeral service, and many do not know much, if anything, about what their loved one's wants and wishes were when they passed.

It is something that is not often spoken about and that is understandable. I remember a long time ago going through a period where I was really upset, thinking of the day that I would lose my parents so speaking of when they may pass was out of the question for me.

Due to the industry that I have worked in for 15 years now, I feel that it is imperative to talk to your family, ( parents, siblings, partner) to let them know what you would like for your own funeral when the time comes.

One very important aspect, I believe, is to get the "life story" down on paper. Let's face it, none of us, as youngsters, really asked our parents where they lived, were born, went to school, met their partner and other important milestones in their lives. It just never came up in conversation ( or maybe it did and we just didn't place too much emphasis on it).

Other things to consider is do you or your loved one want to be cremated or buried?

Where would you like your funeral to be held?

What music would you like played at your funeral?

Would you like a slideshow/visual tribute?

Do you want a wake/gathering?

You can prepay your funeral with many funeral directors. There are quite a few benefits in doing this. Your funeral is locked in at the pricing of the prepaid funeral. You can pay in installments, which can make it more manageable, and this can also lessen the pressure that is felt on your loved ones at the time of your passing. And to put your mind at ease, the monies that you pay are not held by the funeral director but by a reputable organisation that holds the money in trust.

If this is something you are looking at doing, you can contact your local funeral director who can provide you with all the information, much more than I have written in this post - they are the experts. You could also look in to this online.

I hope you have found this post informative.

As always, reach out if you have any questions.