Funerals - Planning The Basics
Planning a funeral is never going to be a pleasant task, whether
it be your own or that of your nearest and dearest. However,
this article aims to give you some idea of what to expect when
you have to plan a funeral for the first time.
The first thing you will need to do is to contact an undertaker.
A good one will guide you through all the decisions which have
to be made in order for the funeral to take place, with the
minimum of pain and disruption. You will find undertakers or
funeral directors listed in your local telephone directory and
on the internet. However, in view of the nature of the occasion,
I always feel that a personal recommendation is good.
Having chosen your undertaker, you will need to make an
appointment to meet. Some firms will come to your house and
others will expect you to go to their premises. If you have a
choice, do whatever you're most comfortable with.
The questions will now begin. Firstly do you want burial or
cremation and in either case, will the service be religious or
secular? If you want a church service and a burial, you will
also need to choose a cemetery as not all churches have space
available. You may want cremation but with burial of the ashes.
If you want a non-religious burial, you may be able to choose a
woodland area or similar. So you have now chosen your church,
crematorium and/or cemetery. (For church, read any appropriate
building depending on the religion in question.)
You will now be offered further choices - this time coffins. You
will need to select the style of coffin, the material from which
it is to be made and the design of handles. You will also have
to choose the style and wording of a plaque. If there is to be a
cremation, you will need to select a casket or urn for the
ashes. Obviously the cost varies tremendously, depending on what
you opt for.
You will have to tell the funeral director where you wish the
body to rest until the funeral and whether you wish it to be on
view for people to pay their respects. Whether or not the
deceased will be on view, you will have to decide on their
clothing.
In the next article, we will continue to discuss the options
when planning a funeral.