Best Way to Plan for a Funeral Service

The main purpose of a funeral service is to provide meaning to the life of the deceased. This is also the time that friends and family members will gather together to remember the person and offer support and comfort to each other.

The funeral service is also a religious service officiated by a pastor, clergy, priest or a leader of a religious congregation. In a Christian funeral service, some verses in the Bible might be read out. There is also a funeral service that is non religious and such program often includes poem readings and other activities that commemorate the life of the deceased. Sometimes, the program would have a few minutes of silence intended for the guests to hear the funeral obituary.

More than a few musical alternatives might be performed all throughout the entire funeral service. Oftentimes, a chapel choir will be tasked to render the funeral songs. At the end of the program, personal acknowledgements are read out. For religious funeral services, the clergy will offer a short homily which often offers comfort and some messages to the surviving family.

Planning a funeral service can be an emotional process especially if the deceased is someone close to you or a family member. There are also financial matters that one must consider. But the great thing is that you can now find a funeral service program template online that can somehow help to make the preparation and planning seem easier. Refer below for the best way to plan a funeral service.

Plan Ahead

When it comes to organizing events such as a funeral service, it is important that you plan it ahead. In fact, there are some people who plan their own funeral service way ahead, especially if they are suffering from a life threatening disease and they know that their time is limited.

Whether you are planning a funeral service for yourself or for someone, planning ahead is necessary. In cases wherein a person died due to accidents and other unforeseen situations, the funeral service should be planned from the day the person died.

Planning a funeral service for a loved one might seem difficult for some family members since they are still grieving for the death, so in this case, the best option is to hire a company that provides funeral planning services. But for those who want to do the planning themselves yet they have no knowledge on how to go about the whole thing, they can refer to websites that provide a sample funeral order of service.

The sample can serve as your guide on the things that you need to prepare so you can assign other people to do some of the tasks. Also, for those who need to prepare a religious funeral service, they should check with their local church and ask how to go about organizing it. There is also a need to hire a choir so it is best to do that ahead of time.

Cover the Cost

Planning a funeral service can be costly. Therefore, aside from planning the program ahead of time, the financial matters should be taken care of as well. There are some individuals who will pay for their funeral in advance so their surviving family will not be burdened. Others will also set up a POD account in the bank, or the Payable on Death account. When you open this type of account, you should make sure to provide the name the beneficiary or the person whom you will task to handle the funeral arrangements. At the time of your death, the funds will be given directly to the beneficiary.

But for those who have not done this and those who died as a result of an accident, their family members would have to take care of the financial obligations involved, such as service fees for the choir, for the minister, for the venue, flowers, and several other things. You also need to pay for the printing of mass cards or mass booklets that will need to be distributed to all the guests who will attend the funeral.

You can also choose to create mass booklets yourself in order to save money. You will find a funeral mass booklet template online which you can print on a special kind of paper. The booklet should have all the details of the funeral service, the sequence of the program, as well as a tribute to the deceased. Some of the booklets will also quote a verse from the bible, from a song or from a poem, something that has a significant meaning to the deceased. Funeral Pamphlets provides funeral templates and even a customization service with same-day delivery.

Make Your Wishes Known

If you are planning your own funeral service, then you need to speak to one of the members of your family or a person close to you and let them know how you want your funeral to be like. Tell them what your funeral wishes are so they can make them come true for you.

Sharing your wishes will give your loved ones an idea on how to go about planning your funeral. This way, they will not have a hard time when the time comes that they need to plan for it. You can go online and gather ideas of funeral program designs and if there is a picture, show that to the person to whom you shared your funeral wishes.

You can keep a record of your funeral arrangement and keep it or give it to the person whom you have entrusted the preparation and planning of your funeral.

Contact Funeral Directors

Funeral directors are those people whose job is to organize or plan funeral services. If you are planning for your own funeral, then inform them about what your plans are for your funeral service. Ask them if they can make that possible for you.

For those who are planning a funeral service for a friend or a loved one, they might find the funeral directors helpful especially if the death was sudden and they cannot focus on the preparation due to the sorrow they feel as a result of their loved one's untimely death. You can search for funeral directors in your area and ask for a price quotation.

Of course, you need to also tell them how you want the funeral service to be like. The service would sometimes vary depending on the religion of the deceased. Like if the person is Anglican or Methodist, inform the funeral director that you plan to have an Anglican/Methodist order of service.

The directors will also be in charge of obtaining the death certificate as well as preparing and submitting obituary to the local newspaper publication. Discuss any cultural or religious preferences that you want to be observed for the funeral service. If you are organizing a Christian funeral service, the director will help you in contacting a clergy who will officiate the service.

Decide if You Want Flowers or Donations

During the funeral service, it has been a tradition to bring donations or flowers for the deceased. Others will also give monetary donations. But if the deceased has requested to receive only flowers, then you should inform the guests about this. This especially applies to those who are financially blessed and have paid up for their funeral ahead.

There are also those who would prefer monetary donations to be given to the charity they are supporting. Whatever the request is, this should be included on the memorial invitation wording so that the funeral guests will be fully aware.

If the memorial invitation cards will be printed by a printing company, then you need to inform them ahead of the details that you want to be included on the invitation. It is also important to include the instructions on where the donations should be sent. If it needs to be deposited to a bank account, then the invitation should state the bank details.

For others who want to receive flowers on their funeral, the funeral director or whoever is tasked to organize the funeral service should prepare a huge space for the flowers that the guests will bring. There should be someone who will be tasked to arrange the flowers on the venue so it will not appear too cluttered.

Choose Your Disposition

Another thing that one must also take into consideration when planning a funeral service is on where the deceased’s remains will be buried. In fact, the place where the deceased is to be laid to rest will need to be stated on the memorial service invitation cards as well. There are some people who may have already obtained a funeral plan in advance so there won’t be any problem if this is the case. But for others who have not obtained any funeral plan, then this thing must be given utmost importance.

The religion, cultural beliefs and traditions might also play an important role when deciding how the deceased will be buried. Oftentimes, it would be the family and relatives who will have the final say when it comes to this aspect. Among the plans to choose from are:

• Burial – a burial is the most common method of all, especially if it is a Christian funeral service. On this method, a cemetery plot should be purchased ahead. Also, the casket, the grave liner or vault, as well as the grave marker or the monument should be bought ahead of time.
• Entombment – if the family or relatives have decided to have the body of the deceased be entombed above ground, then a cemetery plot must be purchased as well. Sometimes, the entombment will be within the deceased’s property or near the area where the family lives. This method also requires buying a casket and sometimes, a mausoleum is built.
• Cremation – cremation is practiced by other religions although anyone is free to choose to have their body cremated. This is a process that will reduce the remains to ashes and the ashes will either be stored in an urn or be scattered in the sea, in a garden, etc.

If the deceased has requested when he or she was still alive that the ashes will be scattered, then check with a funeral director for any legal restrictions since there are some areas that will not allow this.

Personalize It

Remember that a funeral service is all about remembering the deceased and therefore, the funeral mass program and other aspects of the funeral service should be personalized. The best way to come up with a theme for a funeral service is to think of the deceased while he or she was still alive.

Is there a color that he or she loved the most? What are the things that he or she loved doing the most? What about the hobbies, favorite sports, etc.? Like if the deceased loved the color blue, try to decorate the funeral service venue with the shades of blue. Or perhaps, you can state on the memorial service invitations to have the guests wear blue during the funeral.

If the family is more traditional, then guests should wear either black or white during the funeral service. The idea is to tailor the funeral service to the deceased as a way of remembering and commemorating his or her life.

Hopefully, these tips in planning for a funeral service can serve as your guide. Remember that the service can either be held near the time of the burial or cremation, or perhaps at a later date. A viewing service might also be scheduled so make sure to indicate the schedule on the memorial invitation cards that you will distribute to the guests.

It will also help if you ask other people to help you in organizing the funeral service as well. It should not be a one man show since there are lots of things involved. If the entire family is grieving and cannot focus on organizing the service, hire a funeral director that can somehow help to organize things.

Related Reads:

Online Service That Offers Customized Memorial Program 

How to Make a Memorial Program using Microsoft Word

5 Tips on Planning For a Funeral When You're Pressed for Time

If you are in the process of planning a funeral, then be aware that there are a lot of decisions that you are going to make along the way. What’s worse is the fact that you are in the process of grieving due to the loss of a loved one. This is especially true for those who have not expected the immediate demise of a family member who died as a result of a tragic accident. You might be pressed for time, but don’t worry for there are ways on how you can organize a funeral service successfully without the need for any professional intervention.

Another thing to consider is the financial expenses that come with planning a funeral service. It really is not an inexpensive event, so be prepared to spend quite a big amount of money. For a religious funeral service such as a Christian funeral service, you need to look for a casket for the body of the deceased to be placed. Caskets do not come cheap these days although this will depend on the design and the materials used. Add to that is the very costly memorial service that would require a lot of preparations. But do not let these things discourage you. After all, you are doing it for a loved one and of course, you just want the best for them, right?

Hire a Funeral Director

The first thing that you should do when a loved one died is to look for a funeral home that can assist you with everything that you will need. There is a funeral director that can help arrange everything for you, including the memorial service.

For example, for an Anglican order of service or even a Methodist order of service, the director can help in looking for a minister for the religious service. Also, you need to decide where you will hold the funeral service. You can choose to do it in your home or in the funeral home, but you need to spend more if you plan to do it on the funeral home.

As soon as you meet with the funeral director, you will be given with a general price list of the products and services you are expected to pay for the funeral service. Once you have made the selections, you will be informed of the total cost that you will pay and they will also ask you to sign a contract. The contract contains everything, including the funeral arrangements and all of the responsibilities that the funeral home is bound to provide you.

Usually, it will include the funeral mass program which they will organize for you. It also details the financial obligations that you are expected to pay them. If there is something that is not clear to you, then make sure to ask the funeral director about it.   

Some people will try to save money by not hiring a funeral director. But remember, you are pressed for time so the best option is to hire a professional who is well adept with the processes involved.

Contact your Religious Leader

If you want to have a religious funeral service for the deceased, then you better contact your pastor, minister, priest, rabbi or spiritual leader to help you in organizing the religious funeral service. For a Catholics, a mass will be held in memory of the deceased person. In this case, Catholic memorial cards will have to be distributed. The cards will contain the details about the funeral service that will be celebrated on the final day of the wake. It will also have the name of the deceased, as well as the date he died including the date when he will be finally laid to rest.

Memorial Service cards at FuneralPamphlets.com

There will also be memorial invitation cards that need to be distributed as some sort of a formal invitation for friends and relatives to come to the funeral service and pay their final respects to the deceased. In some occasions, the family might also prepare in memoriam cards in honor of their dearly departed.

Since it is a Catholic funeral service, the card will sometimes come with images of the cross, a picture of a saint that the deceased patronized, and an image of Jesus Christ and/or Virgin Mary. These Catholic mass cards will also have an image of the person who died, and sometimes his favorite passage from the bible.

Prepare the Program Invitations for the Service

Those who will decide to hire a funeral director will not have to bother about the funeral programs. But sometimes, the funeral homes will not include in the funeral package the funeral service or if it is included, it might cost a lot of money.

Those who are trying to save might as well just organize the funeral service on their own. And as mentioned previously, there are memorial service invitations that need to be handed out to guests who are expected to take part in the celebration. There are also mass cards that will be distributed, as well as a copy of the program that will take place during the funeral service.

Since you are pressed for time, the best option is to go online and download the funeral service program template. Sometimes, printing companies would take several days and even weeks to print the program for you, especially if you need a huge amount of them. But if you go online and create your own program with the help of the template, you can do it in within a day or even less than that. There are also sample funeral order of service templates that can serve as your guide for the flow of the funeral program.

Send Out the Invitations as Early as Possible

Usually, for a religious funeral service such as a Christian funeral service, it will be held on the final day of the wake, which is about a week from the date of the demise, except if they need to wait for some relatives who are abroad. But regardless of when the service will take place, it is best to send out the memorial invitation cards as early as possible.

Also, ask them to RSVP you so you will know how many guests to expect during the funeral service. Remember that you will also need to prepare meals and beverages for the guests so it will help if you will know in advance how many people will be coming for the service.

A eulogy will be part of the program so you need to inform guests ahead so they can prepare their speech. In case you didn’t know, a eulogy would involve standing in front of everyone sharing stories about your experiences with the deceased person. Funeral eulogies are also present in an Anglican or Methodist order of service, as well as other religious funeral services. So make sure to send out invites as early as you can so those who are tasked to offer a eulogy will have enough time to prepare their speech.

Another reason why it is best to send invites early is for the minister to be able to free up his schedule on the day of the funeral service. As you know, religious leaders are often busy so they might not be able to accommodate your request if you inform them at a later time.

Create a Checklist

There are just so many things that you need to prepare for a funeral service so in order not to miss out on something, it is best to create a checklist. This is especially true for those who do not have any plans to hire a funeral director. The checklist should list down everything that is needed for the funeral service, which includes the paperwork that need to be prepared, like the death certificates, coordinating plans for the burial, obtaining proper permits, filing for relevant benefits and insurances, and even details about the funeral mass program.

These are very important things which some people tend to miss out on, especially if they are pressed for time. A few days before the funeral service, refer to the checklist and check to see if you have forgotten something.

Planning a funeral service is definitely not an easy task. The process can be overwhelming especially if this is the first time you will ever organize a funeral and more so if the death of your loved one is due to an accident which everyone in the family are not prepared to accept. There are also lots of emotions involved. Everyone might be getting emotional since you will be grieving for the loss of a loved one. But keep in mind that death is something that we all cannot avoid so the best that you can do is to go on with your life. With the help of these tips, you should be able to prepare the funeral service in the best way you can even if you are pressed for time. 

Related Reading:

A Complete Memorial Service Program Guide
Using the Internet to Plan for a Funeral

How to Make In Memoriam Cards

Best Ways to Save on a Funeral Service

Holding a funeral service in honor of a friend or a family member who has died is a tradition which a lot of people from all over the world would practice. This practice has long been known as a very emotional occasion, especially for the grieving family.

While there are some people who will plan their funeral in advance, not a lot of people are actually doing this. Of course, nobody wants to deal with the fact that someday they will have to say goodbye to their loved ones forever. But those who are suffering from life threatening diseases and those who are given only a few months or years to live would often choose to prepare their funeral service in advance. In fact, some of them have created their own funeral mass program and will even shoulder the cost that comes with it.

Preparing for a funeral service is not an easy task and you could be faced with so many financial obligations. A funeral service is indeed expensive. As a matter of fact, the average cost of funeral services in the UK is now £5,000. But the great news is that there are actually a lot of ways on how you can save on the cost of a funeral service. So if you are on a tight budget yet would still want to give the best for your dearly departed, then you better read these tips now.

Opt for a Cremation Service

Cremation is practiced by millions of people all over the world for religious purposes. For a Christian funeral service, cremation is not often practiced, but you are free to choose this method if you want to and most especially if the deceased has specifically requested for this.

Cremation is cheaper than burials. So if your dearly departed has not requested for a burial service while he is still alive, then you can opt for a cremation service. The reason why this is cheaper is because there is no longer a need for a burial lot as well as an expensive casket.

Direct cremations will require cremating the body shortly after the death of a loved one so there is no longer a need for embalming which is another costly service. After the cremation, the ashes will be placed in an urn or you can choose to scatter it in an area requested by the deceased. Therefore, there will no longer be any funeral service and you do not have to spend for memorial service invitations since there won’t be any viewings and visitations involved.  But this option will not work if your family is very traditional and would want to stick with the usual norm of having a funeral service.

Choose a Direct Burial Option or Green Funeral Service

Just like with direct cremation, the concept of direct burial is pretty much the same, wherein the burial is done right after a loved one’s death. Other religions would practice this, such as Islam. With this method, there will no longer be a need for embalming so you can save a lot of money.

Also, viewings and visitations are no longer involved although a memorial service may be needed, thus, you still would have to send out some memorial service invitation cards. In general, a simple burial container is being used for the direct burial option so there is no need to spend for expensive caskets.

Another option is the green or the natural funeral. This is another alternative to a typical funeral practice that would incorporate some environment friendly options. This means that there will be no concrete burial vault required, no cremation, and no embalming or body preparation that involves the use of chemicals or formaldehyde products. This method will also make use of biodegradable clothing as well as the use of a cardboard casket or a biodegradable wood.

But then again, this option will not be possible if the deceased is very religious. For example, if the deceased is an Anglican or Methodist, an Anglican/Methodist order of service would still be followed and this means that the body will have to be embalmed for viewing and visitation and for the religious service that will be conducted by a clergy. In this case, a funeral mass program would still be organized and funeral remembrance cards will be sent to friends and relatives, inviting them to take part in the funeral service.

Hold a Funeral Service at Home

These days, a lot of people often hold a funeral service or a memorial service for their dearly departed at a funeral home. This can be a bit costly since you will have to pay for the daily use of the venue.

If you are trying to save on money, why not consider holding the funeral service at home and organize it yourself?  Even if you do not have any knowledge on how a funeral service is planned, there are several resources online that can help you on this. As a matter of fact, you will find a funeral order of service layout online which you can follow as your guide.

Just because you hold the funeral service at your home doesn’t mean that you cannot make it special. Of course, you still can. Log on to the World Wide Web and look for any funeral program designs that can serve as your inspiration for organizing a funeral program for the deceased. You can also ask other family members and friends to help you on this. If you want to make it extra special, create remembrance cards for funerals which you can then distribute to visiting guests. This way, they will still be able to remember the deceased even if he is already gone.

Compare the Cost of Funeral Homes

The services of funeral homes are very much needed when someone dies. They are the ones who will perform the embalming of the body and will provide for the casket. Sometimes, they will provide the venue for the funeral service. But all these come with a fee and it is not that cheap. So before you go on to hire the services of a funeral home, it is important to check out another funeral home. Call them up and ask for a quotation and compare the cost with other funeral parlors.

Of course, choose the one that can give you the best price. There are websites that provide information on the local funeral homes in your area so better check that out. It features reviews, prices, ratings and other information about the funeral home.

It is a good idea to choose the funeral home that provides a package of services, such as funeral service that includes funeral memory/memorial cards, funeral venue, flowers, and other services needed. This will save you a lot of money instead of having to spend separately for the funeral service, invitations, venue, flowers, etc. Of course, they should be able to provide the best services as well and they should be able to attend to your every need.  

There are also those funeral homes that have funeral directors who will be in charge in handling all the necessary services that you need. The director will plan for the memorial service and memorial service invitations. This is a good option for those who are busy and cannot find time to plan the funeral service of their dearly departed.

Take Time to Shop Around for a Casket or Urn

Often, a Christian funeral service and other traditional funerals would require that the deceased be place in a casket. But a casket does not come cheap. It costs a lot depending on the design, materials, size, etc. Therefore, you should take time to shop around for caskets.

Of course, you simply want the best thing for your deceased family member, so check out those elegant looking caskets that do not cost a lot. There are lots of cheap caskets that come with great designs and you can even request for a customized casket if you want, especially if you need to follow a certain theme for the funeral program. It is also a good idea to choose the casket that is suitable to the deceased. For example, if he was fond of a certain color, then the casket should be painted with that color.

For those who opt for a cremation service, an urn is needed to keep the ash. Therefore, you should shop around for urns that will be used for cremation. There are so many stores that sell different kinds of urns in different colors and designs. Just like with shopping for caskets, you should take time to look around and compare prices. A ceramic urn is the most popular and the cheaper variety, but this does not have the most excellent quality so you might want to check out other varieties.

Print the Program and Invitations

People are used to buying premade funeral invitations or ordering them from printing companies, without knowing that they can actually print their own. There are samples of memorial invitation wording online which you can copy and print on a special type of paper and then place it inside an envelope to be sent out to guests inviting them for a viewing and visitation or for the funeral service.

There are even in memoriam card templates that you can find online and you can use this in preparing for in memoriam cards, a card that is written in memory of the deceased person. While there are companies that can print this out for you for a fee, printing them yourself will certainly save you lots of money. Just make it unique and personalized and should have messages that are specifically dedicated to the deceased. A remembrance card template is also available in the World Wide Web, and pretty much everything you need is there.

Skip the Outer Burial Container

The outer burial container is not really required by law so you can just skip that in order to save money. Some cemeteries would require the outer burial containers in order to prevent the graves from sinking to the ground. It often comes in the form of a grave liner and a vault, however, this thing is not really necessary. So if the cemetery where your loved one is to be buried will not require you this, then might as well skip it.

It may not be that easy to look for money saving options when it comes to preparing for the funeral service of a deceased who is so dear to you. Of course, since we consider the person so special, then we just want nothing but the best for him. Yet, in this day and age wherein the economy is tough, it just makes sense to save up on expenses, including the cost of a funeral service.

Looking for ways to cut down on the cost of the funeral service of your loved one does not really mean that you do not give them importance. You can still come up with a special funeral service for your dearly departed without spending a good amount of money. All you need is to research well enough.

The World Wide Web is filled with so many resources that can help you in the planning and preparation of the funeral program. There is a sample funeral order of service which can serve as your guide in preparing the program for the funeral.

Of course, you also need to send out some invitations to friends and relatives. With this, you can refer to the samples of memorial service invitation cards. And in order to give honor to the deceased, you must also prepare in memoriam cards.  

Honoring your loved one who just passed away is not about the amount of money that you will spend for the funeral service. It is certainly the thought that matters and the effort that you put into it. If you are on a tight budget, your loved one will understand this and he will not make you feel guilty for not spending lavishly for his funeral service.

Check out these videos below for some tips on how to save money on a funeral service.

Related Blogs:

A Complete Memorial Service Program Guide
Printable Obituary Templates for Microsoft Word
5 Ways to Pay Respect to the Deceased