How to Pre-Plan a Funeral

When it comes to life events like weddings or family vacations, people spend endless hours planning the event well in advance. Seldom though, do those same people take the time to pre-plan their funeral service. Although you may not want to acknowledge death, now is the time to ensure your arrangements are in order.

By completing your pre-arranged funeral plans, not only will you have peace of mind knowing that your final wishes are taken care of, your family will know exactly how to honor your memory.

To help you understand how to pre-plan a funeral, we have provided our funeral pre-planning checklist.

The Basics of Funeral Pre-Arrangement

Here's a break-down of the process:

Set goals
Review limitations
Look at available options
Weigh the pros and cons of each option
Talk to others about the best options
Arrive at a final decision

In the case of your pre-arranged funeral plans, another two important steps are involved:

Write out your plan with as many details as possible.
Send your plan to the funeral home and provide a copy to your executor.

Our Funeral Pre-planning Checklist

Taking Care of Finances and Property

Create a contact list of everyone who should be notified in a medical emergency or death including the name of your funeral home.
Give your executor(s) a copy of your will and the contact list.
Give your executor(s) a list of bank and investment accounts, creditors, mortgage or lien information, insurance policies, retirement plans, safe deposit boxes, real and personal properties of value and all related telephone numbers.
If you are receiving benefits from Social Security or the Veterans' Administration, your executor needs that information to suspend benefit payments.
Select someone you trust to deal with your online accounts: email, online memberships, and social media. Include all relevant information and whether or not they should delete, close, or keep any of the accounts.

Taking Care of Funeral-Related Details

We suggest the following:

Make note of all the details you want mentioned in your obituary. You could even take this one step further and write your own obituary.
State, in writing, your preferences for burial or cremation.
If burial is preferred, provide the details of the cemetery arrangements. If you have not purchased a burial plot, this is the time to do so.
If you have chosen burial, what type of casket would you like? Should it be made of wood, metal, or composite materials?
If you choose cremation, what do you want done with the ashes?
Would you like a traditional funeral, memorial service, or celebration-of-life?
If you'd like a celebration-of-life, what location would you suggest for this event?
What special activities would you prefer at a celebration-of-life?
What music or special readings would you prefer?
What type and colors of flowers would you prefer?
Would you like to select a charitable organization to receive donations in your name?
If you're a veteran, would you like to receive full military honors as part of your service? Would you like to be buried in the grounds of a veterans' cemetery?

Taking Care of Your Pets

If you share your life with animal companions, you should think about who you would like to take care of your pets. Consult with the person to see if this is something they are interested in doing for you and then write down your intentions and include all contact information. This should be signed and witnessed, and then given to your executor.

Download Our Funeral Pre-Planning Checklist

Final Tasks in Funeral Pre-Planning

In addition to your will, the contact list, and the list of all your online account login details and related documents should be provided to your executor.

Finally, you may want to consider paying ahead of time for your funeral choices. Speak to us about how your pre-payment monies will be handled.

The Importance of Pre-Arranged Funeral Plans

Did you know that in the 48 hours following a person’s death, their family has up to 70 decisions to make. With so many things to think about, planning a funeral in the aftermath of a loved one’s passing can be difficult. Rather than leaving that burden for your family, now is the time to ensure your funeral is carried out according to your wishes.

By taking the time to pre-plan a funeral, you can ensure your family knows exactly how to honor your passing. More importantly though, funeral pre-arrangement makes sure that everything is taken care of and prepared for. Instead of rushing to make funeral arrangements, your family can instead focus their energy on comforting one another and preparing to say goodbye.

There are two ways for you to complete your pre-arranged funeral plans.

Using the Online Pre-Planning Tool

This website features Pre-Arrange Online, a step-by-step interactive form that can be used to record your pre-arranged funeral plans and send the completed form to our staff for safekeeping. You'll be asked to create an account with a username and password so you can login at any time to complete or change the plan.

Pre-Arrange Online

Turn to the Professionals

Every day we help families just like yours honor their loved ones with dignity and respect. If you are interested in pre-planning funeral services, our knowledgeable and professional staff would be happy to assist you. Over the years, we have found that many people are more comfortable making these decisions with funeral professionals. If you would like us to help, call us at 914-337-4585 or send us an email by visiting the Contact Us page.