Planning a funeral is not only sad, but quite stressful and overwhelming. If your loved one didn’t discuss their end-of-life wishes, you may have a hard time deciding what they would have wished to happen at their funeral service. Knowing how to plan a funeral and using the right strategy can help give your loved one an excellent send-off. If you’re planning a funeral service for the first time, here are the steps you can use to plan a perfect funeral service.

Start Making the First Calls

Your first step into memorial planning is calling the appropriate parties to move the deceased body from the place of death. You will also need to call relevant family members to notify them of their loved one’s demise. If the person has stated how they want their funeral or burial conducted, you can start calling the people, entities, organizations, and any other involved parties to start the process.

Prepare Meetings With Involved Parties

Once you’ve made the relevant calls, you can arrange for a meeting to discuss the funeral process based on the will or family wishes. In this meeting, you want to know if there is an insurance plan to pay for the funeral and determine if the amount payable is enough to cover all the funeral expenses. If not, you can discuss the budget and who will pay.

Share Your Funeral Plan

You can share your funeral plan during the meeting and let family members and other involved parties share their thoughts. The plan should outline how the process will be conducted and whether it will be a burial or cremation. This should comply with what the person who died wished or what the family feels is best for them.

Determine the Type of Funeral

There are different types of funerals, ranging from traditional burial to green burial, cremation, and interment in a mausoleum. You can check the difference between them and choose what works for you and your loved one. Some of the questions you need to answer when choosing a funeral type include:

• Will there be a casket?
• Will the casket be opened or closed?
• As for cremation, will the ashes be scattered?
• If ashes are deposited in the urn, will they be placed in a mausoleum?
• Are there traditions that need to be respected?

Choose Participants for the Funeral Service

Determine which friends and relatives will be needed to actively participate in the funeral, such as giving speeches about their loved one.  Some people prefer to use a clergy representative to speak about the person who has passed. You can create a list of specific people and write down what they will do or say at the funeral service. You can have different people reading verses or final words from loved ones and others arranging transportation.

Don’t Forget to Contact Us For Burial Monuments

At Steedley Monument Works, we have an outdoor display and an indoor showroom to highlight different headstones, markers and memorials. We have 50 years of experience in custom granite products. Our sales team and craftsmen can help you get the monument you need to give your loved one their final respect. Contact us at (843) 538-8103 to learn more about our services.