Funerals are celebrations of life and occasions for public mourning. People choose to pre-arrange their funerals for a number of reasons. Here are four advantages you can gain by making funeral pre-arrangements:
1. Avoid leaving your family with additional expenses
The cost of a funeral can quickly add up, especially if you choose to take advantage of services like embalming and interment. These costs can add stress to a grieving family's life, which most people prefer to avoid. You can take care of your family by making sure your funeral is paid for in advance. When you pre-arrange your funeral, you'll have the opportunity to pay upfront. Not only does paying upfront relieve your family of the financial burden, but it can also protect against inflation. Even if the cost of funeral services increases in the future, you'll have already paid what you owe.
2. Ensure that your funeral wishes are carried out exactly
Some people have strong preferences about their funeral arrangements. Cremation or intact burial can be highly personal choices. You can specify your preferences in a living will, but there's always the danger that your will may be lost or disregarded. Pre-arranging a funeral will allow you to ensure that your funeral wishes are carried out exactly as you wish. You'll make your arrangements with the funeral director, who will schedule your funeral services exactly as you intend.
3. Give yourself a sense of peace and closure
You can make funeral pre-arrangements at any time, but many people seek these services because the end of their lives is drawing near. Some people seek to pre-plan a funeral because they have a terminal illness or simply because they're growing older. Making funeral pre-arrangements can give people a sense of peace that comes from putting their affairs in order. Some people like the control that this process gives them since it lets them play a role in what will happen after their deaths. Closure is an important part of the grieving process, and facing your own death often requires some grieving.
4. Demystify the funerary process
Funerals are a mystery to some people, as is everything to do with them. Cremation and embalming may seem alarming and unnatural until you learn more about the processes used. Making funeral pre-arrangements will give you the chance to talk to a funeral director who helps people with funeral decisions every day. Learning more about the work of a funeral home can demystify the process and ultimately make it seem less scary.
Contact a local funeral home to learn more about funeral pre-plans.
When my dad passed away, it was really a relief for our family. Although that might seem strange, he suffered with cancer for so long that we were really looking forward to him not being in pain anymore. We started thinking about everything we wanted to do for his funeral, but we didn't quite know where to start. After thinking about the prospect of his service, we finally decided it would be nice to choose a memorial that he would like. We worked with his friends and our extended family to create a great event, and I was amazed with how beautiful the service was.