Funeral planning – helpful guidelines to bear in mind

Funeral planning is emotional and costly, and people often shy away from discussing end-of-life wishes. Decisions that must be taken in a time of sorrow can, therefore, be overwhelming.
Keeping a checklist can help, and many items on the list can even be paid or arranged prior to death. Some things are optional, but still worth considering.
Where your loved one has pre-paid or made arrangements for the funeral beforehand, make sure they communicate this important information to the family. You can then contact their funeral home of choice. This saves time on decisions or options that may have been made already.
The typical components of a funeral are compiling the information for the obituary, choosing a funeral home and deciding whether it will be a traditional burial, cremation etc. This also include selecting the casket or cremation container, grave marker and inscriptions, and identifying the locations of the internment and service.
Besides getting a time and date for the funeral, you must also remember to:
* Arrange transport for the body to the funeral home (or coroner, if an autopsy is required)
* Decide on the type of service
* Choose a florist for the flower arrangements
* Pick photos to display at the service
* Prepare the slideshows or videos you want
* Decide who will lead the service
* Choose what will be read, whether scripture, poems, personal messages etc. Decide who will read the passages
* Pick the songs or music you want
* The design and print of the memorial folders or programmes for the service (The funeral home often includes these in their quote)
* Coordinate transport for the casket
* Choose the pallbearers
* Arrange transportation for the family to and from the service
* Arrange food and beverages for those attending the funeral service.
Make sure you have multiple copies of the death certificate and remember that legal pronouncement of death is required. Also, make sure of any burial benefits the deceased may have.