Funeral or Memorial Planning

Funeral Planning or Memorial Planning

Whether you’re planning your own funeral arrangements in advance or going through the process for your loved one, it’s helpful to have a funeral or memorial planning checklist. Checklists can help get your thoughts together before meeting with a funeral director or your local clergy.

Type of Funeral Service Desired

The first consideration in figuring out funeral arrangements is whether you are wanting a specific religious service, general memorial service, or a more contemporary informal celebration of life gathering. Religious services will generally be dictated by religious traditions. A priest or minister will help with many of the needed details. Memorial services or celebration of life ceremonies, on the other hand, provide greater options and can be more personalized.

Religious or Traditional Funeral Planning Checklist

• • Contact Yurs Funeral Home to determine availability and the staff to facilitate the process of organizing/scheduling.
  • Choose people to deliver eulogies (family members, friends, clergy, and/or funeral celebrate)
  • Decide who will be delivering the reading or prayers
  • Select pallbearers to carry or escort the casket (honorary pallbearers can also be selected to walk behind or beside the casket—perfect for older family members or friends that cannot carry the weight of the casket)
  • Choose the type of flower arrangements (casket sprays, standing sprays, wreaths, hearts, crosses, and other bouquets). The floral arrangements can be handled by the funeral home or ordered directly through a florist).
  • Purchase a guestbook and pens or arrange this through the funeral home
  • Determine memorial wishes such as a video, picture collages, or other commemorative displays (choose a responsible individual to locate the imagery or items and create the display)

Memorial Service or Celebration of Life Planning

Depending on the uniqueness of your wishes, your memorial service or celebration of life gathering may require some of the above planning or very little. It will be best to discuss your wishes with the funeral home staff or clergyman to help plan your service and cover all the necessary details.