How to Honor a Lost Loved One at Your Wedding
Congratulations on your engagement! Getting engaged and then married to the person you wish to spend the rest of your life with is one of life’s...
Planning a funeral is one of the most stressful experiences families face. It also happens to be one of the most expensive purchases, too.
Fortunately, some individuals choose to preplan and/or prepay for funeral plans to save their family from sudden financial burdens and stressful decisions during an already emotional time.
A prearranged funeral plan generally specifies:
It may also include the purchase of a burial vault, casket, headstone, cemetery plot or urn, as well as personalization options.
In the event a loved one passes and has prearranged services with a funeral home, we outline five steps to ensure their final wishes are met.
To properly carry out your loved one’s prearranged funeral plan, you’ll want to contact the funeral home they chose to arrange services with prior to passing. Once notified, a funeral director will meet with you and your family to discuss your loved one’s final wishes.
If you’re unsure what preplanning entails, these are some questions you may want to ask about your loved one’s plan:
By asking these questions, you can get a better understanding of how your loved one wanted to be remembered.
Some individuals elect to not only preplan their funeral, but prepay for it as well. If your loved one chose to prepay for services, make sure you have a clear understanding of the guaranteed and non-guaranteed payments.
A funeral director can detail whether or not your loved one chose to prepay for some or all of the expenses involved. If you have questions about pricing, ask to see a current general price list. A price list briefly details the items and services the funeral home offers, and the cost of each one.
If interested in purchasing additional items outside of the original scope, talk to your loved one’s funeral director. A funeral home with an on-site remembrance center gives families the opportunity to choose from a variety of service personalization options, including:
By purchasing these items at a remembrance center, you can rest assured knowing the selected provider will help you conduct a meaningful and memorable end-of-life celebration.
Under Ohio law, all prearranged plans are 100% transferrable at any time. There are many reasons why someone would consider transferring their plan, including:
Whatever cost you agreed to during your initial prearrangement agreement is final. However, it’s important to note that under certain conditions, you may not be refunded for a cost difference.
Keep in mind, all funeral homes have varying rules, conditions and terms associated with their prearranged plans.
While preplanning is a caring and loving act, prearrangements serve as guidelines for the deceased’s family and funeral director to carry out. The funeral home will also work with you and your family to incorporate personal touches that honor the life and legacy of the deceased that may not have been outlined in your loved one’s plan. This may include the addition of a photo collage presentation or multimedia tribute, as well as flower arrangements to enrich the service.
While a funeral director will walk you through the prearranged plan made by your loved one that outlines their wants, a Certified Funeral Celebrant can help you conduct a meaningful and memorable tribute.
By working with a Certified Celebrant, you’ll be able to incorporate special touches into your loved one’s service that remind you of them (i.e. values, character, personality, interests).
A Celebrant will work with you to select special readings, like poems or scriptures, that were important to your loved one. They’ll also help you create customized memory boards with photos. They’ll even arrange a display of mementos that were meaningful to you and your family, including personal belongings.
Preplanning not only helps your family members but gives you the option to choose exactly what you want. We want you to be confident in your planning, so we’ve included all the important factors you’ll need to consider in our Online Final Wishes tool.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
Congratulations on your engagement! Getting engaged and then married to the person you wish to spend the rest of your life with is one of life’s...
When we lose a loved one, there’s an overwhelming number of decisions that need to be made. And oftentimes, it can be difficult making these...
Humans spend a lot of time, money and effort planning for life-changing moments such as marriage, children, or retirement. So, why should planning...