(989) 791-4515 3775 North Center Road , Saginaw MI
The idea of Pre-Planning your funeral is getting more popular everyday. Not only do they guarantee that all of your wants and needs have been noted, but they also ensure that your family will not have to stress over service planning details in the future.
As funeral directors, we often get asked when the best time to plan a funeral is? Truthfully, the answer is any time before you have to plan a funeral. You wouldn’t wait to plan a wedding or a baby shower until a few days before, so why wait to plan a funeral? Preplanning a funeral not only allows you to record your wishes, it gives you and your family the peace of mind to know that everything is taken care of.
There are two types of funeral plans, preneed and at-need (sometimes referred to as immediate need). At-need funeral plans are made by the surviving family members after a death has occurred. It can be a difficult experience for the survivors because emotions are high, time is short, and their grief needs to be managed. Not only that, but the imminent financial concerns can add to the stress of everything.
Preneed funeral plans are much less stressful and more advantageous. Rather than rushing to complete arrangements, you can think about what you want your service to include and talk about the options with your family. Making funeral arrangements in advance also offers several benefits which we’ve outlined below.
If someone were to ask you, “what’s the benefit of making funeral arrangements in advance?”, the simple answer is that “it helps prevents mistakes.” Therefore, many of us make plans in many aspects of our life. We plan for our wedding, our children’s education, family vacations, and other significant expected life events. Also, we plan for unexpected life events by purchasing home, auto, and medical insurance.
So why don’t more people plan their funeral? Obviously planning your own funeral is morbid and does not fill you with positive emotions, but it remains very important and beneficial.
Making funeral arrangements in advance ensures that your family follows how you want to be honored when you die. First, you can explicitly state that you would like to be cremated vs buried. Then you can specify if you would like a ceremony to honor your life and what that ceremony would look like and include. You can get very detailed with your instructions such as detailing where you would like your ashes scattered. Preplanning your funeral ultimately gives you control and power to make important decisions.
Trying to plan a funeral immediately after a loved one’s passing is very difficult. Family members are overcome with grief and not necessarily thinking clearly. By preplanning a funeral, you can relieve your family of the burden of making these arrangements. Instead, when death occurs, your loved ones can focus their energy on comforting one another and mentally preparing for the service.
It’s also common for family members to disagree on a loved one’s final arrangements. Clearly communicating your wishes in your plans can quickly resolve disputes. Preplanning a funeral is an easy way to avoid disputes and remove the stress from your family.
Preneed funeral plans offer families more convenient payment options than those who are in immediate need. Those who choose to preplan often have three choices when it comes to paying for the service.
Inflation impacts every industry and funeral homes are not exempt. When you preplan a service and pay in advanced, you can lock into a price on the day you sign the contract and potentially avoid the impact of inflation or rising costs.
Preplanning your funeral allows you to talk it over with your family. As much as a funeral service is about celebrating your life, it can also be beneficial to get your family’s point of view. Planning a ceremony that allows your family to best cope with grief should be considered.
So, you’re ready to start funeral preplanning, but you have questions about what you receive when the arrangements are finished. Once the contract has been signed, the funeral director will provide you with a written statement that outlines the goods and services you have purchased (along with pricing for each). You will also receive a copy of the preneed contract discussing the terms and conditions, this includes:
(989) 791-4515
Snow Funeral Home
3775 North Center Road
Saginaw, MI 48603
Email: staff@snowfuneralhome.net