Planning a family funeral involves making many important decisions in addition to dealing with your grief. Because there are numerous pieces to the puzzle, the staff at Leo M. Bean And Sons Funeral Home says it’s best to make a checklist. The Rochester, NY, funeral home has helped area residents say goodbye to their loved ones for over 40 years, and they say the following five elements need to be incorporated into funeral planning.

5 Essential Items on a Family Funeral Planning Checklist

1. Service Time & Date

Choose the time and date of the service once more immediate tasks have been taken care of, such as the death certificate. Your loved one may have specified a certain time as part of funeral pre-planning activities.

2. Embalming & Burial Permit

Schedule embalming and related preparations once the body of your loved one has been transferred from the place of death. Try to get other tasks finished during the embalming process, including obtaining a burial permit.

3. Service Displays

Go over what displays you want to include at the funeral with your family, such as flower arrangements, photo displays, and a table for the memorial cards or register, if applicable. Feel free to discuss ideas with your funeral director as well, including music possibilities.

4. Eulogy & Readings

Determine who will give the eulogy and readings. The latter often includes passages from the Bible, but you an add anything you want, such as quotes from a favorite book or poem.

5. Pallbearers & Transportation

Choose pallbearers and make all the necessary transportation arrangements, such as transfer of your loved one’s remains from the funeral home to the cemetery. You will also need to make transportation arrangements for yourself and your family from the funeral home to the burial site.

Discuss the above tasks and anything else pertaining to the funeral service with the caring team at Leo M. Bean And Sons Funeral Home. The staff at this family-owned and -operated business ensures every service is unique and special and is always ready to answer questions and be of help. Call (585) 426-7830 to start the family funeral planning process, or visit the website for additional information.