While planning your own funeral can seem melancholic at first, it’s a necessary task with many benefits. You’ll reduce stress on your family members and ensure your wishes are met. Here are a few factors to consider as you get your funeral in order.

4 Tips for Preplanning a Funeral

1. Create a Budget

To avoid putting a financial burden on your family, set a budget, and make prepayments toward your funeral service. These steps will help cover costs, such as embalming, the burial, and the casket. Also, consider lesser-known costs, such as the clergy fee, burial clothing, and site maintenance. 

2. Choose Between a Burial & Cremation

Both options have positives and negatives. Burial, for instance, provides a gravesite for loved ones to visit while cremation is more affordable and environmentally friendly. What you choose should depend on your budget and personal beliefs. For example, some religions, like Judaism and Islam, are opposed to cremation.

3. Plan the Details of Your Funeral

Don’t leave your family members guessing about your final wishes. State your specific preferences in regards to details like the music, readings, and reception in your will. Make sure to discuss your wishes with your loved ones in person so that you can use body language to ensure your intentions won’t be misinterpreted. 

4. Select a Funeral Home

Once you’ve sorted out the details of your funeral, search for the right funeral home. When you talk to different funeral directors, make sure that their prices align with your budget and that they can accommodate your wishes. Also, ask them how long they’ve been in business, if you can customize your funeral, and whether they’re familiar with final expense insurance policies.

If you’re ready to start planning your funeral, turn to the professionals at Porto Funeral Homes in New Haven County, CT. This family-operated funeral home has been in business for over 75 years and provides a wide range of services, including ceremonies, burials, and transportation. They strive to make the planning process as stress-free as possible. For more information, call the East Haven office at (203) 467-3000 or visit their website. Call the West Haven office at (203) 934-5000.