Planning a funeral can often be a difficult time for close family members. As well as being an emotional period for all concerned, the need to search out information, make decisions and choose parts of the funeral service can be stressful too. This is why more and more people are starting to think about their funerals before death in order to help family members cope when the time comes to say goodbye.
There are several things that you can do before the death of a loved one. One of these is to make a will. This will mean that any assets or savings you have will be divided according to your wishes. This can provide reassurance to you as well as help family members as they will know exactly what you wanted and not have to make decisions on your behalf about who should have what.
You could also consider pre-planning a funeral. Family members can help you do this, and for many families all members take comfort in the fact that the funeral will be conducted in accordance with the deceased’s wishes. You can choose many of the arrangements in advance such as the type of coffin, whether there will be a viewing, what kind of service will be held, the readings, the music and whether there will be a burial or cremation. Being able to discuss these things before death means that when the time comes, relatives will have less decisions to make and can spend more time supporting each other through the difficult period that follows the loss of a loved one.
Joseph C Roberts is an independent funeral director based in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Our team of qualified staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help families with all stages of the funeral process. For more information about any of the services we provide or for help planning a funeral for a loved one please get in touch on 01423 887824.