Funerals are a ceremony that we all have to go through at
some point in our lives and they can, understandably, be a very upsetting
experience. It’s always hard saying final farewells to a loved one, but it’s
helpful to try and remember that funerals should be about celebrating life and
bringing family and friends together in remembrance.
Ensuring that the deceased’s send-off is a special occasion
is of the utmost importance and, with that in mind, it’s worth putting together
a detailed funeral plan. Working with a local funeral home to plan a funeral
can help make sure that everything goes smoothly and the final wishes of the
deceased are met.
Here we give you advice on how to plan a funeral with your
loved one’s wishes in mind.
When Should I Start
Making Funeral Arrangements?
It’s feasible to plan and organise a funeral without the
help of a funeral home, however, it can be a relatively laborious and stressful
experience. When you, your family and friends are grieving, it can be one too
much, so we always advise working with a funeral home to take much of that
stress off of your shoulders.
After the passing of a friend or family member, one of the
very first calls that you should make is to a local funeral home. First of all,
a confirmation of the cause of death should be made, followed by the issuing of
a death certificate by a coroner or medical examiner. After that process, the
funeral home should be called at which point the planning of the funeral can
take place immediately.
The best funeral homes will be able to take care of
absolutely everything from start to finish for you and the family. From
emotional support and liaising with charitable organisations to the logistical
planning of the funeral, they will be able to provide a full end-to-end service,
which is why we encourage you to give them a ring as soon as possible.
What is Part of a
Funeral Service?
The remit of a funeral home can be surprisingly expansive.
From the very first call, you and the family will be able to set up a
consultation to ensure that the funeral home you choose is suitable,
trustworthy and that you feel comfortable with the person who will be directing
the funeral. Often, particularly with family-run funeral homes, the first
person you meet will be the same person who conducts the ceremony.
In this initial consultation, you will be able to discuss
with the funeral director the wishes of the deceased, talk about their
personality, their life, what kind of funeral they may have wanted and relay
any specific wishes they had outlined. The funeral home will also be able to
offer advice on whether to choose a burial or cremation to make sure that the
wishes of the loved one are fully honoured.
Also during this consultation period, all pricing can be
outlined to ensure there are no nasty surprises and you can make informed and
sensible decisions on what options are feasible. During this meeting, you have
an opportunity to build trust with the funeral home, decide on budgets and the
entire look and feel of the funeral.
By communicating with a funeral home, you and the family of
the deceased will be able to decide whether they should be buried or cremated
and in what type of coffin or urn – some funeral homes can even create bespoke
products for you.
Everything from the type of funeral car, or horse-drawn
carriage, to the types of flowers can be chosen to fit your wishes. Whether you
want the colour of the car to be changed to the loved one’s favourite colour,
you’d like a larger vehicle or you’d like modifications to suit a particular
religious or cultural identity, this can all be decided.
Similarly, you can also pick the type of tombstone that
would fit the personality of the deceased. Everything from the type of stone
used in the tombstone to what is engraved can be tailored to ensure that it
perfectly represents who they were when they were alive. It’s incredibly
difficult to lose a loved one, but having a fitting memorial to reflect their
personality can bring some level of solace to a family.
Finally, one of the more recent services that funeral homes
can provide is the option of an eco-friendly funeral. As environmentalism is an
issue that has become more prevalent over the years, biodegradable tributes can
be created, coffins can be made from sustainably grown wood and the burial can
be as close to the upper soil level as possible. Woodland burials are also an
option at many funeral homes. So, if the deceased has always been a keen
environmentalist, it might be worth considering this bespoke option.
Rising Funeral Costs
Mean that Prepaid Funerals Are The Best Option Financially
Unfortunately, funeral costs are rising at an increasingly
rapid rate. In 2017, it was revealed that the cost of dying had soared for the 15th year in a row
.
Over this 15 year period, SunLife reported that the average cost of a funeral
had risen 122%. More unfortunately still, there seems to be no end to this rise
in price, with some sources expecting funerals to cost significantly over
£10,000 within the next 5 years and over £13,000 by 2038.
Beyond a basic funeral, you’ve also got to consider the
added cost of flowers, masonry memorials, transport and all of the added
details that make a funeral special and personal. However, if these rises keep
happening, it’s difficult to see a situation where any regular family will be
able to afford all of this.
For this reason, it’s always worth considering prepaid
funerals. It can be uncomfortable to talk about death whilst your still alive,
but setting out all of your wishes clearly before you pass away can be a huge
help to those you leave behind. By planning exactly what type of music,
flowers, transport, tombstone and type of burial or cremation you’d want, the
family don’t have to worry that your wishes have not been met property.
Crucially, the price of funerals will be frozen at today’s
rate when paying for prepaid funerals. Whether it’s a matter of weeks or years
before the passing of a family member, planning early is a way to ensure that
everyone saves money and stress and that the family can have important time to
grieve, rather than organising a funeral.
Especially for families with more limited financial means,
prepaid funerals can be an incredibly useful and important service. By planning
early, you can save a whole world of stress and financial pressure from those
who will be bereaving when you’ve passed away. The same flexibility is
available for prepaid funerals and it can, surprisingly, be a way to bring the
family closer together to talk about the life of a family member and set out
their wishes before their gone.
Who We Are
Normington & Sons have been established for over 60
years, helping thousands of families through the funerals of loved ones.
Operating in Wakefield, Pontefract and Barnsley, Normington & Sons are able
to provide bespoke funerals which includes everything from transport
to the choice of tombstone
and flowers.
To create a lasting memory of a lost loved one, we also
provide a commerorative jewellery service. We can imprint the ashes or hair of
the deceased into a piece of handcrafted jewellery.
To find out more about all of the services that we offer,
whether it’s scheduling prepaid funerals or beginning the process for a loved
one’s recent passing, don’t hesitate to contact
us
. You can find us at 1A Mill Lane Ryhill, Wakefield,
West Yorkshire, WF4 2AL, call us on 01226 700 760, or email us at
normingtonandsons@gmail.com.
