How to Properly Organize a Funeral

A death in the family is a very sad affair but you need to set your grief aside for a short while so that you can organize the funeral. Planning a funeral is a very involved task done at one of the worst times of your life.

There are many details to consider to ensure that your loved one can finally rest in peace. Knowing what to do during this tumultuous time will make the process much easier.

The following is advice on how to properly organize a funeral:

Make Notification Calls

The first step to organizing a funeral is notifying anyone you think would like to know that your loved one is gone, also known as ‘First Calls’. It will mostly involve calling friends and family depending on their number.

Making these calls will be time-consuming but it is a great opportunity to receive support from others. It will also be a good time to notify people of when the funeral will be taking place.

You will also need to make the call to ensure that your loved one has been removed from the location of their demise which leads to the next step.

Ensure Transportation for the Body

The next item on the funeral agenda will be to ensure that your loved one’s body is safely transported from the place of death to a funeral home or any such facility. The first call may be to ensure that they are indeed at a hospital morgue.

When you are certain that the body is safe and in good hands which may involve changing funeral homes. You should look for a funeral home such as ingramfuneralhome.com with an emphasis on the cost and the services you need. The deceased may have wanted a burial or to be cremated.

If the deceased was involved in a crime, it may take some time before the police are done with the investigation. However, they will typically notify you when to pick up the body.

Are There Prearrangements?

Once you are certain that the deceased’s body is in good hands, you should check whether they had many arrangements for their funeral before their death. Most people will have a clear will made with the help of an attorney as to what will happen after they die.

These arrangements will influence the rest of the funeral. It may also affect the budget of the funeral if the deceased accounted for it.

Some people will have very specific instructions as to the funeral service that they want. A good funeral home should follow the instructions to the latter though it might take some doing.

Make the Funeral Arrangements

Though the deceased might have made prearrangements, they will not be there to see them through. Therefore, it is your job to ensure that the instructions are followed.

You should talk to the funeral director to work out any kinks in the planning of the funeral service. It is at this stage that the vast majority of the planning for the funeral is done. All the little details have to be worked out at this stage.

Make Cemetery Arrangements

Your loved one will probably be buried at a cemetery which means that you will have to buy a plot. If their wish was to be buried on private land, then you will have to make the necessary arrangements.

The location of the grave plot, the size, location, and the nature of the headstone will be vital details to confirm at this stage. A funeral director will be indispensable in helping you make the arrangements.

If the deceased wanted to be cremated, then you will also have to arrange that at this stage. It will include buying an urn and choosing a dispersal location among other things.

Make Funeral Products

After all details of the funeral have been decided, you can then proceed to purchase all the merchandise necessary for the funeral. That will include things like the casket, the funeral program, and any special requests by the deceased.

The funeral home will help you find ways to make these products. Just ensure that you stick to the budget.

Finally, comes the day of the funeral and there will be much to be done on the day. If you have planned accordingly, all should go smoothly.

Matters to be considered about the day will include entertaining guests and logistics among other things. On the day of the funeral, it is all about adaptability and handling emergencies that will certainly arise.

If you can handle all the above details, then your loved one should have a nice funeral attended by all who loved him or her. A funeral is for the living not the dead so those are who you need to consider most.