Posts Tagged ‘Funeral Planning’

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What to Expect from the Cremation Process

Monday, October 18th, 2010

What to Expect from the Cremation ProcessCremation arrangements are an increasingly viable and popular choice in the United States for families wishing to step outside the traditional burial scenario. An ancient practice that actually dates back thousands of years, cremation provides you with more choices in the final resting place of your loved one, since you aren’t tied to a cemetery plot unless you choose it.

While making funeral arrangements, you will most likely be asked if cremation is something you’re interested in. If you have any questions about the process, be sure and talk to you funeral director or to a religious leader you trust. The steps involved are universal, and can give you a good idea of what to expect from the cremation process.
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What Does a Funeral Director Do?

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

What Does a Funeral Director Do?The funeral director is your guide to the funeral planning process, from the first decisions you make to the very last. These professionals generally have one to two years of formal education (in a college setting), and have successfully completed a one-year apprenticeship program with a licensed funeral home. Further licensure is offered by each individual state, and many funeral directors are part of the National Funeral Directors Association, which oversees the profession.

Even with all these credentials in place, it’s important to find a funeral director you personally connect with. Because you are most likely going to be dependent on your funeral director for emotional support as you go through the difficult process of funeral planning, having a comfortable, working relationship will make everything a little bit easier.

As you begin, your funeral director (and his or her team) will:

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Funeral Planning: How I Want to Be Remembered

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Funeral Planning: How I Want to Be RememberedWe hear so often about funeral planning, and how it can ease the financial and emotional burdens of the loved ones we leave behind. The reasons to do a funeral pre-plan or pre-payment are many, and it’s an option that an increasingly large portion of the population are choosing for their own families. Whether you wish to lock in today’s funeral costs, you want ensure that you have funds earmarked for burial, or you simply want to secure a cemetery site to share with family members, making burial arrangements ahead of time makes good sense.

However, one of the most often overlooked advantages to funeral planning in advance is how much it allows you to control the way you will be remembered. The legacy you leave behind is one of the most powerful and lasting gifts you can give, and if it’s important to you to get it right, funeral planning with a focus on ceremonies and events could be the perfect solution.

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Funeral Planning Tributes

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

Funeral Planning TributesPersonalizing a funeral is one of the best ways to remember the deceased. All too often, family members and friends get caught up in the reverence and traditions of funeral planning, making sure that the tone is set for people to mourn. While there certainly is a time and place for this kind of atmosphere, it is acceptable to add a little fun and creativity to a funeral ceremony. By personalizing some of the traditions, you can not only honor the life the deceased led, but you can also pay a lasting tribute that no one will soon forget.

Simple Tributes

Small steps to personalize the funeral plan are typically easy to implement and come at a low cost. You can gather photographs of the deceased to place in a slide show or photo album. You can play music he or she was fond of during life. You can even bring in a favorite pastor to provide the ceremony, or ask a few close friends to come up with some words to share.

Some of the questions you may want to ask yourself when gathering ideas for simple funeral tributes include:

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Funeral Insurance: Family Convenience

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Funeral Insurance: Family ConvenienceOne of the primary factors in choosing advance funeral planning is the convenience it offers family members. No matter how clear your wishes might be or how much time you put in to planning your burial arrangements, the details of the funeral – and the costs associated with them – almost always add a strain on family members during an already overwhelming time.

However, many people aren’t comfortable with funeral pre-plans, which are becoming one of the most popular ways to reduce family strain and cost. In a funeral pre-plan, a decision is made to work with a particular funeral home or cemetery, and you can pay all the costs up front, and at today’s rates. You can be as involved as selecting your own casket, or as detached as simply choosing the right burial plan and setting aside the funds.
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Things to Ask Your Funeral Director

Sunday, September 26th, 2010

Things to Ask Your Funeral DirectorWhether you’re funeral planning for yourself or facing the recent loss of a loved one, you will most likely work with a funeral director to ensure that all the burial and/or cremation arrangements are set. Funeral directors are the professionals who either run a funeral home or are hired by the funeral home to assist with end-of-life arrangements. Larger funeral homes may have more than one director, so that the attention and time you need is available.

Some of the decisions you make together will be the most important and difficult you will ever encounter, so being comfortable with the professional in charge is a good idea. Questions to consider include:

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How to Plan a Green Funeral

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

How to Plan a Green FuneralGreen funerals, which are defined as any funeral plan that put an emphasis on reducing the burden on both the earth and the wallet, are becoming an increasingly popular choice in the modern world. It doesn’t matter whether you are funeral planning in advance or if you are facing the sudden loss of a loved one – “going green” is a great way to honor the deceased while also making responsible burial decisions.

One of the best things about planning a green funeral is that there are many ways to overlap traditional burial arrangements and cremation plans with a more eco-friendly approach to both life and death.
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Funeral Planning 2.0: Webcasting Funerals

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

Funeral Planning 2.0: Webcasting FuneralsOne of the biggest drawbacks to funeral planning in this day and age is the cost and time needed to bring together a wide net of family and friends who span the globe. When loved ones don’t live near the deceased, it can be difficult to attend the funeral services, leading to feelings of guilt, disappointment, and, in many cases, a lack of closure that can be almost impossible to overcome.

In an attempt to reach more people and make funeral planning easier  for families who don’t all live in one concentrated area, some companies are taking funerals to the web. Funeral webcasting, which places live or saved footage of a memorial service online, is becoming a popular and cost-effective way to bring people together to honor the deceased and share memories.
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The Funeral Industry and Technology

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

The Funeral Industry and TechnologyFuneral homes aren’t exempt from the technology wave that’s been sweeping industries around the world. From online memorials to new options in funeral arrangements, consumers today are faced with a variety of different options when putting their loved ones to rest.

For decades, one of the biggest obstacles to attending the funeral of a loved one is travel. Families are often spread out throughout the country, and last-minute travel plans aren’t always a possibility. For those unable to participate in the funeral planning or make it to the service in time, video streaming funerals has become a possibility. While the practice sounds macabre, the truth is that it is no different than a video conference or other footage taken and viewed at home. By capturing the funeral on film and making it available online, those who weren’t able to be there can still participate. In some even more tech-savvy families, participation via a virtual conference room makes it possible to give off-site eulogies in honor of the deceased.
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Coping with Funerals and Loss

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Coping with Funerals and LossIt’s inevitable that as we age, more and more of our friends, relatives, and acquaintances pass away. Funeral planning, which seems so far away during our youth, becomes almost second nature as the decades pass, even though the pain of each death can be just as acute as the first.

For many people in this situation, it can be difficult to reconcile one’s own mortality with the joys of living. However, the real purpose of funerals is not only to commemorate the deceased, but to celebrate life. If you’re having a difficult time with the passing of a loved one, or if you’re seeking ways to look beyond funeral plans to the life you have ahead of you, here are a few helpful steps:

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