Funeral Planning Basics
What are the basic considerations when planning a funeral?
Some of the basic things you consider when you are planning a funeral would be, obviously any religious observances that you may have, the location of the funeral establishment, and whether or not your family members can all meet at the same time when you planning the funeral to have them make it convenient for all the family to get together and your friends and so forth. The other thing you may want to consider is the fact that if you going to have a funeral at the funeral home and then you going to have a communal service at the cemetery you may want to consider that the funeral home and the cemetery is within relative location to one another to make that easier on yourself as well.
Do I need to use a funeral home to have a funeral?
You don't need to use a funeral home to have your funeral service. You can pretty much have a funeral service anywhere you want to. Most people do have them at funeral homes, only because the funeral directors there make the service go more smoothly. They make sure that everything is done in order. There's also ways that you can play music, share videos, etc. I've actually seen funerals done at the beach or in parks. It doesn't necessarily have to be done in a funeral establishment.
What is a "memorial service"?
A memorial service is usually held when the body is not present. That could be for several different reasons. One, it could be convenient for the family and friends to be able to get together all at the same time, and the interment may have already taken place. Another reason for a memorial service may be if the person had a lot of friends and family, the family sometimes may want to have a private funeral service, and then a memorial service after so that anybody can attend.
What is a "wake"?
A wake is where a person is laid in state. A wake means that the body is prepared in a manner that allows people to be able to see the person and give their last respects to that person. A wake is usually held in the evening, and it's mostly tied to religious observances. It's usually held the day before the funeral itself.
What are the customary elements of a funeral?
The customary elements of a funeral begin with the preparation of the body for the actual funeral itself. The next element is the wake or viewing of the body - sometimes, not always. There would also be the actual funeral itself, or any religious observances that there may be. A customary element of the funeral would include a eulogy, normally be given by some people who knew the person or were familiar with the person's life. You may also want to play music at a funeral, or do any sort of thing that memorializes that person in a way that they would want to be remembered.
What is a "eulogy"?
A eulogy is a statement that's usually given by a person who knew the deceased very well during their life. A eulogy is a story about the deceased's life from beginning to end. There's usually funny stories that are added in there - fond memories and things that the family remembered. Funeral directors are now using video tape and photos during the eulogy process. While the person's talking, they're playing music and showing the person's life on video, during a eulogy.
What is a "memorial fund"?
A memorial fund is normally for the person who passed away. You would set up the memorial fund in their name and it could be used for several different reasons. One could be for the deceased's favorite charity. They may have wanted money to be donated to their favorite charity. Another reason for a memorial fund could be that the deceased's family may have not have had much money, and so the fund is to help the family survive after losing someone who may have been the primary source of income. A memorial fund can also be to help defray the cost of the funeral itself.
What is an "obituary"?
An obituary is a chronology of a person's life and an announcement of their death. It also lists whether they had any surviving relatives, what their cause of death may have been and what they did for a living. Obituaries are normally printed in a newspaper. However, the funeral establishment can also help you with a memorial folder, which also gives the same basic information as an obituary, but is a little more personal and private, and given to the people that actually attend the funeral.
How much does a funeral cost?
Funeral costs vary greatly. You can have very simple funerals, very inexpensive funerals, for as cheap as $500. However, you can have very costly funerals as well. The cost of a funeral depends on the type of caskets, merchandise, flowers, memorialization, services, etc. that you want to have. Funeral costs vary greatly. It just depends on the level of service you want to have.
Can I shop online for funeral products?
You can shop online for funeral products. There is a wide variety of funeral products available online for you to shop for and you may very well be able to get a better price online then you could in the funeral establishment. The funeral establishment cannot stop you from bringing in your products from outside entities and it may be a way for you to save money by looking online.
What is "the Funeral Rule"?
The Funeral Rule was established by the Federal Trade Commission to create a fair and equitable marketplace for consumers when dealing with a death. The Funeral Rule is also in place to give certain disclosures and pricing information. What it's trying to do is keep funeral directors from making you do something at their funeral establishment, such as forcing you to buy a casket from them. That's not true. The Funeral Rule provides for you to be able to purchase your casket anywhere.
