By Irina Jordan
By pre-planning a cremation with your loved ones, you are making sure that your wishes are going to be fully and appropriately carried out.
- Invite family and friends to be part of the initial discussion when considering cremation. Communication is key in pre-planning, and the more everyone knows about the process, the easier it will be. Loved ones can help make the difficult decisions of where to be cremated and have memorial services. They can help choose a funeral director and the form of a funeral itself.
- Choose a final resting place that will provide your family with comfort and solace to you. Cremation offers a wide range of possibilities such as placing an urn at home, scattering ashes or being placed in a mausoleum. If you want your ashes scattered or have the urn transported to a particular location, make sure family and friends are willing to follow through with these wishes without becoming uncomfortable or distressed.
- Locate a local crematorium and funeral home that can help settle the details of planning for your cremation and let a funeral director know about an urn you have selected and/or purchased for a cremation.
- To avoid hang-ups in the cremation and funeral processes you have selected, it is best to go ahead and fund the arrangements so that mistakes are not made afterward. If family or loved ones are providing the funding, coming to agreements with them is a crucial part of the pre-planning process. Make sure everyone understands who is covering what and what kind of budget you are looking at.
- Write out all specific requests regarding your cremation. This can be done at a lawyer's office in the form of a will or a simple form called a "personal funeral planning guide." Make sure family members know where to locate the appropriate forms when necessary.
By Irina Jordan