When a person you love passes away, you are going to be sad, and possibly even angry. A rollercoaster of emotions is normal in these kinds of situations. When grieving the loss of a loved one, the last thing you want to do is think about the logistics of everything. But the truth is that it is certainly one of the things you will have to think about. In short, you’ll have to plan a funeral, so you may want to learn more about how to do it right.

Of course, this is going to be a tough time for you. Yet, organising everything and honouring the deceased person will be your responsibility. Plus, the process of planning everything and the rituals that will be involved in the ceremony can also help with your grief.

It is, however, completely normal for you not to know how to plan a funeral, especially if this is your first time doing it. So, what we are going to do right now is help you understand which steps you will have to take in the planning process. By understanding this, you will be better prepared for everything, and you will know what to keep in mind and how to do things the right way, which will ultimately make the entire process easier.

1. Honour the Wishes of the Deceased

The most important thing to remember here is that the funeral should be about the deceased person. Sure, as I have mentioned above, it will help the grieving persons get some closure. But the bottom line is that you have to organise it the way the deceased person would have liked it because the entire point is in honouring the memory of that person. So, make sure to honour the wishes of that person and organise a ceremony that they would have wanted.

2. Hire a Funeral Home

You do not have to go through all of it alone, though. And you should not. Hiring a funeral home will make all the planning much easier, as they will assist you with everything, from obtaining the death certificate to organising the entire service. These professionals will lift the burden of planning on your shoulders, taking care of the organisation themselves, while at the same time working with you to make sure that they are honouring the wishes of the deceased.

3. But Make Sure to Hire the Right One

Of course, you will have to be careful when hiring these experts, because you want to hire the best ones in your area. Since you will be grieving, you may want to go through this choosing process as quickly as possible, which can lead to an assumption that all funeral homes are the same. But they are not. Just like in any other industry, there are companies that do great work, and then there are those lacking in quality.

Your task is, therefore, to check out different funeral homes, see how experienced they are, check the types of services they are offering, and basically find as much information as you can before making any choices. You will be able to find the relevant information online. But also take time to contact a few of these companies in Wisconsin, if that is where you are located so that you can assess the communication quality and the general approach, they would be taking towards planning the funeral.

4. Choose Between Burial & Cremation

As I said, these professionals will be working together with you to honour the wishes of the deceased. So, you will have to play a part in the process, as there are some important decisions to make. For starters, you will need to decide between burial and cremation. Most likely, the deceased person will have left instructions for that while they were still alive. If not, though, you can take some time to think about it and figure out what the best course of action would be.

5. Choose the Funeral Products

Once you have decided between burial and cremation, you will need to choose the funeral products. Choose the appropriate urn or casket and select a burial vault or grave liner if necessary. Then, think about the memorial items you want, such as photo displays, memorial cards, as well as guest books.

Read some more on how to plan a funeral: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/estate-planning/how-to-plan-a-funeral

6. Set on a Date and a Location

Setting the right date, time and location is also an important part of the planning process. Try to accommodate the family members and friends of the deceased person and remember to allow enough time for those people who need to travel. As for the venue, you can choose a funeral home, a family home, a community, a religious centre, or pretty much any other venue that you believe that the deceased person would have liked.

In some cases, instructions may also be left for this, which will make the process of choosing the location easier. Anyway, when you have the right funeral home on your side, everything will be easier, and you will be able to focus on grieving, instead of worrying about the organisation.