When you are overcome with grief, it can be difficult to perform even daily tasks, let alone a funeral. To help with this, we have come up with the steps you need to plan a funeral. Of course, every funeral is different and in the image of the deceased, but these are just the general steps to take. Nothing here is written in stone.
For help with planning a funeral, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We have years of experience offering the best cemetery services on Long Island, New York. Our cemetery services are respectful and dignified. So please, do not hesitate to reach out to us today. We look forward to helping you through this difficult time. Our cemetery located in eastern Long Island can serve as a beautiful final resting place for your loved one.
Steps On Planning A Funeral on Long Island
Here is a long checklist on the steps for planning a funeral. Of course, these can also be taken as guidelines for planning a respectful and dignified funeral.
Contact the Deceased’s Legal Representative
When you reach out to the legal representative, you will learn if he or she has a prearranged funeral plan. If there is a plan, then that gives you direction on where to take the rest of the planning for the funeral.
Select a Funeral Home & Form of Disposition
Selecting a funeral home allows you to effectively lay out the form of disposition. You can schedule a time with the funeral director and discuss the budget expenses and family plans. Also in this discussion is the disposition, which is the manner that the human remains are handled, such as burial or cremation. Which leads to other areas of clarification, such as embalming and type of cremation.
Choose a Service Type and Location
You may be surprised to find out there are different types of funeral services. Three of the more popular options are a religious funeral service, a military funeral service, and fraternal funeral service. Once you have selected the type of funeral, then you proceed to choosing the location for the service. Common places are religious locations, churches, or simply a special place that held meaning for the deceased.
Find and Schedule Clergy Members and/or Officiant
Clergy are ordained with religious organizations or churches. They can perform pastoral services. An officiant has no religious ties, but is fully capable in leading a funeral service.
Select a Casket, Burial Container and/or Vault
You will also need to select a casket or burial container at some point. The difference herein lies with whether there will be a burial or not. When you choose a casket, you decide whether you want it to be open for the service or closed. A burial container or vault encloses the coffin. This prevents the coffin from sinking when placed in the ground.
Select A Cremation Container
If you choose a cremation, then you need to select an urn or niche space and a cremation container. The container is a casket that is typically made of wood. You purchase it for the funeral service and gets cremated with the body.
Arrange A Cemetery Plot & Choose Gravestone
First, find the cemetery deed or proof of ownership. A cemetery deed is the document that proves someone owns a grave and has the right to be buried when they die. If no such deed is found and no plot is bought, then you will need to secure a spot to bury the deceased. When you have a plot, you can then select a proper gravestone.
Make Grave Arrangements & Arrange Graveside Committal Service
This step calls for the arrangement of opening and closing of the grave at the cemetery site. And if you would like a graveside committal service, which is a ceremony held at the grave site, then you need to arrange that with the cemetery. When you arrange this with the cemetery, discuss the endowment care, which is the general maintenance of the gravesite.
And if you so choose, you can reserve a chapel ceremony for committal prayers.
Arrange Visitation
Depending on what you selected, you will need to select visitation hours. Choose the time and place for friends and family of the deceased to come and express their sympathy.
Prepare Obituary
Once you have the hours and location in place, you can write up an obituary and publish it in a newspaper. This way, people can read about the deceased and make arrangements for coming to any of the services.
Flower Arrangement
One of the standouts of any funeral service is the flower arrangement. Find a florist and select the floral arrangements that best suit your service. And make sure you plan of how those flowers are getting to the service.
Organize Service
So whether you are having a wake, a ceremony in a chapel, or just a remembrance at a meaningful location, there are some decisions you need to make. First, select the speakers and decide who will deliver eulogies. Choose meaningful text or scriptures. Gather items for memento displays and memorial boards. This is an opportunity to show those who attend a glimpse of life for the deceased. You will also need to decide whether you want to create a video or montage of images.
And don’t forget about music! Select the type of music you wish to be played, if any, at the service. And if you want pallbearers, then go ahead and select family and friends who can assist in carrying the coffin at the funeral.
The Reception
Once this is all done, the last item on the docket is organizing the reception. Select a location for any post-funeral reception. You can get in touch with a local church or catering hall for people to congregate. And find a caterer to deliver food.