One of the first decisions to be made is “Where “; beyond that, you need to determine the type service you want. A funeral director can answer your questions and provide as many details as desired so that you can make an informed decision. Obviously there are numerous other details to be arranged, but the above will at least build the framework for a service.

Following are some of the things to consider. There may well be others, and certain of these may be more important to you than to someone else.

• Previous experience with the funeral director.
• Recommendation from others.
• Appearance of facility.
• Location of funeral home.
• Amount of parking.
• Cost involved.
• Whether follow up care after the service is provided.

Most funeral homes provide a choice of “packages” that can save a family money regardless of the type service you choose. These include:

• Traditional 2-Day Service (calling or visitation one day, the service the following day).
• Same Day Service (calling or visitation prior to the service on any given day).
• Appearance facility
• Graveside service (with/without calling or visitation, service at the graveside).
• Cremation (with/without service, possibly a memorial service).

In addition, you can personalize the service and select only the things from the price list that are desired. Other decisions that will eventually need to be made may include choice of minister, music, type offlowers for casket spray, who will serve as pallbearers, etc.

Certainly a casket. There is no law requiring an outer burial container, or vault, but most cemeteries require one. Clothing for the deceased. Most funeral homes have clothing available; however, many families choose to use the deceased’s own clothing, although this is a very personal decision. Most families choose a monument or marker and to a certain extent the type monument or marker the family chooses depends on the cemetery, whether the deceased was a veteran, etc. Your funeral director can help with this.

No, not always. Most traditional services involve embalming because of public viewing or visitation. Transporting the body across state lines necessitates embalming, as does the presence of a communicable disease. Generally speaking, direct cremation and immediate burial do not always require embalming.

Simply stated, it depends on what you choose. You control what the final cost will be. Nationally, traditional funerals can cost from $9,000.00-$12,000.00 on the high end, to $5,000.00- $8, 000.00 (typical in this area), and $3,000. 00-$5, 000.00 on the low end. To help the funeral director help you, it’s important that any special need(s), including financial be communicated.

These are miscellaneous expenses not directly related to the funeral home but things that must ultimately be paid, nevertheless. Depending on type of service, these can include opening and closing the grave, certain honorariums, a casket spray (flowers), the cost of death certtificate, etc. Normally, the funeral home will pay these expenses on behalf of the family and then include the cost in their bill. This saves the family time and trouble, and there should be no charge for this service.

Cremation is a process by which the remains of a deceased person are subjected to intense heat under controlled conditions in a crematory and are reduced to a residue of small particles and ashes (called “cremains”).
It is important to remember that cremation is not an end in itself but merely one of several methods of preparing the remains of a deceased person for final disposition and memorialization. Cremains may be buried in a cemetery; they may be placed into a niche in a columbarium; or they may be scattered. You would need to check with the funeral director concerning the applicable laws for scattering cremains.

No. Most crematories will place the cremains in a temporary simple container of cardboard, plastic or metal If you wish, you may purchase a permanent container (urn), but this is not required.

Simply put, making funeral plans in advance of need (death). If the prearrangement is funded, prices are locked in at today’s level protecting against future inflation. This is guaranteed in writing. This also helps to make a very djfficult time just a little easier for surviving family members.
There are very few disadvantages, although you need to be sure you get a written contract from the funeral home. The money is held in trust and cannot be withdrawn for an emergency (this also means it will not count against you should a nursing home and/or Medicaid become necessary in the future). It is probably wise to deal with a representative of the funeral home as opposed to a third party marketer who does not represent just one funeral home.

Funeral homes are like any other business: it’s good to know the people you deal with. Are they honest? Do you know others who have worked with them? From a cost standpoint, funeral costs are determined by many factors, most of which are controlled by the selections of the family.