Archive for the ‘Funeral Planning’ Category

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Coping with Funerals and Loss

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Coping with Funerals and LossIt’s inevitable that as we age, more and more of our friends, relatives, and acquaintances pass away. Funeral planning, which seems so far away during our youth, becomes almost second nature as the decades pass, even though the pain of each death can be just as acute as the first.

For many people in this situation, it can be difficult to reconcile one’s own mortality with the joys of living. However, the real purpose of funerals is not only to commemorate the deceased, but to celebrate life. If you’re having a difficult time with the passing of a loved one, or if you’re seeking ways to look beyond funeral plans to the life you have ahead of you, here are a few helpful steps:

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Attending the Funeral of an Estranged Friend or Family Member

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Attending the Funeral of an Estranged Friend or Family MemberMany times, we are unable to reconcile disagreements, estrangements, and relationships before a loved one passes away. It doesn’t matter whether you spent years not talking to one another, or if the disagreement is recent and still very painful – it’s never easy to deal with death when there are lingering emotions that haven’t been sorted out. And in cases where the emotions are negative, there are even more considerations to keep in mind during the funeral planning process.

Some of the key questions to ask yourself before attending the funeral of someone you have been estranged from include:

Can you (and the family) put aside any bad feelings for the day? Most of the time, a funeral is considered something of a neutral zone, in which everyone is allowed to bereave and pay their respects as they see fit. If this isn’t the case in your particular situation, it might be better to find a different way to say your goodbyes.

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Choosing Funeral Music

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Choosing Funeral MusicFuneral planning is the family’s opportunity to say goodbye and honor all those things that made the deceased a unique and loved human being. One of the most important steps (and one of the most often overlooked) in this process is to choose the music that will be played at the memorial service.

Funeral music takes on a variety of different roles and functions, depending on the deceased, his or her advanced funeral plans, and the wishes of the family. For example, a primarily religious-based ceremony might be made more complete with a few of the deceased’s favorite hymns played either on an organ/piano or via a CD. A less formal memorial service might have room for a few of the deceased’s favorite rock songs, or even a slide show accompanied by a heartwarming tune.
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Famous and Beautiful Cemeteries

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Famous and Beautiful Cemeteries When making burial arrangements or funeral planning, many people pay attention to the ambiance of the final resting ground. After all, this is the place loved ones will visit for decades as a way to remember a life lived and lost.

Modern cemeteries tend to have a fairly clinical feel to them, with well-laid out plots and modest headstones – which is great for maximizing the available space and providing a serene place for visiting the graves of those we love. However, much of the charm of older burial grounds is lost in these types of cemeteries. In fact, some of the best places to be buried include those where a little bit of wilderness and a whole lot of history combine to create a verdant, timeless setting.
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Travel for a Funeral

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Travel for a FuneralFuneral planning can be hard enough, but when you factor in needing to travel to get there, it makes a difficult situation that much more complicated. While nothing can ease the emotional load of the event, there are a few tips that you can follow that will make your funeral plan easier
on you and on your budget.

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Pet Burial (in a Formal Setting)

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Pet Burial (in a Formal Setting)When it comes to our families, some of us have a few more members of the four-footed variety. Funeral planning for our pet isn’t something that comes up very often between playtime and feeding, but it is an issue that has to be addressed. Cats and dogs have shorter life spans than humans, making burial arrangements an inevitable necessity. Understanding your options, however, can make planning a funeral for your pet much easier.
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Choosing the Right Words for a Headstone

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Choosing the Right Words for a Headstone One of the most lasting pieces of funeral planning is the words on the headstone. Whether they are clever, meaningful, or just informational, it is these words that will embody the final message of the deceased at the cemetery. Because of this, it is important that the final arrangements made to theheadstone represent what the deceased and the deceased’s loved ones want the world to remember.

Virtually all headstones have the deceased’s name and the years of birth and death. Many modern stones also include the actual birth date and date of death as well. These decisions depend largely on how much space the headstone offers as well as the style of other commemorations at the cemetery.

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Cremation as a “Green” Alternative

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Cremation as a "Green" AlternativeWith all of the environmentally conscious ideas we’ve incorporated in our lives, it’s no wonder that our funeral planning is coming under scrutiny as well. With fewer resources consumed, funeral planning with cremation can be an ecologically sound option.

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Ways to Pre-Pay for a Funeral

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Ways to Pre-Pay for a Funeral The high costs of a modern funeral, which can range anywhere from a few thousand to over ten thousand dollars, often turn the burial process into an even more complicated and heartrending affair than it already is.

If you’re interested in learning more about the funeral planning process as way to protect your loved ones for years to come, there are some great resources out there. As more and more people turn to pre-need funeral planning, more options reach the market and allow for greater choices and lower costs than ever before.

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Who Should Be in Charge of Funeral Planning: the Funeral Home or a Family Member?

Friday, August 13th, 2010

Who Should Be in Charge of Funeral Planning: the Funeral Home or a Family Member? In almost all cases in which you make financial arrangements during the funeral planning stages, it will be necessary to choose a beneficiary or executor. This will be the individual who spends whatever money you have set aside for the funeral and who is called upon to make decisions regarding products, services, and payment arrangements.

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