If the idea of calling funeral homes and meeting with estate planners to make advance funeral arrangements isn’t one you cherish, you may be able to find online options to save you time and money. Although unheard of just a few years ago, online funeral planning is now a viable option that allows you to plan and even pay for your funeral from the comfort of your own home.
How Online Funeral Planning Works
There are two ways you can pre-plan a funeral online. The first option requires nothing more from you than to make decisions regarding your wishes. For example, you can:
Print out a funeral planning worksheet, which you can then fill out regarding your specific wishes.
Find a funeral planning app or other online option that allows you to make decisions and email your answers to family members.
Coordinate funeral pre-plan options with a specific funeral home, which will use the information provided to contact you at a later date.
(more…) Pre-Plan a Funeral Online
February 21st, 2014If the idea of calling funeral homes and meeting with estate planners to make advance funeral arrangements isn’t one you cherish, you may be able to find online options to save you time and money. Although unheard of just a few years ago, online funeral planning is now a viable option that allows you to plan and even pay for your funeral from the comfort of your own home.
How Online Funeral Planning Works
There are two ways you can pre-plan a funeral online. The first option requires nothing more from you than to make decisions regarding your wishes. For example, you can:
Print out a funeral planning worksheet, which you can then fill out regarding your specific wishes.
Find a funeral planning app or other online option that allows you to make decisions and email your answers to family members.
Coordinate funeral pre-plan options with a specific funeral home, which will use the information provided to contact you at a later date.
(more…) What Not to Wear to a Funeral
February 11th, 2014
Britney Spears should hit the mall one more time to find an appropriate outfit for this funeral.
What to Wear to a Funeral: Dressing Your Kids for a Funeral
February 8th, 2014
Although not everyone believes that taking your kids to a funeral is a good idea, there are times and places when it is entirely appropriate. Funerals for family members, for young friends, and for people you knew well often find children in attendance. While kids at funerals come with their own etiquette guidelines (including sitting near the back so you can make a quick exit if they become disruptive and talking about appropriate behavior ahead of time), the concern of this post is to determine what kids should wear to a funeral.
Black clothes for kids aren’t necessary—and they can often be difficult to find. And because the likelihood of them wearing anything you purchase again before they outgrow it is slim, it’s not worthwhile to spend your money on formal funeral attire. Instead, look through their closets to find:
- Suits, slacks, and other wedding or church-friendly attire. If your son has a suit he wears for formal events, by all means, use it for the funeral. However, if you’re like most parents, the most you can hope for is a presentable pair of khakis and a button-up shirt. These are perfectly fine. Dress it up with a clip-on tie if you want to, but don’t worry about the colors unless they’re loud or distracting.
- Dresses that don’t dazzle. Girls often have holiday-like dresses or other sparkly gowns in their closets. Avoid these if you can. It’s better to put a girl in a sensible (and understated) skirt and blouse than to bring out the full party dress. A funeral is less about showing off how formal you can be and more about being quietly respectful in the background.
How Real-Life Funerals Differ from the Movies
February 1st, 2014
Images of funerals in the movies and on TV often give a skewed vision of what mourning looks like. In many of the on-screen depictions of burial or ash-scattering ceremonies, families appear collected and dignified in their grief. Everyone is dressed in a well-tailored suit of black and holds an umbrella to keep the rain away. Limos and other dark sedans transport everyone to and from the funeral home. Families travel from hundreds of miles away and meet again after years apart.
(more…) What to Wear to a Wake
January 27th, 2014
What to wear to a funeral and what to wear to a wake are similar but not necessarily the same thing. These two services, both conducted to honor the life and death of the deceased, serve different purposes in the act of bereavement.
A wake (usually held prior to the funeral) is an informal gathering either at the home of the deceased or at alternate location. While the historical traditions of a wake have their roots in physically watching over the body of the deceased in the days leading up to burial, it is now more of a time to get together and eat, talk about loved ones, and remember a life well lived.
A funeral is a more formal ceremony. Taking place either at a church or a funeral home, it is overseen by a religious or community officiant and follows a prescribed format. Prayers, readings, music, and processions all play a key role in a funeral.
(more…) How to Manage a Loved One’s Affairs After They are Gone
January 21st, 2014
From time to time, those of us at iMortuary find great resources from within the industry we are delighted to share. Une Belle Vie Memorial Urns, is a company we admire for their commitment to customer service and quality to the consumers they serve online and over the phone. They empathize with their customers' challenges in managing estate finances and administration; to help families facing these tasks, they have developed a free downloadable guide to managing a loved one's finances after they're gone.
When a loved one passes, the family’s first and most pertinent task is to organize the funeral and/or memorial, which can be daunting during this time of mourning. After the funeral, families often struggle with what to do next regarding their loved one’s possessions, property and, most importantly, their finances.
Une Belle Vie Memorial Urns, a company that offers unique and custom cremation urns, offers a free downloadable step-by-step guide to managing a loved one’s finances after they are gone. The guide includes how to contact the appropriate government and financial agencies, how to close or transfer accounts, and how to claim death benefits.
Especially during a time of mourning, everyone can use some guidance and direction.
The free guide is available for download at http://decorative-urns.com/cremation-blog/estate-planning/free-download-une-belle-vie-guide-to-managing-a-loved-ones-finances/.
Une Belle Vie Memorial Urns, a company that offers unique and custom cremation urns, offers a free downloadable step-by-step guide to managing a loved one’s finances after they are gone. The guide includes how to contact the appropriate government and financial agencies, how to close or transfer accounts, and how to claim death benefits.
Especially during a time of mourning, everyone can use some guidance and direction.
The free guide is available for download at http://decorative-urns.com/cremation-blog/estate-planning/free-download-une-belle-vie-guide-to-managing-a-loved-ones-finances/.
Is it Okay to Bring a Pet to a Funeral?
January 11th, 2014
Some of the most touching funeral stories in the media are the ones about dogs who mourn their owners long after they’re gone. The beloved pet who sprawls in grief at the base of the coffin, who sits tirelessly by the burial site for weeks or even months after death occurs—these stories pull our heartstrings and make us believe in a deep human-pet bond that goes beyond the grave.
It seems only natural, then, that allowing pets at a funeral is an acceptable thing. After all, if these creatures feel some kind of grief—if they understand, on some level, what loss means—then why shouldn’t they be invited to participate in the ritual of saying goodbye?
(more…) Safety and Good Businesses Practices When Purchasing Caskets Online
January 8th, 2014
One of the most common pieces of advice on how to save money on a funeral is to buy a casket online. Funeral homes mark up items like caskets, urns, and other burial effects by hundreds or even thousands of dollars—an amount of money that can seem insurmountable when you’re already facing such a devastating loss. Because the FTC’s Funeral Rule requires that funeral homes accept these items from a third-party vendor, you can shop around for caskets online.
However, buying anything online comes with a risk. Because you’re talking about an item that comes with a hefty price tag (and requires immediate shipping), it’s important to get things right. If you’re hesitant to buy a casket online because of the dangers of internet shopping, here are a few tips to ensure a safe transaction.
(more…) I Want to Plan My Own Funeral, Where do I Start?
January 6th, 2014
Although it might sound preemptive and a bit macabre to plan your own funeral, this kind of advance arrangement is becoming more and more common. Not only does pre-planning a funeral allow you to have more control over what happens to your remains after you pass, but it can also save your family quite a bit of grief and money.
Planning your own funeral can be as simple as making a list of your wishes and ensuring your family knows where it is, or as complex as paying for everything in advance (even going so far as to purchase the casket or arrange every detail with the funeral home). There is no wrong way to go about it, but here are a few suggestions for getting started.
Choose Your Final Interment Plan
(more…) Funeral Luncheon Etiquette and Advice
December 15th, 2013
After the funeral planning has come to an end and the family gathers to say goodbye to the deceased, it’s time for the funeral luncheon to start. Because most funerals take place during the morning (or in the early afternoon), it’s common for the deceased’s family to hold an informal luncheon afterward, in which guests can enjoy a light repast and share their grief.
Although this type of after-funeral memorial party isn’t a required tradition, it’s a good idea to brush up on your funeral lunch etiquette before you arrive.
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