Funeral planning can be quite difficult as it is a very personal decision and you need to honour the wishes of both the loved one who has passed away and the expectations of the family. There may be many funeral homes that are operating in your area but you need to have a list of questions at the ready to ensure that you make an informed decision.
There is a lot that we don’t know about funeral planning and the best way to get these areas clarified is by asking the funeral home. This way you won’t have any confusion about the full service that you are getting and the cost that goes for each category. When selecting a farewell Canterbury funeral home, one of the first things you can ask is how long they have been in the business and whether they are an independently owned business. There are chain ownership funeral homes as well. There are also associations and organisations such as theAcademy of Professional Funeral Service Practice and the National Funeral Directors Association. You can ask if the funeral home is a part of these organisations as well to get an idea of the standards that they uphold.
Some funeral homes tend to handle everything in house while others outsource to external providers. The benefit of selecting a funeral home that handles all the services in house is that they may be cheaper than the latter. You can ask about the funeral packages that are offered by the home as well. There is a basic package that every funeral home offers as well as other additions. It is best to have a figure for your budget before you visit with the funeral director so that you can let them know about how much you can spend and it will make it easier for the staff to outline the services that can be offered within that price range. There are many price ranges for the packages that are offered and each package will have a fee for overheads and professional services. If you have special requests, it is best to be clear about the costs for those beforehand.
It is good to have a culturally and religiously inclusive funeral home so that your culture and what you believe in will be honoured. Check what options of embalming, burial, cremation and viewing are available. You need to give the timelines for viewing and burial as well because these factors may affect the need for embalming to preserve the body. Check if the prices for caskets and flower arrangements are provided in the general price list that is offered to you by the funeral director. Ask about what payment options are available and whether they can work with your insurance company. You can also clarify with the funeral home whether you are able to customise the service according to your beliefs and requirements. For example, a memorial service for a veteran can be a bit different. Also, your loved one may have left a will specifying their wishes for what the funeral service should be.
