When faced with a loss, many confront the question with regards to funeral planning, “where do I start?” Typically the first decision to be made is that of burial vs cremation followed by the choice of a traditional funeral or a memorial service. Also consider creating a list of who will be in attendance. These details will be especially useful for the initial meeting with the funeral home. On the below pages, we provide further advice with regards to planning cremation services or celebrations of life.
The needs and expectations of our families are changing and we've responded with funeral service options tailored to these new expectations.
Two generations ago, traditional funerals (visitation, funeral service and service at the cemetery) were common. It was what everyone expected.
But, as the demand for cremation services increased, there has been a shift in the types of services available. Many more families are choosing cremation and holding a memorial service afterwards. Family members and friends still came together to pay their respects to the deceased and find emotional support but they did so in less formal ways.
Today, another funeral service option, the celebration-of-life service, has become quite popular because there are no limits to the how, where, and when the life of a loved one can be celebrated.
It's a common enough experience; a loved one dies and now you've got to face something you've never ever done before. You've got to go to a funeral home to make their funeral arrangements. Now, not only are you emotionally affected by their death, you're anxious and really need to know what to expect when you arrive. So, let's talk about that for a bit.
You should know that we've taken great pains to make your experience with us as easy as possible. Here's how:
While we can't speak to every situation, we can tell you the bare basics of what to expect on your first visit to our funeral home.
The funeral director will then ask you a number of questions. Think about it this way: your conversation is intended to do two things: 1.) Share accurate biographical details of the deceased to assist the funeral director in completing relevant paperwork, and 2.) come to an agreement about the plans for the funeral, memorial service, or celebration-of-life.
When it comes to properly completing death paperwork, and writing a detailed obituary, accuracy is everything. So, when it comes to the first task, that of sharing your loved one's biographical details, you'll want to bring as much documentation of the following as possible:
Naturally, if you're unable to bring any of this information, you can always call us later to share whatever is missing.
The second step in the funeral arrangement conference, that of planning a meaningful ceremony to pay tribute and celebrate the life of your loved one is really at the heart of what you'll be doing that day. In order to facilitate things, we ask that you bring:
There are really two more things to bring: your memories, and your heart-driven creative thinking. After all, we will be guided in planning your loved one's funeral, memorial service, or celebration-of-life by your stories, personal perceptions, and insights into their character and lifestyle.
The arrangements you make will be influenced by the lifestyle of your deceased family member; the time of year, your budget, and the number of people in attendance. But you don't have to think about it all on your own; we're here to help. That's what we do; it's our passion to help families celebrate the life of their loved one. Just reach out to us; let us know what you'd like, and we'll tell you how we can assist you.
If you're ready to start planning a funeral with Westchester Funeral homes, we invite you to learn how helpful we can be – just pick up the phone and call us at (914) 337-4585.
Preparing For a Funeral Service