Preparing for Meeting a Funeral Director
Contents
Looking for a funeral director?
Find one in our Funeral Directors Provider Members Directory.
Information the funeral director will need from you
There are many decisions to make in a short amount of time, so the more prepared you are for the meeting the better. Having a clear idea of your budget, thoughts and wishes, will help you and your funeral director to create a fitting funeral ceremony.
The sort of questions that your funeral director will ask:
- would you like the deceased to be buried or cremated?
- a suitable date for the funeral (this will also depend on availability).
- where is the funeral to be held?
- who will officiate or lead the ceremony (a celebrant, faith leader, friend or family member)?
- preferences for choice of coffin or urn
- preferences for transport
- any particular wishes regarding the choice of flowers
- ideas & thoughts for the order of service
- preferences for music, songs, hymns and prayers
- who you would like to present the Eulogy, and any other readings or poems
- ideas for personal touches
- would you like donations to a particular charity or charities
- any choices for catering and the post-funeral gathering
Questions to ask a funeral director
It is helpful to write down beforehand any questions you wish to ask the funeral director. Some of the things you may like to think about are:
- where will the person’s body be cared for and can I have a viewing? Do you charge for this?
- if I want embalming, how much does it cost?
- do you require a deposit?
- are there less expensive options for cremation or burial slots?
- what are the options for burial, cremation and direct cremation in the local area?
- do you offer flexible payment options?
- can I choose who officiates the service – a celebrant, minister or other?
- can I supply my own coffin and other extras such as flowers?
How whiteballoon can help
We have created a number of tools to help you to prepare for your meeting.
Checklists for What To Do When Someone Dies and Planning a Funeral can be printed out to remind you of the things to consider and questions to ask.
A personalised Ideas Folder can be created in which to save any items on whiteballoon that resonate with you (from music and flowers to poems and prayers). These can be ‘hearted’ and saved to your folder to share with family and friends, or taken to the meeting with your funeral director as a reminder of your thoughts and wishes.
Our Inspiration pages have lots of ideas and options for the service, and our Provider Directory can connect you to trusted individuals and organisations who can help you every step of the way.
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