Funeral Pre-Planning Checklist

A funeral or memorial service can be a lovely way to celebrate life. Many of us do not want to think about it, but we can have a say in how we are remembered, by simply letting our wishes be known. There are many, many ways to leave a legacy, or a memory. The easiest step is just to begin. Some simple first steps are listed in our free downloadable and printable Funeral Pre-Planning Checklist.

There are several steps and decisions you can take before beginning funeral planning. Accomplishing these tasks will make planning a funeral, either for yourself or your loved one, easier. Many of the steps are things you may have already started, decided on or have saved in your records. Our funeral pre-planning checklist is a helpful way to organize these.

Prepare last Will and Testament and a Funeral Plan

While a last Will and Testament is first in our funeral pre-planning checklist, it is actually a separate document from the actual funeral plan. A last Will and Testament can be created with the help of a lawyer. A Will can dictate how your property and assets will be distributed and who will over see the distribution. One of the first steps in preparing and easing the process after death is creating a Will.

When you make funeral plans, it is a good idea to mention, in the Will, where the funeral or memorial plans can be found. However, often the Will is read after survivors already plan a funeral. It is best to have funeral wishes listed in a separate document from the Will, so they can be read and followed in a timely manner.

Decide on organ & body donation

Organ and body donation can be decided at any age. While organ transplants are common and can help save a life, organs for transplants are difficult to obtain. Donating an organ upon death could be a wonderful way to change a life. Once you have reached a decision about this, you can notify your doctor to have it added to your records, and have it noted on your driver’s license.

Bodies for teaching and research are also in demand. Donating a body after death could also provide a lasting contribution to the future. However, body and organ donations may affect your funeral service plans and final resting place. These should be researched and discussed with family, to make the right decision for you.

This is part of the funeral planning checklist because it is something that we all can begin to think about right now.

List people to be contacted, and contact information

There are several ways to contact people to invite them to a funeral. While an obituary may serve to notify the general public, you may have special people in your life that you would like to see share this special moment. This is on our funeral pre-planning checklist because these only you know who you want to attend, and can easily gather their information now.

You may have loved ones you would really like to come to your funeral or memorial service. Or you might wish to have a special priest officiate, a beloved nephew as a pall bearer or your great niece sing at your service. These are wonderful thoughts, but people will only know them if you write them down and list their contact information. You can either highlight them with notes in your address book, or make a separate list, with contact information, along with your funeral plans.

Collect personal social media information

Social media is another way to notify people of a death. While most people have social media accounts, it is one more difficulty, if logins are unknown, to either shut these accounts down, or put up memorial messages. It is a good idea to add this information to your funeral planning contact list.

Collect information for obituary

Does your family know that you were a beloved member of the garden club, or helped orphans in the war? An obituary is a way to let your story be known to the public and to family. If you collect the information you wish to be included in your obituary, you are letting people know what information you think is important and want to share with the world.

Sharing this information and collecting it in one place is a memorable activity to share with your children now. They will cherish sharing your stories with you, as you collect them. If you cannot share them now, at least collecting them for your survivors to find, read and include in an obituary will still be a special moment. You can even write your own obituary – that way you are sure to be remembered exactly as you wish.

Choose charity for donations

Often, an obituary will ask that people donate to a beloved charity in lieu of flowers. If you have a charity that you would like to support in this way, be sure to note it down. You can even include a few pamphlets in your records, so your survivors will understand what the charity supports.

There are many donation ideas for memorials in addition to charities, such as starting a scholarship, planting a tree, etc. These ideas will be explored more in further articles.

Prepare funeral plan

A funeral plan is a great way to note all of these wishes down. A funeral plan also includes many more details. Read our Funeral Planning Checklist to begin making these decisions, so you can have exactly the memorial you wish.

Pre-pay or purchase funeral insurance

It is a good idea to put aside some money to cover funeral expenses. Sometimes, you can save money by pre-paying for a funeral. Often, you can lock in the rates at which you pay. However, sometimes this does not cover all the details of the funeral. Researching funeral costs and insurance may insure you have the funeral you desire. Our article on Burial Insurance is a good place to start.

These are just a few ideas to begin funeral planning. Our Funeral Planning Checklist covers more of the details of the actual funeral planning.