Pre-arranged funerals
What a pre-arranged funeral is, and what it can include
A pre-arranged funeral is a plan you make for your own service, or with a loved one for theirs, before it is needed. You choose the details, the choices are recorded in writing, and, if you decide to, the cost is set aside so your family is not left with the bill.
Planning and funding are two separate decisions
Many people blur these together. Planning ahead means recording your wishes. Funding ahead means putting money toward those wishes now. You can do the first without the second, and Bruce will tell you plainly which one fits your situation.
Decisions you can make now
- The gathering: a chapel service, a church service, a graveside service, or a simple family visitation.
- The details: music, readings, scripture, who officiates, who speaks, and whether there is a viewing.
- The resting place: where you will rest at Inglewood Park Cemetery, and how you will be remembered there.
- The merchandise: the casket or urn, and the memorial that marks the place.
- The paperwork: the personal information your family will need for the death certificate and the obituary.
Who usually plans ahead
People begin this conversation for many reasons. Some have just buried a parent and saw how many decisions landed on the family at once. Some live alone or far from relatives. Some are caring for a spouse and want both plans in order. Others simply turned a milestone birthday and decided it was time. There is no wrong reason and no wrong age.
What you leave with
A written record of your choices, a clear explanation of how the plan is funded if you fund it, and a copy for the person you trust most. Bruce keeps your file and is the person your family can call.