How a funeral event planner can help during a difficult time

When a loved one dies, the puzzle of arranging the funeral is added to the pain of bereavement. A funeral event planner can help lighten this burden.

Whether it’s sudden or the result of a lengthy illness, the death of a loved one always leaves us feeling distraught.

• When you have to wade through the logistics of a funeral on top of everything else, it can be truly overwhelming, but many decisions still need to be made quickly.
• A funeral event planner can guide you throughout the entire process and help make this trying time a bit easier to deal with.

Funeral homes often offer the services of a funeral event planner.

• He or she can help you review every detail of arranging the funeral and can take care of them for you.

Your task can be greatly alleviated, and you can rest easy knowing that nothing will be forgotten and that now you can take care of yourself and your family.

Some preparing can be done even before your very first meeting with the funeral event planner. In fact, you can begin to give some thought to the following items.

• The clothing to be worn by the deceased. The clothes you choose for your loved one might be a particularly flattering suit or dress, or a favourite outfit from recent times.

• Photographs. You will probably need photographs for items like the funeral memorial bookmarks, thank-you cards and for the death notice. Avoid using a scanned photograph, whose quality will be inferior. If you decide to use a digital photo, make sure the resolution is good and that the photograph has not been retouched or enlarged.

• The death notice. The list of family names you wish to include in the death notice can also be prepared before your meeting with the funeral event planner. Don’t forget to indicate the relationship of each person to the deceased.

There are many details to be worked out during your meeting, and they cannot be dealt with in a few minutes. You may need to set aside a few hours of your time to meet with the funeral event planner. In order to properly guide you, the funeral event planner will need to collect a lot of information, such as:

• The date and place of the funeral
• The type of ceremony you wish to hold
• Your budget
• The type of reception to follow the funeral
• Who the pallbearers are
• The text and photos for things like bookmarks or thank-you cards
• Flower arrangements you wish to display

If the deceased made funeral prearrangements (usually called a prearranged funeral agreement), your meeting with the funeral event planner will be much shorter. There will only be a few matters left to be settled with the person who conducts the funeral rites.

After the death of a loved one, the emotions that arise are hectic and the days are demanding. Don’t hesitate to rely on a funeral event planner to help you get through it all.