Ask your family some specific questions. Do they have preferences about the type of final arrangement? If you are planning for a loved one, did he or she leave any written instructions? Have arrangements at a certain funeral home already been prepaid, perhaps years ago? Be sure to look for any documents that will help in the decision-making process before going forward. 

We strive to be professional, courteous, understanding, and above all, compassionate in our service. When selecting a funeral service, we suggest to our families the three most important items to remember: 1. Every funeral is a dignified funeral; 2. Stay in a price category that you can afford and most importantly, 3. Whoever is paying for the funeral, such as a surviving spouse, they need to maintain their same standard of living or better.
After determining the above, the next step is to research your service and provider options. If death has already occurred, you can contact a local funeral home, cremation provider or cemetery. Your chosen provider can help you arrange the funeral, memorial and/or interment service you desire; provide information about your various product and service options; explain the costs involved for merchandise, services, and other professional fees; and help you create an obituary or death notice and obtain official death certificates.
Register the death certificate if you aren’t working with a director. After the passing has been legally documented by a medical professional, you can retrieve an official death certificate needed for burial or cremation. Normally, the funeral director handles the paperwork. When doing it yourself, contact your the registrar or vital statistic office in the area where the deceased lived.[11]
I’m glad that you mention how it’s important to know the funeral arrangements you want, such as burial services or cremation. Once you know this and other requirements, such as where you want the burial, it might help to start research funeral homes in the area. Finding a local one could ensure that the services can get done quickly and you can properly remember your deceased loved one.
When I give my last breath, I would like my family to just mourn my passing and remember my life with them, and not squander around looking for a funeral home to put me in. Funeral costs would only continue to go up following certain statistics on the market so it is only prudent to have a budget planned when looking for a funeral home. When choosing a funeral home, I think it is a clever idea to ask the establishment on how their services are different than the rest. Not only will this show you which one could provide more for your money, you can also choose which ones have a better set of packages/services offered.
Arranging a funeral can seem like a daunting responsibility during a trying time, but it's an essential part of expressing grief. Contact a funeral director for guidance on setting up the funeral, completing legal documentation, and reserving space at a cemetery or crematorium. Personalize the service with music and decorations and you'll create a memorial service everyone will love.
We’ll take you through the steps of arranging a funeral — from making the first calls when someone dies to taking care of the financial and administrative matters that have to be handled following the funeral. If a death has already taken place and you have not yet begun to make notifications, visit our First Call page. This page has information that can help you understand what steps you need to take right away.
Your first meeting with a funeral director (sometimes referred to as an "arrangement conference") can take place in person—either at the funeral home or at your own home—or over the phone. This initial meeting is an opportunity for you to ask questions, learn more about the services offered by the funeral home, and get a general sense of what the funeral home in question is like. The funeral director should be friendly, courteous, well-informed and compassionate. You may have many questions and requests, and the funeral director should listen attentively and provide answers.
Make an appointment to visit those funeral homes if possible. Bring a list of questions and a friend or family member less emotionally invested in the funeral than you are. Ask the funeral home for their General Price List and have the director review it with you. You might want to see an array of urns or caskets, ask about their billing policy, or meet the staff. Do you like the facility? Does the funeral director seem helpful and trustworthy, and answer questions willingly? Is he or she sensitive to your values and cultural or religious needs? Don’t select a funeral provider unless you feel completely comfortable with the director and the premises.
Ask your family some specific questions. Do they have preferences about the type of final arrangement? If you are planning for a loved one, did he or she leave any written instructions? Have arrangements at a certain funeral home already been prepaid, perhaps years ago? Be sure to look for any documents that will help in the decision-making process before going forward.
If you visit a funeral home in person, the FTC requires the funeral provider to give you a general price list itemizing the cost of the items and services the funeral home offers. If the price list does not include specific prices of caskets or other burial containers, laws require the funeral director to show you price lists. If it’s more convenient and less stressful to call funeral homes by telephone, the Funeral Rule enforced by the FTC requires funeral directors to provide price information on the phone.

If a friend or loved one is seriously ill and expected to die in a matter of days or weeks, consider making funeral arrangements in advance. Preparing ahead of time puts you in control and allows you to explore all your options. It will make your meeting with a funeral director more productive and is likely to save you money. Our online planning tools and forms can help you make funeral arrangements in advance. You can also try the Wise Planning System.

Evangelist Ceola Walker Baker, age 78. Heaven Sent April 3, 1942 and Heaven Bound October 22, 2020. Ceola was born in Birmingham, AL to Samuel Sr. and Sally Walker. Ceola was a member of Miracle Cathedral where she served as an Ordained Evangelist, Church Mother, Missionary, and Mime Ministry. She loved feeding the community with… Read complete obituary here.
Tip: At £700, the funeral expenses payment is unable to cover the average cost of a funeral. There are alternatives that may reduce the financial burden, such as a public health funeral or direct cremation. Separating the service from the disposal of the body can be helpful too in allowing people to think creatively about meaningful but inexpensive ways in which a person’s memory can be honoured.
From Google to online directories to asking friends and family members, there are many ways to find funeral homes in your area. Once you’ve determined what your criteria are for a funeral home, you can begin to make use of these resources to find potential funeral homes. Ask friends and family members about any funeral home experiences they’ve had, look at funeral homes’ websites, and search for local funeral homes using online directories. More and more, funeral homes reviews are appearing on customer review sites, such as Yelp and Angie’s List, and those might be helpful resources as well.
Rodney Eugene Broady, age 63. Sunrise July 7, 1957 and Sunset September 17, 2020. Please revisit this page and pray for the Broady Family as they write the obituary for Rodney. Private Visitation 10:00 AM and Private Funeral Service 11:00 AM Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at MARLAN J. GARY FUNERAL HOME, THE CHAPEL OF PEACE… Read complete obituary here.
×