Pre-planning your funeral gives you the freedom to document your last wishes. You can leave your funeral instructions as part of a legal document, a general agreement with your family, or with a funeral director and planner. It depends on the complexities of your final wishes and the extent of the impact on loved ones. Here are some of the best reasons to lay down a proper plan for your final departure.

1. Are your finances in order?

Come to think of it, funerals are not cheap, even if your loved ones are adept budgeters and financial savvies. One popular alternative is cremation. Cremation costs vary depending on location and the services provided, but it is generally less expensive than traditional burial. By budgeting for cremation in advance, you can help to ensure that your loved ones do not have to worry about the financial burden of your cremation costs.

You can take this time to talk to a funeral service provider and hear the money side of things. From there, you'll know how much money to put aside for your last send-off when the day arrives. This way, you can cross over with peace of mind without leaving your loved ones in a financial mess.

2. Are your loved ones involved in your final wishes?

When you are departed, the plan squarely falls on your loved ones to execute it. It makes sense that you might want to get their input before you leave them rules and principles that you expect they will follow to a tee.

This discussion is critical to have before you pass away or before you are severely incapacitated. It can start around the topics of power of attorney and the guardian you wish to have in your last days if and when you are incapacitated.

You can talk about how you want your loved ones to be cared for and how your estate should be managed or distributed after your demise. You can finally conclude with the type of final send-off and service ceremony you want.

3. Is there a possibility of conflict?

Conflict will likely occur when you depart in large families, primarily where large families are concerned. This may concern the distribution and management of your estate and issues around the send-off ceremony.

If you predict the likelihood of such disagreements, start planning early. You can sit down with an estate planning attorney to create a last will or living trust.

They may also suggest complex tax-saving instruments such as irrevocable trusts. Most importantly, it would help if you talked to a funeral planning service provider to harmonize and document what you prefer for your final send-off. You can choose a cremation or a burial.

4. Is personalization vital to you?

Over the past years, many generic final send-off celebrations have left nothing for memorability or admiration. Pre-planning your final send-off allows you to personalize everything to what defines you. This way, your unique story lives in the minds of your loved ones for many generations to come.

There is no limitation to the extent of customization you can ideate for implementation. You can customize everything from time to colors to songs to speeches. When you customize things, your personality will shine through from the other side, and your loved ones will have stories to tell their loved ones.

5. Is there potential for legal drama?

Where this comes from? The list of sources is long, from creditors to disparaged loved ones and even ex-spouses. The time is now to start thinking about your affairs and utilizing legal instruments that protect the rights of your beneficiaries when you are gone. You can choose a trust or a will for your state.

You can talk to a funeral planner for affairs that partisan who should lead the ceremony and its preparation, where you wish to be laid or where you want your ashes scattered. Whatever you decide, and if it's properly documented, the courts will honour it.

6. Do you want to be buried or cremated?

There will be a difference in costs between the two. However, you can still have a final viewing and memorial celebration before you are cremated. Some people choose this option when they have other wishes, like to have their ashes shared between their children or released at a favourite location, like where they met their spouse. 

Our location has a crematorium on-site for the convenience of our families and we work with all of the local cemeteries to allow you flexibility with your choice. 

7. What type of memorial celebration do you want?

Some people want a full-service funeral complete with scheduled visitations, a religious ceremony, and graveside service. Others want things a bit more relaxed and want surviving family and friends to celebrate their life by sharing fond memories. 

Most people will also want to make sure their family and friends are fed at some point, so hiring a caterer could be equally important. You will also want to consider what types of flowers and floral arrangements you would like. So, hiring a florist is equally important. 

Talk to our staff about our caterers and florist, let us make the planning process easier with our expert selections. 

8. How will your interment be handled?

Your interment will be determined partly by whether you want to be buried or cremated. With a burial, you will need to have purchased a burial plot ahead of time when preplanning your funeral. Most people also want a grave marker of some sort, so now is a great time to shop headstones and markers to find the one you want and what you want engraved on it.

As you can see, planning a funeral is rather detailed. There are also other considerations, such as whether you want limousine service provided for your immediate family to and from the cemetery, what you want to be written for your obituary, whether you want remembrance programs handled, and so on. 

Discussing your needs with a qualified funeral director and planner can help immensely. There are several different packages based on your specific needs and customizations to choose from. 

By preplanning your funeral, you will save your family from having to do this difficult task later, but you can also prepay for your funeral at today’s prices and save your family money too. To learn more about pre-planning your funeral in Ajax, please contact Ajax Crematorium & Visitation Centre at 289-372-3300 today!