It’s all so romantic! You are making future plans to buy a house, get married, maybe have a family, go on a holiday ―the world’s your oyster! We’re so busy living, that we rarely take the time to consider the how we might like to be treated when we pass.
Have you ever thought about what you might like to have happen when you pass on? You might feel like there’s plenty of time to think about that later, but having even a loose plan in place can make all the difference to those you leave behind. To take the pressure off those you leave behind, it’s worthwhile planning ahead to organise your funeral.
Burial or cremation services?
Do you have a preference over what will happen to your body when you pass? It’s a very personal choice ― and one for which there is no right or wrong. Before you decide, consider whether or not you will be included in family burial plots, whether you’re an organ donor, the wishes of your family (should you have children), the location in which you’d like to be buried, and your personal feelings towards the processes involved in both burial and cremation services.
Write it all down
Putting the pieces together can seem morbid. It’s a big deal - celebrating a life - and it can feel overwhelming. But remember how it might feel for someone else to make those decisions on your behalf, after you’ve passed. It can be a traumatic experience for your loved ones to go through — so putting a loose plan together now can really help your partner, family, friends and children to celebrate your life and focus on their feelings and memories of you, when that day finally comes.
Planning ahead can be as simple as creating a handwritten list of requests. However you plan, be sure to include answers to the tough questions such as your preference for burial or cremation, and where you’d like your final resting place to be. If you need a hand thinking through your preferences, we’ve created this handy preference processor to help you think things through.
What about your partner's preferences?
So you’ve planned out your preferences and you’re happy with your plan. No doubt you have discussed part or all of your plan with your friends and loved ones too. Well done - it’s not an easy thing to think about! But there’s just one more step to go: have you asked them about their plans? Sometimes drinking a coffee or a glass of wine with a “post passing partner” and having an honest Q&A session is the best way to think out how you feel...and you’ll be able to find out how your planning partner feels about it at the same time. You can use our handy thought process tool to think it through together. Once you’ve completed it, you’ll have a printable sheet with all your preferences ready to attach to your will or prepaid funeral plan.
Passing on can happen at any time, which is an uncomfortable thought for anyone. But the more of life you live - the more of yourself you leave behind to those who love and celebrate you. Take the trouble to outline your personal preferences and ease the grieving process for those you leave behind. To download our handy “preference processor”, simply click on the link below. The all-female team at Lady Anne Funerals hope you find it a useful tool, and are available to contact should you have any questions about burial and cremation services.
