Plan Your Arrangements in Four Easy Steps

Making your cemetery arrangements in advance isn’t hard. And with the benefits offered by Dignity Memorial® providers, there’s no reason to not start planning today.

It’s easy. Contact a Dignity Memorial provider near you to request a Personal Planning Guide, or click here to request one now. In the Personal Planning Guide, you’ll be able to record your preferences for your funeral and cemetery arrangements, from the name of your preferred funeral home and cemetery to lists of pallbearers, readings, musical selections and other personal details.  

We recommend you approach your final arrangement planning using four easy steps.

 

Reflect.
While so many of us ask big questions about what happens when we die, we often forget to ask questions that will capture the way we lived and help our friends and family celebrate our life and honor our memory.

Take time to think about the type of services that you would want to celebrate or otherwise memorialize your life. Consider the tone and atmosphere of the services. Are they somber? Traditional? Celebratory? Will they reflect your unique interests and personality? What will the experience be like for the guests in attendance?  Answering these questions will help you begin to make the cemetery selections that are right for you.

Record.
Once you’ve reflected on and determined your wishes for your final arrangements, actually recording your wishes is the best way to ensure they will be carried out and will allow your loved ones to act on your behalf. And, just as you keep your will and financial documents updated, you should review and update your cemetery plans if necessary as well.

If you choose to use the Personal Planning Guide, it’s easy to record your wishes by filling in the pages and answering the questions presented.

Share.
After you’ve recorded your plans, it’s important to share them with loved ones so they’ll be able to carry out your wishes.

Keep your plans safe but accessible. It’s a common mistake to store them in a safe deposit box. At the time of your death, a safe deposit box only in your name may not be accessible to others until the legal matters of your estate have been settled. This process may not be resolved until after your final arrangements are carried out.

Instead, there are several ways you can make your plans accessible. If you choose to use the Personal Planning Guide, notify your family of its location or provide them with their own copy. If you have selected a provider and made arrangements with them, your provider will also keep your plans on file.

Support.
Finally, support your plans with funding if you choose. By relieving your family of the need to pay for your services at the time of your death, you may prevent additional stress for them at an already difficult time.

Funding your plans also provides protection against inflation. By funding in advance, your loved ones will not have to pay more at the time of your death for the items you selected.

Work with a Dignity Memorial provider to review your Personal Planning Guide, understand your options, and put your plans on file. Additionally, when you fund your prearrangements with a Dignity Memorial provider, you can rest assured that your funds are safe and secure.

No matter what your wishes are, recording them and sharing them with your loved ones will help ensure that your final arrangements will be what you want, while easing the burden on your family and friends.