When a person dear to you have passed away there are a few series of duties that you have to perform. You might still be grieving and the responsibility of planning the ceremony might be a stressful task at the time. There are some steps that you need to follow in planning a meaningful farewell for the deceased.

Calls

This can be considered the first step in case of a death of someone close to you. The family and the friends as well as other people who had been close to the deceased, need to be informed of the death. You might also need to contact their immediate family or lawyer to get to know if there is any pre-arranged funeral plan. This will give you an idea how the whole process should be carried out.

Transportation

This step usually includes transportation of the deceased to a funeral home or to if you prefer, to the place of any close family member. In a case it is held at a funeral home you also need to provide the information about the deceased such as their name, details of residence, date and time of death and also your details that include your name, contact details and your relationship to the deceased.

Arrangements

For the ceremony, it is always better to consult a funeral director to arrange the funeral services. They will help you in deciding whether the best option is burial or entombment, whether it is better to have a traditional ceremony or to have a memorial, and also to select a casket or an urn. Getting the help of the professionals will be greatly helpful especially as you are undergoing a time of stress and grief.

Cemetery arrangements

Many cemeteries provide facilities for both burial and entombment. Since most would visit the grave of their loved one, once in a while, the location of the cemetery has to be considered before choosing a cemetery. Once you have chosen what cemetery you want the final proceedings to be done at, meet with the officials of the cemetery and purchase a grave plot or a niche for an urn depending on your choice.

Products

There are some products that you need to buy for the ceremony. Keep in mind that what you buy have a symbolic role and sometimes an emotional value attached to it. If you need help on the matter get the help of the director or even someone more experienced in handling these matters, especially if this is your first time planning such an event. Apart from a casket or an urn, there are also items such as burial vaults, memorial stationary and memorial jewellery that you might need to buy.

Paperwork

These are the matters that need to be taken care of after the ceremony. These include usually financial, legal and administrative matters. These arrangements might include preparing and sending acknowledging notes for flowers and donations, managing the assets and the debts of the deceased, managing the bank accounts of the deceased etc. You will also have to send death notifications to employers, some state agencies, telephone and other services registered under the name of the deceased etc.

This time might be an extremely difficult time period for you. Go through these steps to guide you through the process and to plan for your loved one, a farewell they deserve.