What To Expect at a Funeral Pre-planning Meeting

What is a funeral pre-planning meeting?

At a funeral pre-planning meeting, you’ll meet with a Dignity Memorial^® funeral planning advisor who will guide you through a series of questions designed to help you think about a plan that aligns with your needs and wishes.

During the meeting, the advisor will go over each aspect of your end-of-life plans, from the personal, including the type of service you’d like and whether you’d prefer cremation, burial or composting, to the logistical, such as how to pay for your services and legal paperwork. These details help inform your end-of-life plan.

Why make final arrangements ahead of time?

Funeral pre-planning is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give your family. A prepaid funeral plan helps relieve those you love of emotional and financial burdens upon your passing, allowing them to focus on what’s most important—remembering your life, connecting with family and friends, and starting the healing process. It also allows you to craft a beautiful, personalized remembrance that reflects whom and what you are.

Each individual’s situation is unique. As your advisor gets to know what’s most important to you, he or she will help you build a plan that reflects your personal preferences, cultural and religious background, and budget. Your advisor will also help you document your wishes, so you can share them with your family.

When is the best time to plan your own funeral?

Many people start thinking about their own funeral or cremation plans after the loss of a loved one or upon receiving a serious health diagnosis. The pandemic also had many talking with friends and family about how they’d like to be remembered, creating wills to document their wishes, and even calling funeral homes to plan ahead.

There are advantages to planning sooner rather than later, including avoiding feeling rushed in the decision-making process. The luxury of time allows you to think through your options, so you can carefully consider what you’d like and consult with your family if you want to. If you choose to prepay for a funeral, cremation or burial, you’ll have the added advantage of locking in today’s prices on many items.

Ultimately, there’s no right or wrong time to plan your own funeral—the best time to do so is whenever you’re ready.

Where does a pre-planning conference take place?

You can meet with a Dignity Memorial planning advisor wherever it suits you best.

Most families prefer meeting in person at a Dignity Memorial location, as this allows them to see the spaces where services can take place. Some people prefer to have their advisors come to their homes, because that’s where they feel most comfortable and at ease. Others may prefer virtual meetings, which offer convenience and flexibility, particularly for those who live a distance from a funeral home and those with mobility restrictions.

How to prepare for a pre-planning meeting

To get the most out of your funeral planning meeting, it's important to be prepared. Since planning a funeral is something most people are unfamiliar with, you probably have many questions. Your planning advisor can guide you, answer your questions and walk you through each step of the process.

Here are a few things to think about before your meeting so you can make the most of your time together.

Considerations

The following topics can help guide your discussion and ensure your planning process goes smoothly.

1. Personal wishes and preferences: Consider what kind of funeral or memorial service you'd like. Think about details such as burial versus cremation, religious or cultural rituals, preferred location, music, readings and any other elements that are meaningful to you or your loved ones.
2. Budget and payment options: Have an idea of how much you're willing to spend and explore different payment options. Knowing your budget will help your advisor tailor options that align with your finances and ensure you're comfortable with the overall costs.
3. Key decisions for loved ones: Think about who needs to be involved in making decisions or handling arrangements after your passing. This might include appointing a trusted family member or friend to work with the funeral home, considering how to minimize the burden on your loved ones, or making sure your plans reflect the needs and desires of your guests.

Questions to ask yourself

End-of-life decisions are deeply personal. Although your funeral planning advisor will help you understand your choices, it can be helpful to ask yourself a few questions.

• Would I prefer burial or cremation?
• Do I want a viewing or visitation?
• If I choose a viewing or traditional funeral, would I like an open casket?
• Do I want a big service or a small gathering?
• Where would I like the service to be held?
• Are there religious or cultural customs I'd like to include in my service?
• Are there people I'd like to lead or speak at the service?
• Do I want flowers at my service?
• Do I want music? If yes, what kind?
• Do I want a catered reception? If so, would I like it to be a buffet or a sit-down meal?
• Would I prefer people donate to a charity instead of sending flowers?
• Do I have a cemetery in mind or would I like my ashes scattered someplace special?
• If I am placed in a cemetery, what kind of memorialization would I like?

Documents to gather

Once you've thought through a few things, you might want to gather some important papers. However, there’s no requirement to bring documents to your pre-planning meeting.

It could be helpful though to have some or all of the following:

• Birth certificate
• Social security number
• Marriage licenses and, if applicable, separation papers
• Military discharge document (DD214)
• A copy of your will and/or trust
• Documentation for any cemetery property you’ve purchased
• Power of attorney documentation

More tips for having a great meeting

It’s never easy to discuss end-of-life plans, but mentally preparing yourself can help you feel more at ease during your consultation. This can mean contemplating what you'd like your legacy to be. What moments of your life are you most proud of? How would you like to be remembered?

During the meeting, take your time and ask as many questions as you'd like. Your advisor is there to educate and support you. Finally, take notes and don’t hesitate to reach out with any follow-up questions.

Reasons to plan with a Dignity Memorial provider

Dignity Memorial advisors are compassionate, experienced professionals dedicated to providing each family with personalized care. The Dignity Difference offers benefits you won't find anywhere else, including:

• 100% Service Guarantee: Should our service not meet the expectations as promised in our agreement, we’ll do everything we can to make it right, up to refunding that portion of the service.
• Purchase Protection: Should you pass away before your purchased cemetery property is fully paid for, your family will receive some financial relief.
• Relocation Protection: When you move more than 75 miles away from where you planned, every detail of your plan moves with you. All of our prepaid plans are transferable to any of the qualifying 1,900 Dignity Memorial providers in North America.
• Lifetime Flexibility: If you plan a life celebration with us, but at some point in the future, and for any reason, you would like to add to your plan with new arrangements, you can.
• Family First Cost Coverage: When you have a cemetery plan or funeral package with us and suffer the loss of an unmarried child or grandchild under the age of 21, we will take care of funeral services, cremation services and cemetery interment rights up to the same level as your own plan at no cost to you. (Not available in Maryland.)

We also offer bereavement travel assistance, a 24-hour Compassion Helpline^® with professional grief counselors (services provided by Charles Nechtem Associates Inc.), and a free online obituary to every family who plans with us. Reach out to a Dignity Memorial funeral planning advisor to learn more about how we can support you and your loved ones.

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