For Immediate Need Call: 617-436-5592

Planning Ahead

Why Should I Plan Ahead?

Losing a loved one is hard enough. Add in the many logistical and financial decisions that come with arranging a funeral or memorial service, and it can feel overwhelmingly stressful. By planning yours in advance, you can remove these extra burdens from your loved ones during an already difficult time, and allow your family the space to remember, connect, and begin to heal. You also make sure your final wishes are carried out how you want—not decided through someone else’s best guesses.



By making your final arrangements ahead of time, you also save your family an added financial burden. Not only does it eliminate the difficult question of who will pay, preplanning locks in inflation-proof rates for years to come. We also offer flexible payment plans, making advanced planning a more convenient option.

SECURE ONLINE PREPLANNING FORM

CLICK HERE TO VIEW

Benefits of Preplanning

Planning Ahead Lets Your Wishes Be Known

The death of a loved one often brings about unwarranted stress and turmoil among families. One family member wants one thing, while another family member wants something different. By planning ahead, you help prevent those disagreements by letting your family know what your wishes are and how you want your funeral service to be carried out and your business handled.

Planning Ahead Offers Peace of Mind

Our staff guarantees we will carry out the arrangements you want, just as you directed. Once the plans have been arranged, you and your family can rest easy knowing at the time of death, those uncomfortable decisions have been made. In a time when a family should be able to easily grieve, preplanning allows for that to happen.

Planning Ahead Offers Flexible Funding Options

When you preplan your funeral arrangements, there are more options when it comes to funding the funeral. A preneed insurance policy, life insurance policy or other payment options can all be arranged before the time of death. At the time of death, services must be paid in full, so having options ahead of time can also reduce other stress related to losing someone.

Planning Ahead Relieves The Burden From Family

Following the death of a loved one, there are more than 150 decisions that have to be made within the first day or two following the death. Those stressful decisions on top of the stress of grieving a loss can be eliminated by arranging your final wishes ahead of time. If those decisions are made, your loved ones aren’t left wondering what you would have wanted and how they should proceed with funeral plans. With those decisions out of the way, your loved one can begin the healing process sooner.

How We Work With You To Preplan

An Advanced planner will work with you to create a personalized checklist and help you communicate all of your wishes and preferences, such as:

  • Gathering personal information for your obituary
  • Choosing a charity to direct donations to, if desired
  • Making note of any special instructions for your services and final disposition
  • Choosing burial or cremation
  • Choosing the location and type of service
  • Deciding whether you’d like to have a viewing or visitation
  • Selecting music and hymns, if desired
  • Selecting a style for your stationery and memorial register book
  • Including any customs, traditions, or religious rites that are important to you and your family

Things To Consider

Many of these items can be arranged prior to death to lessen the stress for the family at a time when they are grieving loss.

You Can Choose & Prearrange...

  • Information for an obituary
  • A funeral director
  • Burial or cremation
  • The casket or cremation container
  • A grave marker and inscriptions
  • The location for the service
  • Type of service (memorial, wake, military, Jewish ceremony, etc.)
  • Flower arrangements
  • Photos that will be displayed
  • Funeral music and songs
  • What the deceased will wear
  • Scripture to be read
  • Memorial register or memorial cards
  • Transportation and funeral cars
  • Who will perform the eulogy
  • Who will read the scripture
  • Pallbearers

Final Planning

Other items that cannot be pre-arranged, but must be taken care of following a loved one's death:

  • Ambulance transfer from place of death
  • Death certificate
  • Burial permit
  • Time and date for the service
  • Embalming and body preparation
  • Submit obituary

Funeral Costs

The FTC has mandated that the funeral providers must give you a statement of all costs of the funeral goods and services that you select. This is called a General Price List (GPL). In addition, the law enables consumers to select and purchase only the goods and services they want, rather than having to accept an entire package

Funeral costs can be divided into three basic categories:


1. The Basic Service Fee: Funeral providers are allowed to charge this, and it can't be declined by the family. This fee covers services common to all funerals including the use of the home, the services of the funeral director and funeral home attendants, burial arrangement coordination (with a cemetery or other), securing permits, etc.


2. Optional Service Charges: Some optional services include transporting the body, embalming, times for viewing (or wakes), use of a hearse or limousine, burial container, cremation and interment.


3. Cash Disbursements: This covers goods and services that the funeral home buys on your behalf, with your consent. It may include the purchase of flowers, clergy services, obituary notices, pallbearers and other service providers such as soloists or musicians.

Common Questions About Preplanning

  • What steps are involved in prearranging a funeral?

    The first step would be to write down your wishes. Indicate if you would prefer burial or cremation. Write down your ideas for the service you would like, cemetery choice, etc. If you've made those choices, or even if you're unsure, schedule a time to meet with one of our funeral directors who can explain the different service options, merchandise choices, as well as the different ways to pay for the funeral.

  • What information do I need to prearrange a funeral?

    You'll need basic information about yourself or the person you are planning for, such as date of birth, marital status, parent's full names, etc. Besides the biological information, you'll need to choose burial or cremation, what type of service you'd like, what cemetery to use, etc. Our caring staff will help you with this process.

  • Do I have to pay in advance?

    Preplanning is merely making your wishes known; however, most families who do this choose to pre-fund their funeral as well. Doing so will relieve the financial burden on your family and offers peace of mind to you.

  • Can I transfer my plans to or from another funeral home?

    If you have plans at another funeral home and would like to move them here, we will help you do that. If you move from the area and would like to transfer your arrangements to another funeral home, we will assist you with that as well.

Share by: