Designing Your Funeral
There are two facets of the design process. First, we ask you to consider how you wish to honor and celebrate the life. When those important decisions are made, we’ll turn to the issue of how you wish to care for the physical remains.
How to Honor a Life
It’s about bringing those you love together, at a time of loss. It’s a natural thing to do, and over time, has become a socially-expected practice. More importantly, a funeral or memorial service, whether traditional, or contemporary, is the first step in healing.
You can have your service anywhere, and any way, you want. Your choices include the place of celebration, day of the week, and time of day; the musical selection, what prayers will be said or songs you’d like sung. We can arrange to have doves, butterflies, or balloons released at the close of the service. Keepsake gifts of wildflower seeds or a tree seedling can be given. We’re here to help you create the most memorable and meaningful service to honor your loved one.
With an Eye to Your Future
We can help you come to the decisions that will meet your needs now, and in the future. After all, you will need to live with these decisions for a long time. Doing the right thing now can make all the difference in your peace-of-mind through the coming years. Contact us today to discuss your intentions.
Burial or Cremation?
Your next consideration focuses on choosing between burial and cremation. Usually, people are clear on this point, but may not be aware of all of the values and options. In fact, your loved one may have told you, or someone else, exactly how they wish to be cared for. But it can be a hard decision for some families, especially when the wishes of the deceased were never clearly stated. If that's the case, please know we're able to help you come to the perfect decision for your loved one, and for you.
Once you decide, the finer details come into focus. If you've chosen burial, then selection of the casket, vault, and desired cemetery follows. Naturally, we’re here to help you.
If cremation is your choice, it's important to realize there are many additional decisions: It may be necessary to have identification prior to cremation; Decisions will need to be made regarding multiple containers, one for the body to be cremated in and one for the cremated remains to be placed in. Decisions regarding the body's place in the service or whether the cremated remains will be a part of the service, placed in a mausoleum niche, or buried on the cemetery grounds.
In our community, there's the option for a 'green burial.' If that's what your loved one would prefer, we're prepared to help you select an environmentally-friendly choice.
What's Next?
Now that we've given you the basics, it's time to reflect more on exactly what is appropriate for you and your family. If possible, gather everyone together to speak of their feelings and desires.
Still looking for inspiration? Speaking with a professional funeral planner will help to clarify your thinking. Reach us at Brighton (585) 244-0770 or Webster (585) 872-6380.