Guide To Making Funeral Arrangements

The death of a loved one is a difficult time and making funeral arrangements adds unnecessary stress to an already difficult situation. By preparing in advance you will eliminate the time required to plan the funeral and have more time to spend with friends and family. Unfortunately, life is often unexpected and preparing in advance for a funeral is not always an option. The guide below will walk you through the steps required to arrange a funeral to commemorate your loved one’s life.

1. First Call

When a loved one passes away, the first thing you need to do when making funeral arrangements is to have his or her body transported to a funeral home. Transferring the body to the funeral home is called a “first call”. Your loved one may be located where they passed away, or may have been transported to the city morgue. In certain cases a second or third transportation may be required to transport the body to a funeral home in another city or county. The funeral home will take care of the preparation after they get the body.

2. Funeral Services

Next, you will need to decide where the funeral will take place. It is recommended to make this decision prior to the “first call” so that the body is transferred to the correct funeral home. However, if you decide to use a different funeral home, transportation of the body to the new funeral home can be arranged. The funeral home you select will be based upon a number of factors, including the location, the funeral home’s appearance, the staff, the venue size, the price, and more. Don’t forget to consider your budget for the funeral service before you make a decision.

3. Funeral Products

After you have selected the funeral home, the next step for making funeral arrangements is to select the funeral products. The funeral products selected will be based on your budget and the type of funeral service you are having. Some families will have a simple funeral service, where others will have a visitation, procession to a cemetery, burial service, and more. The typical funeral products a family will select are a casket or urn, funeral flowers, funeral stationery, memorial keepsakes, video tribute, webcasting service, memorial website, and so on. If the body will be buried, a burial vault and gravestone will also be required.

4. Cemetery Arrangements

The next thing you need to take care of when making funeral arrangements is the cemetery services. This step is only required if you plan to bury the body, or place the urn in a columbarium. Making the cemetery arrangements is a very important step because this is your loved one’s final resting place. A burial plot may be one of the single largest expenses of a funeral. Burial plots range from $1,000 to over $20,000 depending on the cemetery and location. After you select the burial plot you will need to arrange transportation of the body and burial at the cemetery.

5. Estate Management

The last step after you are finished making funeral arrangements is to put the deceased person’s affairs in order. This involves sending notifications of death to people, including the person’s employer, organizations they were a member of, government agencies, utility companies, and so on. Next, you will want to file death benefit claims with insurance companies and other agencies. Finally, you will want to work with an attorney and the executor of the estate to divide the person’s assets as stated in their will. This will involve paying off outstanding debts and changing title of the deceased’s assets.

As you can see, there are a number of steps required for making funeral arrangements.  That is why it’s important to plan ahead of time, if possible. If you feel like a loved one’s death is imminent, you might want to begin making funeral arrangements as soon as possible. However, even if you are unable to plan in advance, a funeral director at your local funeral home should be able to assist you with all of the funeral arrangements.

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How do you Write a Eulogy? Step-by-Step Guide

How do you write a eulogy that is heartfelt and memorable? If you plan to speak at your loved one’s funeral you may be wondering what steps are required to write and deliver the perfect speech. The thought of public speaking is daunting to most people. Combine the fear of public speaking with the grief of losing a loved one and speaking at a funeral may be one of the most difficult things you have to do.

How do you write a eulogy that summarizes the life of your loved one in a 5 to 10 minute speech? The second difficult part of writing a eulogy is choosing the information and stories related to your loved one to share with people at the funeral. The person achieved a lot in his or her life and you shared numerous memories with them. It is important to know what information is typically included in a eulogy. The guide below will help you write a eulogy and select the information to include in the speech.

1. Collect the Information

The first step to writing a eulogy is to collect the information. Begin by taking a piece of paper, or sitting at a computer, and write down everything about the person that you can think of. Don’t worry about writing too much; the goal is to collect as much information as you can. Think about what made the person special, what were the favorite memories you shared together, what the person taught you, and what you will remember most about them. It can help to look at old photographs because they can help trigger memories you have forgotten.

Now that you have collected as much information as you can, the next step is to interview others. Speaking to friends and family of the deceased can help you to gather more information to include in the eulogy. If you are looking for additional help collecting information, use the following list to give you more ideas.

- Birthplace: Where was he or she born?

- Family: Parents, brothers and sisters.

- Childhood: Location, friends, interests, etc.

- Education: High school, post-secondary, trade school and any awards or other designations.

- Relationships: Marriage, divorce and any other significant relationships.

- Children: Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.

- Career: Most significant jobs, positions held, achievements, etc.

- Organizations: Military service, fraternal organizations and other clubs.

- Interests: Sports, hobbies, travels, etc.

- Other: Any other special facts about the person.

2. Write the Eulogy

After you have collected the data, the second step is to write the eulogy. Typically, a eulogy is either written in chronological order and like all speeches it includes a beginning, middle, and conclusion. The introduction should welcome people and introduce yourself, your loved one, and the theme of your eulogy. The middle (body) is the main part of your eulogy, where you share information and stories about the deceased. The conclusion is your last word, where you tie the themes together, telling a final story and ending with a final farewell.

The first step is to take the information you collected and arrange it in to the order you want for the speech. Next, you will want to turn the facts into grammatically correct paragraphs. Remember that the first step is to produce a draft and it is important not to worry too much about spelling, grammar and the overall speech. The goal is to get a speech written and then you can revise it.

3. Polish and Practice

After you have written the first draft you will want to read through it and begin to fix spelling and grammar errors. Cross out sections that are unnecessary, or move sections around to change the order of the speech. It will take a few revisions before you produce the final speech.

Now that you have the final version of the speech you will want to practice reading the speech. Practicing the speech will help to prepare you for reading it at the funeral and will also help you to find mistakes you may have missed during the editing phase. After you have read the speech to yourself a few times, we recommend asking a friend or family member if you can read the speech to them. They will be able to suggest changes to the speech and help you feel comfortable reading it in front of other people.

4. Deliver the Eulogy

After all of the hard work writing the eulogy it is time to read it at the funeral service. Reading the eulogy will likely be the most difficult part of the eulogy process. Reading a speech in public is a fear that many of us have; however, saying a few words about a loved one at their funeral is a huge honor. Remember that everyone attending the funeral is sharing in the grief that you are feeling. They will understand if you get emotional during the eulogy and are there to support you.

We recommend printing a copy of the speech in a large font and brining it to the funeral. It is not necessary to memorize the speech and trying to memorize it will add stress to an already difficult situation. Remember that friends and family will appreciate the words you have written about the deceased person and will understand if you have to read the speech or if you get emotional during the eulogy.

How do you write a eulogy? It isn’t easy, but it is a tremendously rewarding exercise. The process of writing the eulogy gives you an opportunity to reflect on all of the fond memories you shared with the deceased. Looking through old photos and reflecting on memories is an excellent grief recovery tool. Furthermore, reading the eulogy at the funeral gives you a chance to say goodbye to your loved one and pay tribute to their life. For more help learning how to write a eulogy, read the other articles listed below.

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6-Step Eulogy Writing Guide

Eulogies are the speeches that are delivered during a memorial service. If you have been asked to speak at a funeral, this 6-step eulogy writing guide will help you compose a memorable speech that pays tribute to your loved one.

Typically a close friend, family member, or a member of the clergy, will deliver the eulogy. Naturally, when someone is asked to deliver a speech at a funeral, there is some hesitation. It is not that the person does not want to honor their loved one; it is the fear of speaking in front of a group of people. Combine the fear of public speaking with the grief of a loss and giving a eulogy is a difficult thing to do. We recommend the following 6-Step Guide to Writing and Delivery a Eulogy. Click the following link to learn more about this excellent product. Or, read the summary of the 6-step eulogy writing guide below.

1. Prepare

Preparation is an important and often overlooked step when writing a eulogy. The emotion of losing a loved one combined with the distractions of career, family and other outside factors can affect our ability to write a eulogy. Locate a place where you can be alone and turn off your phone and anything else that will cause distraction. Now, take a deep breathe, relax, and began writing the eulogy.

2. Plan

Now that you are ready to begin writing the eulogy, you should start by planning what you are going to write. Do you want the eulogy to be serious or light-hearted? Do you want to share your own stories, or include stories from other people? Do you want the eulogy to be written in chronological order? What information do you want to include? For example, family history, career, interests, and so on.

3. Collect

After you have decided what to write you will need to collect the information. Write the headings of the topics you plan to include on a piece of paper. This may include childhood, family, education, career, marriage, children, interests, and so on. Next, begin to write all of the information you can think of under each heading. When you are finished, you can contact family members and close friends and ask them to provide you additional information on the deceased. You will also want to spend time thinking about a few personal stories that you can include in the eulogy.

4. Write

Now that you have all of the information for the eulogy, it is time to write it. Begin by taking the information and turning it into a rough draft. The best way to do this is to take the information under each heading and turn it into properly structured paragraphs. Next, you will want to write the introductory paragraph where you introduce yourself and what you plan to speak about in the eulogy. The next step is to take each of the sections you have written and combine them into a speech. Remember that this is the first draft and will likely include a lot of facts that are unnecessary. Read the speech to yourself a few times and remove the unnecessary information and fix the spelling and grammar errors. Continue to edit and rewrite the speech until you are left with a final version that you are happy with.

5. Practice

When the final version of the eulogy is complete it is time to rehearse the speech. Read it to yourself a few times and refine the speech as necessary. Next, you will want to read the speech out loud to better prepare yourself for reading the eulogy at the funeral. You may also want to ask a friend or family member if they will listen to the speech because they can help by suggesting changes. Practice the speech as often as you need, but do not worry about memorizing it.

6. Deliver

Now that you have practiced the speech, it is time to read it at the funeral. Remember to try and not worry about memorizing the speech. We recommend printing a copy of the speech in a large font and having it with you. The friends and family will not care if you refer to the speech, or even read from it, at the funeral. Also, it is perfectly understandable if you get emotional during the speech. If you begin to get overwhelmed with emotions, simply pause and take a deep breath then continue.

Reading a eulogy at a funeral gives you a chance to honor the person who passed away. Writing and giving the eulogy may seem like an impossible task at first, but with some preparation it can be easier than you may think. Above we have provided you with the basic information required to write a eulogy. For more in-depth information and help, click the link below to download the 6-step eulogy writing guide.

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Helpful Guide to Writing Eulogies

If you have been asked to write a eulogy for a deceased person it is a great honor. Writing eulogies can be very difficult, especially if you have never written one before. However, no matter how worried you may be to write and deliver the eulogy, do not turn down the opportunity because it is a tremendous distinction. Though it may be the most difficult speech to deliver and brings about a great responsibility, it is an excellent way to honor your loved one and show everyone how much they meant to you.

While writing eulogies may seem to be difficult, especially if the person has little experience writing a speech, there are products available in the market to help the speaker be at ease and write a personal and heartfelt eulogy. We recommend the following 6-step Guide to Writing and Delivery a Eulogy. Click the following link to learn more about this excellent product.

1. Prepare yourself – It is important to begin the eulogy when you are in the right frame of mind. Writing a eulogy to someone you love that has passed away is very difficult. It is important that you set aside some quiet time to collect your thoughts, relax, and then begin writing the eulogy.

2. Plan the eulogy – The first step to writing the eulogy is to decide what type of eulogy you want to write. Do you want it to be serious or light-hearted? Do you want to share personal stories? Do you want it to be in chronological order?

3. Gather information – After you have decided what to write you will need to collect the information. Begin by thinking of memories you shared with the deceased. Looking through photos will help. Next, you can contact family members and close friends and ask them to provide you information on the deceased.

4. Write the eulogy – Now that you have all of the information for the eulogy, it is time to write it. Begin by taking the information and turning it into a rough draft. The next step is to read over the draft and turn it into a well-composed speech. It may take you a few re-writes until you get a speech that you are happy with.

5. Rehearse and refine – When the final draft is complete it is time to rehearse the speech. Read it to yourself a few times and refine the speech as necessary. Next, you will want to read the speech out loud to better prepare you for reading the eulogy at the funeral. You may also want to ask a friend or family member if they will listen to the speech because they can help by suggesting changes.

6. Deliver the eulogy – Now that you have practiced the speech, it is time to deliver it at the funeral. Try not to stress too much about memorizing the speech. We recommend printing a copy of the speech and having it with you. The friends and family will not care if you read the speech or get emotional during the speech. If you begin to get overwhelmed with emotions, simply pause and take a deep breath then continue.

As mentioned, writing eulogies is difficult. Writing the eulogy with honesty and from the heart makes it a lot easier. The best thing that you can do is to share your personal experiences with the loved one to everyone at the funeral. What made the person special to you and what qualities did you appreciate the most? Recall the memories you shared together and why they were important.

Reading a eulogy at a funeral gives you a chance to celebrate the life of the person who died, share the memories that happened, inspire other people, and ease the feelings of pain of the survivors. Writing it at first may be difficult, and while delivering it may make the eulogist break down and cry, the audience will understand. Writing eulogies is not easy and delivering them is even more difficult; however, it is a rewarding task and saying a few words at your loved ones funeral will be appreciated by everyone in attendance.

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