The only thing certain about our life is death. It is going to come sooner or later. So, there is no point in ignoring it. Planning a memorial can be exhausting and overwhelming, especially when your loved ones are emotionally vulnerable.
Even though they are mourning your loss, many decisions need to be made, from what kind of memorial to arrange for food and beverage services for the guests. Making so many important decisions can be difficult for your loved ones.
Therefore, it is wise to pre-plan your memorial and the following service. Preplanning will relieve your friends and family from making tough decisions while in mourning and alleviate them from taking upon the financial burden.
Planning For Your Memorial: Breaking the Taboo
Gone are the days when pre-planning about your funeral and memorial is considered taboo. Many elderly adults keep aside some “funeral money” to help their loved ones arrange for the memorial.
However, it would help to consider whether that “funeral money” is sufficient for present or future memorial packages, given that the economy can change at any moment under inflation and increasing prices.
Suppose you want to avoid your loved ones taking the financial responsibility of arranging your memorial. In that case, pre-planning is the best way. Apart from this, there are many more benefits of arranging for your memorial in advance.
Let’s discuss these benefits in detail.
5 Benefits of Pre-Planning a Memorial
Choose the Way You Want to Be Honoured and Remembered
Do you want a particular kind of memorial after your death? Maybe you love dogs and would wish people give donations to animal shelters in your name. Do you love nature and want to rest for eternity as one of them? Do you want to become a tree in a memorial garden after your death?
These are your last wishes that can be taken care of if you want to pre-plan your memorial. With pre-arranged memorial plans, your wishes will be honoured automatically in the presence of loved ones without putting additional financial and emotional stress on them.
Keep Your Essential Information and Paperwork in Order
You will need to provide all your vital information while pre-planning your memorial. Here are some documents you need to keep handy to hand it over to the memorial home:
● Birth certificate
● Advanced directives
● Will
● Life insurance
● Contact list for notification
● Military records, if any
Moreover, arranging the documents will help your loved one easily find them after death to take care of any remaining official work.
Protect Your Loved Ones
Did you know that within 24 hours of death, one needs to take care of more than 70 details? Do your think your loved ones will handle the responsibility while grieving your death? Do you think they will be in the right emotional state to face the real world and make the decision so soon after your death?
With pre-planning, you give them relief for that critical first 24 hours after the death. You also protect them from financial stress and keep them away from the hassles of making last-minute arrangements for the memorial. It’s important to give them time to gather their thoughts to help them cope with their loss.
Get the Right Prices for the Services
Apart from protecting your family from emotional and financial stress and letting your wishes for a memorial be known, there is another primary reason behind pre-planning. With advance arrangements, you can take advantage of the lock-in prices.
So, regardless of increasing prices and inflation, your family will not have to shell out additional money at your death to match the current price chart and fulfil the differential.
Pre-planning your memorial gives you an edge against rising prices. It ensures that you can afford the memorial you want.
Easy Finances With The Right Installment Plan
When it comes to memorial planning, it is all cash and no credit. Moreover, if you have not pre-planned, your family and friends will have to pay the management a huge lump sum.
However, with pre-planning, you can pay the amount in instalments, which is easier for you. For instance, Mornington Green, a memorial garden, allows patrons to pre-plan their memorial with easy instalments.
In Conclusion
A single reason among the five mentioned is good enough to consider pre-planning. However, if you take them all together, it makes more sense to pre-plan your memorial beforehand. Do a quick online search and start planning the end the way you want.
