First Steps

There is a lot of chaos surrounding a funeral, especially when the loved one in question has already passed on. You may find yourself overcome with grief. At these times, our counselors can take a lot of the load off of your shoulders.

Please call us at 714-633-1442 to have one of our counselors help.

Consult the will of the deceased to learn of any special or unique arrangements they may have in place. You may even find that the deceased has already made arrangements, with a pre-planned funeral. If the will isn't being read until after the funeral, consult with the lawyer, and ask if there are any special instructions concerning burial.

Inform the following people:

• Friends and relatives 
• Employer and fellow employees 
• Insurance company 
• Family doctor 
• Cemetery or other burial place (e.g. crematorium) 
• Other organizations to which the deceased belonged (churches, social clubs, etc.)

Funeral Planning Choices and Decisions

When you start to plan a funeral you'll learn that there are a number of decisions that need to be made, regardless of whether you're dealing with a death or pre-planning.

• Decide on a date and time for the service. 
• Choose the kind of service you want: a traditional funeral, non-traditional funeral, military funeral, etc. 
• Choose a casket (or cremation urn). 
• Choose a burial container or mausoleum crypt. 
• Choose flowers. 
• Choose music. 
• Choose the funeral car arrangements. 
• Pick clothing for the deceased. 
• Choose pallbearers, scripture readings (if applicable) and eulogists.

Additional things

Planning a funeral can be a multi-layered process. After you've completed the initial arrangements, there are a number of additional things to be done:

• Provide information for obituaries 
• Choose a charity for donations 
• Arrange for caterers or others to take care of food and refreshments 
• Consider finding a babysitter for any young children who might attend
• Funeral planning involves a number of different (and sometimes expensive) elements so it's important to be prepared in advance for what is to come.