Simply Cremation
How to Plan Cremation Services
Planning cremation services in Glendale, AZ is one of the best decisions you can make in life. Not only will it give you peace of mind that your final arrangements are taken care of, but it will also relieve your family of the burden of having to try to figure out what you would have wanted after you die.
You’ve decided you want to be cremated. You know you want to take care of every detail of the planning so that your family doesn’t have to. But you may not know how to put your cremation services plan together.
The first thing you should do is contact your funeral home. Sit down and talk with the funeral director about what cremation services they offer and what things you would like to make sure are included in your cremation services.
During this meeting with the funeral director, you can go ahead and give them all the pertinent information they will need to have to make sure that your wishes for your cremation services are fulfilled.
Be sure to have your birth certificate, your social security card, your marriage certificate (and divorce decree, if applicable). If you have a funeral insurance policy, be sure to have the policy information with you (the funeral home will take care of contacting the insurance company directly for payment).
If you are an honorably discharged military veteran and want a military funeral (with free inurnment and a grave marker in a national cemetery) or funeral military honors (presentation of the American flag to a family member, 21-gun salute, and TAPs), be sure to have your military discharge papers (DD-214).
By providing your funeral home director with all this information at the time you begin planning, you save your family from having to find these documents and provide them after you die.
Next, you need to decide what kind of cremation you want. Typically, cremations are either direct or indirect. A direct cremation is one in which the cremation is done before any type of services are held. With an indirect cremation, services are held before the cremation is done.
If you want a service before or after your cremation, you need to plan what you would like included in the service.
There are many different formats of services that can be held. You might want a memorial service where memories and stories are shared by those attending while they share foods and drinks that were your favorites.
You might want a scattering ceremony at your favorite place, where just your family and close friends attend, followed by a meal accompanied by games and music that you enjoyed playing with them.
You might want a more traditional memorial service that includes your favorite readings, eulogies, spiritual comfort, and two or three of your favorite songs.
Be specific about what you want and where you want the service to be held.
You can also specify what you’d like most remembered about you and how that should look. Photo displays (select the photos you’d like included) and memorial tables can highlight different aspects of your life. You can also create a video tribute using the photos you select.
Finally, write your obituary. It’s your life, so it’s your story to tell. Include the things you want people to know and remember about you and your life, including the most momentous occasions of your life.
For more information about planning cremation services offered in Glendale, AZ, including grief resources, our caring and knowledgeable staff at Simply Cremations & Funeral Arrangements is here to assist you.
Thank you for explaining that you can do a scattering ceremony. I’ve been thinking about planning my funeral requests. It seems like this could be a good, simple way to have some cremation services. http://cremationchicago.com/services-offered/