It’s been mentioned many times during the last week that HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, planned the details of his funeral. He had a hand in everything from the hearse to the music, the readings to the fact that there was no eulogy.
Prince Philip thought about his funeral in advance and there’s no reason why all of us can’t write down what we’d like – in as much or as little detail as we want – and so give our families the relief at not having to second guess our wishes.
All you need to do is make some notes and give as many copies as you like to whoever you trust to put the arrangements in place when you die. Don’t forget that if you change your mind or want to add something, you’ll have to make sure that everyone gets a copy of the new version – and do put the date on all of your notes.
You can write the entire order of service if you like, but you could start off by answering these questions:
- Do you want there to be a funeral service, or do you not want to have any service at all?
- Burial or cremation?
- Religious or non-religious?
- Where do you want the funeral to take place (e.g. which cemetery or crematorium)?
- What favourite readings or music would you like to have in the service?
We often provide clients with a booklet to think about when planning a funeral for their loved one which may help you further. There are lots more details into which you can go if you want, but any choices that you make in advance will help those closest to you when the time comes.
Planning the details of your funeral doesn’t have to include paying for it, but if you’d like to take this step we can help you with our independent Open Prepaid Funeral Plans.
The main thing is to make a start – put something on a blank page and come back to it as often as you want.
We find that when our clients have some information they are more certain about what they are arranging.
There is one caveat: you might find that your family and friends are not comfortable with your plans. They might be more traditional than you, or simply feel that there should be more or less 'fuss' than you are planning.
For this reason we suggest you have a conversation about what you’ve decided and why. Explain your decisions and try to ensure people to accept your point of view, whatever that might be and even if they disagree with it.
You might find these links helpful in your planning:
https://www.funeralinspirations.co.uk/
https://www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk/
http://www.naturaldeath.org.uk/
And of course we are here to help with no obligation.
