Pre-planning
It's easy
You can take your time creating arrangements that best suit your needs and preferences, and all you have to do is contact a member of our staff here at Cobb Care & Comfort too put your plan in place. Anyone can create a plan, at any stage in their life, and you can make changes at a later date if you wish
It lets you decide how you'd like to be remembered
Creating your own unique life celebration allows you to make sure that your wishes and desires are respected upon your passing. However, you decide to be memorialized, pre-planning and preparation gives you control over the personal decisions that must be made when a person moves on from this life. Planning can be meaningful for your family, as well, if you choose to include them in the process. It can help them to feel connected to you both in life and in death, knowing that your arrangements reflect exactly what you envisioned them to be.
It takes the burden off of your family and friends
When a loved one passes, the family faces an overwhelming number of tasks and decisions, all while struggling through grief and a range of difficult emotions. By taking care of your arrangements before the time of need, you’re relieving them of that burden and giving them more time and energy to focus on healing and remembrance. They won’t have to ask themselves, “Am I making the right choices?” and can instead focus on what matters: saying goodbye and celebrating your life journey with those who cared about you most.
Where Do I Start?
The first step is to review our Pre-Planning Checklist to help you consider all of your possibilities and gather all of the information you’ll need. Then, we can create your own Pre-Planning Form to begin creating your personalized arrangements. You can also contact us to schedule a time to meet with a member of our staff to discuss your options and design your plan in person
Pre-Planning Checklist
There’s a lot that goes into planning a funeral, memorial, but making those arrangements beforehand gives you time to consider all of your options and make sure that you’re covering all of the necessary details. The following checklist will help you to make sure you’ve thought of everything when you begin creating your personalized plan
This includes your father’s name, your mother’s maiden name, your level of education, and your social security number.
This includes fraternal, service, or union membership, along with any special recognitions you might have
– Military service
– Branch rank
– Date of enlistment
– Date of discharge
– Name(s) of war/conflict(s) toured
– Serial number
Ways in which you can plan ahead:
- Gather personal information for your obituary
- Choose a charity to direct donations to, if desired
- Choose a funeral home
- Make note of any special instructions you desire for your services and final disposition
- Choose burial or cremation
- Select a casket or cremation container
- Choose the location and type of service
- Decide whether you’d like to have a viewing or visitation
- Choose floral arrangements
- Select which photographs and memorabilia you’d like to display
- Consider any customs, traditions, or religious rites that are important to you and your family
- Choose the clothing you’d like to be dressed in
- Select music and hymns, if desired
- Select a style for your stationery and memorial register book
- Arrange transportation for your physical remains and your family
- Brainstorm any additional ways you’d like to personalize the services or pay tribute to your accomplishments, hobbies, personality, and life story.
- Choose a clergy member or officiator to preside over the service
- Select any musicians whose talents you’d like to employ
- Select pallbearers
- Choose friends or family members to perform the eulogy, read scripture, or prepare a speech
- Choose a cemetery
- Select a burial or cremation plot, or a mausoleum, if appropriate
- Decide between above- and below-ground burial
- Select a memorial or grave marker and inscription
Remember that there’s no need to make all of the decisions right away, and that the purpose of pre-planning is to allow yourself to take the time you need when considering your options and making the choices that are right for you. For personalized assistance in creating your plan, consult one of our experts by contacting us to schedule a one-on-one meeting.
