Everything You Need To Know When Choosing A Funeral Home

Choosing the proper funeral home to manage a loved one’s farewell arrangements can feel intimidating. It’s often even more unnerving for anyone who has never dealt with arranging funerals before, whether that’s burial or cremation services.

In this type of scenario, you will have to make some significant choices in a short space of time. One of those would be choosing the ideal local funeral home to suit you, your family, and your loved one. In this guide, we’ll examine what to look for in funeral providers and learn what they offer, as well as what red flags you should look out for when selecting a funeral service provider.

What Services Do Funeral Homes Typically Offer?

Funeral Services

Most funeral homes facilitate all the resources required for funeral and memorial services. This typically includes organizers, planning services, the venue space, etc.

Burial and Cremation Services

Funeral homes also often provide burial and cremation services to their clients. Depending on which service you choose, your funeral director will walk you through the proceedings for each funeral service type.

Transportation

Funeral homes help coordinate the transportation of a loved one’s body to the funeral home and later their final resting place, safely and securely.

Eulogies and Obituaries

Funeral homes will also often partner with local newspapers to handle the publishing of obituaries online and in print. Funeral homes can also assist with guidance on how to write a eulogy for the memorial service.

Tips To Discuss Choosing a Local Funeral Home With Family

When you lose a loved one, one of the most important things to do is discuss the funeral and service with your family. Your family will all have to play a part in how to choose a funeral home. There are a few key factors to consider when doing so:

Decide on a Location

Firstly, decide on where you would like the funeral and burial or cremation to take place. This will play a big role in selecting a funeral home, as you would want them to be local.

Decide on a Burial or Cremation

This step is simple if there is any existing documentation from the deceased stating if they would prefer cremation or burial. However, not everyone has this type of information written down. If your loved one didn’t define this, discuss it with your family before you choose a funeral home.

Discuss Religious and Cultural Elements

Family members may have varied opinions on religious acts and cultural traditions. Discuss this openly and ensure everyone is on the same page long before the funeral.

Take Time To Grieve First

Even though you’re in the midst of planning a heart-aching event, it’s essential to take the time to grieve with your family and remember to treat loved ones and yourself with kindness during this time.

What Should You Be Looking for When Choosing a Local Funeral Home?

Once you’ve discussed all the necessary plans with your family and have chosen a path forward, it’s time to match those needs with a local funeral home. Here are a few essential elements to discuss before confirming your selected funeral home:

Arrangements

Do their services align with your arrangements? For example, do they offer cremation services if that is what your family chooses? Ensure the funeral home understands all desired arrangements and priorities, such as how big or intimate you want the funeral to be. Maybe you prefer it to be calm and simple or perhaps you prefer it to be a celebration of life. These points are vital to discuss and outline with the funeral director.

Transparency

When discussing complete funeral service needs with a funeral home, make sure they’re very transparent about how they manage the funeral, burial, or cremation. It’s important to ask questions about the finer details, like an urn or obituary. The more transparent a funeral home is, the higher your chance of receiving good service from them.

Reputation

Before settling for a particular funeral home, do online and local research about the company. Check Google reviews to ensure that others have received good service from them. It will give you and your family peace of mind that you’re going with the right funeral service provider.

Budget

By now, you should have your funeral costs or budget range set. Ensure the funeral home is comfortable with this budget and can fulfill your needs within this number. There’s no harm in comparing prices among funeral homes nearby, too.

What Red Flags Should You Watch Out for When Choosing a Funeral Home?

Licensing

Legally, funeral homes can only be operated by a licensed funeral director. If there is no such person at the funeral home you’re visiting, don’t choose them.

Hidden or Third-Party Costs

Funeral homes often use third-party providers, such as florists or caterers but none of these costs should ever be hidden or only shared with you after the funeral itself.

Leading Recommendations

If the funeral home staff is trying to upsell you or leading you to pay more than budgeted, this is a red flag. Recommendations are normal, but leading people to pay more isn’t ethical.

Now that you know how best to choose a funeral home, we at Alterna are happy to discuss any questions you may have about funeral services. Contact Alterna for more information on how funeral homes in East St. Paul can help you and your family with funeral services and support.