Selecting a funeral home always requires considering many different factors. Finding the right funeral home becomes especially challenging, however, when you're planning services for a funeral many people will attend. If you're in charge of planning services for a deceased loved one who was close with many people, here are some tips to help you identify which funeral home will best accommodate everyone who'll be coming to the services.
Choose a Convenient Location
Your choice of funeral home will, of course, be limited to the city that the services will be held in. In the vast majority of situations, this is the city where the deceased loved one lived or will be buried. Limiting your search to funeral homes in a specific city will still leave you with several options, though.
Among the funeral homes in the city where services will be, look for a home that's conveniently located. The ideal funeral home will be both close to any church or cemetery where services will be held, and it'll be close to one of the city's major highways.
Being close to a church or cemetery will simplify driving between locations during the services and reduce the risk of someone getting lost when switching spots.
Being near a highway will make it easy for people to come from home, school or work. If many people are expected to attend, they'll likely come from all over the city (and possibly out of town). Therefore, it's not realistic to choose a funeral home that's in a centrally located neighborhood. Instead, look for one that's near a thoroughfare so people can quickly drive to the home from wherever they are.
Make Sure the Facilities Are Large Enough
The funeral home you choose must also be large enough to comfortably accommodate everyone who will be attending. Make sure its facilities are big enough for everyone who's expected, and pay special attention to the following:
- There should be plenty of parking spaces available in the home's parking lot or nearby on streets
- There should be several handicapped parking spots (especially if the deceased was elderly and left behind many family members and friends who have physical limitations)
- The viewing rooms and gathering area should be large enough to accommodate everyone
- One room should be big enough for everyone to sit at the same time if a ceremony will be held at the funeral home
You can find out whether there's enough room for everyone indoors by asking what the maximum capacity allowed by the fire department is for each room. This number should be more than the number of people you expect to attend. (A funeral home representative might not know what this number is off the top of their head, but they can easily check.)
Check the Funeral Home's Price List
To keep costs from going out of control, ask any funeral home that meets the above two criteria for their price list. A funeral home's price list details all the services the home offers and how much each service costs. As Forbes explains, a funeral home must provide this list if you request it.
Review the price list on your own or with anyone else who's helping plan the services. Taking time to look it over yourself will help you relax when deciding what services to get.
Once you have an idea of what you want to pay for, sit down with a director and go over what you've selected. They'll be able to answer any questions you have, note any key services you've neglected and sign an agreement to provide the services you purchase.
Share
