How to Plan a Cremation Service
Planning a cremation can be a challenging and stressful time for your family. We understand that whether you are pre-arranging or in immediate need, trying to arrange a personalized service to commemorate the life of a loved one is no easy task. Because under Michigan law, you must arrange for cremation through a funeral home, our experienced and knowledgeable exclusive providers, Clark Family Funeral Chapel
and Central Michigan Online Cremation, will work with you to make the arrangement process easier.
If, however, you have general questions about cremation, or want a tour of our facility, our friendly and knowledgeable staff is always willing to assist you. As well, in this section, we have put together the basics for those of you faced with an immediate need
for services. This includes information on what is involved in planning a cremation, what to expect when you meet with funeral home staff, and how to select the right cremation products. There is also information on what you can expect after the memorial service.
Typically the first decision to be made is that of burial vs cremation followed by the choice of a traditional funeral or a memorial service. Also consider creating a list of who will be in attendance. These details will be especially useful for the initial meeting with the cremation provider. The different resources featured below will help educate you about the planning process, required forms, emerging trends, and even feature a planning a funeral checklist.
Before the Decision to Cremate is Made
- Learn about your cremation options. Review the
cremation information found on our website.
- Engage your family in a discussion. We urge you to bring your family into the conversation to get a better idea about how they feel about cremation and what they would prefer.
- Speak with a funeral professional. If there are any questions or concerns, please
turn to our exclusive funeral provider for the insights you may need at this point.
- Document your cremation intentions in writing. There are a number of forms we can provide to take this step.
Call our exclusive funeral provider to learn more.
- Arrange for the transportation of your loved one's physical remains.
After Deciding on Cremation
- Consider what kind of ceremony you would like to have. You can plan for a traditional funeral followed by the cremation or delay the ceremony until you have the time to plan a memorial service, celebration-of-life, or scattering ceremony.
- Ask for assistance from your family and friends. When making plans for a meaningful event, encourage everyone to get involved. Ask them to gather family photos, write down the stories they'd like to share, and talk to them about the best location for the event. If you would like a eulogy, this is the time to ask someone special to take on that task.
- Select the music, prayers, or other readings. You don't have to have any of these things but you should decide exactly what you and your guests will do at this event. There are endless possibilities.
- Contact guests well ahead of time. This is especially important if they will need to travel or request time off from work.
- Decide what will be done with the cremated remains. Commonly the urn is a visual focal point of a celebration-of-life. Will you then take it home? Will the scattering of ashes be a part of the event? You may want to purchase keepsake urns for family members.