Two Subjects You Can Expect to Discuss during Your First Appointment at a Funeral Home
Here are two matters you should expect to discuss during your first funeral-arranging appointment at a funeral home.
Your Budget for the Arrangements
One of the first topics that the staff at funeral homes usually discuss with new clients is their budget. This is important to talk about during this first appointment, as it will enable the staff to help you organise a funeral that aligns with your budget and expectations.
For example, if you tell them that you have quite a large budget and would like every aspect of the funeral to be as opulent as possible, then they won't spend time showing you, for example, economy caskets or sample images of simple, inexpensive headstones. Instead, they'll show you the finest caskets they have available, put you in touch with a high-end florist for the casket spray and funeral wreaths, and show you sample images of their most elaborate headstones. Conversely, if you explain that you have a small budget and need to keep the arrangements simple and affordable, they won't waste your time showing you costlier caskets that you're not interested in, nor will they suggest that you order expensive headstones that are far beyond your budget.
How Much Help You Will Require from the Funeral Home Staff
The funeral home staff will also probably ask you how much help you would like them to provide. The reason for this is that every funeral home client requires a slightly different amount of support, depending on their circumstances. If for example, you have several relatives who can offer practical support (such as helping you decide which floral spray to use on the casket or which headstone to order), then you might not need any additional help from the funeral home, beyond the basics (such as the provision of a room in the funeral home for the funeral service, the provision of the hearse, etc.).
In contrast, if you don't have anyone in your circle of friends or family who can provide extra guidance and help with the arrangements, you might need to lean on the funeral home staff a bit more. Discussing this at your first appointment will ensure that the staff then knows that they'll need to dedicate some extra time to take care of your funeral arrangements so that you do not become overwhelmed and so that none of the decisions you have to make, in relation to the funeral, get delayed due to you having to handle too many things by yourself.
For more information about funeral services, contact a local funeral home.