From the moment that families first walk into funeral homes in North Riverdale, NY, they have to make one decision after another. Most families are pressed for time when making funeral arrangements for their loved ones, and as a result, they often feel overwhelmed while making many of these decisions. To avoid having this happen to your family, you should familiarize yourself with the types of decisions that you’ll be asked to make. It’ll ensure that you’re prepared for them ahead of time and ready to go once you walk into a funeral home. Here are some of the most important decisions you’ll have to make.

Are you going to bury or cremate your loved one?

One of the very first things you’ll have to decide when making North Riverdale, NY funeral arrangements for a loved one is whether you’re going to bury or cremate them. Ideally, they will have told you which option they preferred. But if they didn’t, you and your family are going to have to make the decision for them. You should take into account everything from your family’s funeral traditions to your loved one’s religious beliefs when trying to choose between a burial and a cremation.

What type of funeral service will you stage for your loved one?

There are lots of different types of funeral services that you can hold for your loved one. From a traditional funeral service to a memorial service to a celebration of life ceremony, it’s going to be up to your family to decide which one will work best for them. There are some families that opt to hold a large traditional funeral with a viewing prior to a burial, while there are others that will cremate their loved one before holding a small memorial service later on. You can decide what approach you want to take to your loved one’s funeral services.

Which casket or urn will you purchase for your loved one?

When you bury someone, you’re going to have to invest in a casket for them. When you cremate them, you’ll have to get an urn to put their cremated remains in once their cremation is complete. And you’re going to find that, either way, there are going to be tons of caskets and/or urns for you to pick from. You’ll probably want to start shopping around for one in advance if you can so that you’re not stuck doing it at the last minute. Look for a casket or urn that fits in your family’s budget and that matches up with your loved one’s personality.

How much will you be willing to spend on your loved one’s funeral?

Prior to sitting down with a funeral home to make funeral arrangements for your loved one, you should have some general idea of what you’re going to be willing to spend on everything. You and your family should decide how much you’re comfortable spending so that you don’t end up digging yourselves into debt to plan your loved one’s funeral. It’ll make the entire funeral planning process go so much smoother than it would otherwise.

You and your family can try to make some decisions regarding your loved one’s North Riverdale, NY funeral services in advance. But you’ll need a funeral home to assist you in making others. Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home, Inc. will be there for you every step of the way as you set out to make the right decisions at every turn. Call us today to start planning your loved one’s funeral from start to finish.