Pre-planning your funeral has become increasingly popular over the past few years, so it’s no surprise the majority of questions we receive are about how to plan your own funeral.

Many people are surprised to find that not only is pre-planning you own funeral simpler than most people realise, but in fact, there are many advantages to doing so.

One of the biggest advantages of pre-planning you own funeral that causes many people to take the leap is the fact that you can decide how you want to be farewelled from this life.  When you pre-plan your funeral with Childers Woodgate Funeral Services, we sit down with you and talk you through your choices. During our consultation we will discuss everything from whether you’d like to be buried or cremated, where you’d like to be buried or where (and if!) you’d like your ashes to be scattered to the music you’d like to be played, who you’d like to give the eulogy and who should carry your coffin.

However, the biggest advantage to pre-planning you own funeral is that it takes an enormous amount of pressure off your loved ones during what will be one of the most difficult times of their life. Let’s face it, losing someone you love is so hard, and having to make decisions around funeral arrangements can often result in additional anxiety, stress and even arguments that could have been otherwise avoided. Pre-planning your funeral allows you to leave one final gift to your loved ones – the gift of not having to worry because everything is already done.

I know what you’re thinking – that all sounds great, but how do I actually plan my own funeral? The first step is to get in touch with us. We will make an appointment for a member of our caring and friendly team to meet with you at your home or our office, where we will take pen to paper and help you to decide exactly what you want for you funeral. Based on the information we gather, we will be able to provide you with a quote and advise you on your payment options. If you are looking for a longer term payment option, we work in partnership with Flexible Funeral Benefits, a company based in Bundaberg, to help you pay for your funeral over time rather than in one lump sum.

It can be helpful to start thinking about what kind of funeral or celebration of life you’d like before your initial meeting with us. Some of the topics we will discuss with you at our pre-arrangement meeting include whether you would like to be buried or cremated and where you would like to be buried or what should happen with your ashes, what kind of coffin you would like, whether or not you would like a funeral service, what kinds of flowers you’d like, any poems, reading and music you’d like, who you would like to do those readings and, of course, any special requests you might have.

During the meeting we will also fill in as much as we can of any paperwork that will need to be filed with the council and Births, Deaths and Marriages upon your death (for example, an application for permission to cremate, paperwork to register the death etc). We will ask you for the details of your parents (dates of birth and death if they have passed away, and occupations), your spouse, any marriages or registered relationships and any children you might have, so please ensure you have any information handy. If you have already purchased a burial plot, please bring this information with you to the meeting so we can note it in our records.

Once you have met with us, that’s it! You can relax knowing that everything is taken care of.

Childers Woodgate Funeral Services provides funeral care to families in Childers, Woodgate, Gin Gin, Bundaberg, Wide Bay and the surrounding areas. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so when you need us, we will be there for you. Rest assured, the care and dignity of those who come into our care and their families is our number one priority.