Traditions surrounding death, grieving, and cremation services in Newtown, PA are changing.

These days, there are almost no rules when it comes to planning a memorial or funeral service. This change is good as it allows for ultimate personalization for celebrating the life of the deceased. This lack of guidelines, while good for personalization, can make planning tough.

Where do you start? The best place to begin is choosing the location. The traditional funeral home or church isn’t necessary the only choice for a memorial anymore. You can also choose to have a service in a park, on a beach, at a home, in a museum, or almost any other place that holds significance to you, the deceased, and the rest of the bereaved.

Next, think about final disposition and the master of ceremonies. Burials used to be the default, but not anymore. There are tons of options these days from cremation services and body donation to entombment and more. Sometimes families don’t want a religious service led by a pastor or clergy member. In these cases, they may want to hire a celebrant. Celebrants are licensed masters of ceremony that work with the bereaved to customize memorial services in fresh and unique ways. Most funeral homes and cremation providers can offer lists of recommended local celebrants.

Another new trend is asking for people to send donations “in lieu of flowers”. You can ask guests to make contributions to a cause the deceased believed in as a good way to carry on his or her memory. But flowers are a traditional part of memorials and funerals, and probably aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. They can transform any room into a comforting and welcoming space perfect for grieving a loss and celebrating a life. Consider getting personalized floral displays or arrangements for even more flair. There is also a new tradition of giving small gifts, like party favors, to memorial guests. These gifts are a nice way to help them keep the deceased in their minds and hearts long after the service is over. Feel free to get creative, like making recipe cards with the deceased’s favorite dishes.

You can also personalize parts, if not all, of a lost loved one’s memorial. You can really have fun with this part of the planning. Readings, poems, prayers and even music can be easily combined with a service, as can any other aspect of the deceased’s life and personality. For example, if the deceased loved jazz music, you can hire a jazz band to play at the reception or play jazz music during the service. Don’t forget to also include personal memorabilia like photos, videos, and beloved objects.

Planning a funeral or memorial service is very personal, so these ideas are just to get you started. If you want more ideas or help planning a Newtown, PA cremation service, J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel is here to help. Please stop by and visit us or give us a call to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss.

Someone will have to make decisions about your funeral or cremation service planning in Langhorne, PA, from where you will be buried or cremated, how your will estate be carried out, and many other important jobs. This person is usually one of your next of kin. Your next-of-kin is an immediate family member, like a husband, wife, or common-law spouse, a child, your parents, a domestic partner, or your siblings.

But what happens if you don’t have any next of kin? Or if you don’t want your next of kin to be in charge of your will and cremation service arrangements?

There are plenty of situations in which this happens. For example, people often get divorced and therefore are estranged from their ex-spouse and children. People outlive their family members. Or, in other instances, someone may not want their children to be in charge as they might argue about how to execute the cremation and estate funeral after the death of their parents. These aren’t necessarily bad situations, and there are definitely ways you can make sure your wishes are followed even if they apply to you.

If these or similar situations apply to you, you can always designate a funeral agent. A funeral agent is a person designated to have legal responsibility over all the matters concerning someone else’s disposition. In the funeral world, this is called the “right to control.” You can hire a funeral agent and give them the right to control your cremation service planning and the legal power to override the decisions of anyone else, including your children, siblings, spouse, domestic and civil partner, and parents.

Funeral agents can be anyone you choose, from a friend or clergy member to a neighbor, coworkers, social worker, or extended family member. However, its best to choose someone that will outlive you and will understand and be able to handle the ins and outs of planning a cremation. Choose and appoint your funeral agent carefully. While the laws vary from state to state, the most common process is by either adding a codicil to your will or by filling out a form. If you want to designate a funeral agent in your will or in a codicil to your will, you need to talk to a lawyer and explain your wishes.

Since the executor of a will is not necessarily the funeral agent, it is important to make the wording clear and specific in your will. Have your lawyer draw up a will or amendment that makes it clear who your funeral agent will be. If you want to fill out the form, you should get the form from your local government and make sure its notarized and signed by the intended funeral recipient and two witnesses.

Get in touch with J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel if you want to learn more about funeral agents and other aspects of preplanning for a Langhorne, PA cremation service. Whether or not you appoint a funeral agent is completely up to you, as it is a very personal choice.