At this time of year, a lot of planning and conversation is centered around gift giving. Are you aware of one of the best gifts you could give your family?
According to La-Na Fragomeni, it’s the gift of preplanning your celebration of life.
“Preplanning gives your family peace of mind, and that’s the best gift of all,” said Fragomeni.
Fragomeni holds a license in advance planning and has worked at the Arthur Funeral Home-Barton & Kiteley Chapel in that field since 2011. She is available to present Your Life Your Legacy seminars at any local meetings or events.
Fragomeni went on to say that planning a memorial is a lot like planning a wedding, but within a much shorter timeframe.
“If you think about it, you need to plan music, during the memorial and the reception,” she said. “You need to decide what the person is wearing, what kind of food to serve, what kind of flowers, readings, perhaps little keepsakes for attendees, the officiant, burial or cremation, memorial page photos, other photos, obituary, special extras…and many more details,” she continued.
Now imagine making all of those decisions, for your loved one, while in the midst of grief, and while trying to tend to the legal and clerical information that also arises with the death of a family member and often within a short timeline.
“It just makes sense to take some stress away, during what is an incredibly stressful time,” Fragomeni emphasized.
Fragomeni pointed out that a memorial service or celebration of life should be personalized for that person, and who better to plan it than that person, while they are still alive? Preplanning can ensure that all of the little details are documented, so everything flows smoothly, and nothing is forgotten.
Arthur Funeral Home provides each person who expresses an interest in preplanning, a complimentary Personal Planning Guide to record additional information about your wishes to make the transition seamless for your family, including details of family heritage, military history, estate and will information, financial, investment and banking details, would you like a bagpiper or a singer, and many more details that may enhance the memorial and make it easier on your family.
Preplanning has financial gains, as you can lock in prices and pay ahead, by using insurance funded payment options, to lessen the financial burden on your family. Arthur Funeral Home also has many affinity relationships within the community, some of these include EMS, SOAR, OTIP, CARP and many service clubs and organizations which offer discounts on your funeral services. Information is available by calling 705-759-2522.
“I am so passionate about helping people to understand more about this,” said Fragomeni. “When you preplan, the funeral director at the time of need is able to review the file and know all about who you were, and how to make things extremely special for the family. It’s all about YOUR story…it’s not about anyone else but you.”
Connect with the team at Arthur Funeral Home-Barton & Kiteley Chapel to learn more about pre-planning.
