Research and compare bereavement care providers
Bereavement care providers are extremely important resources in providing bereavement care services such as funeral planning. Funeral directors or life managing directors as we call them in Nirvana, are the experts who will be able to advise you on every matter related to pre-planning whether from its financial and budgetary aspects to intricate details such as caskets, ceremonial services and burial choices.

Take your time to ask questions at different bereavement care providers and compare prices, services and products offered. You should also not be afraid to relate your own personal needs to ensure the provider is able to work with you in fulfilling your requests and wishes. Ascertain as well the quality of the bereavement care provider’s after-sales service or extra amenities offered. Check its overall reputation as a good service provider is of utmost importance during times of emergency and sensitive need.

Assess your budget and payment options
When pre-planning for yourself or your loved ones, it can be easy to get carried away in wanting the best. However, you should always be practical and weigh your options carefully. Speak to your loved ones as well to ascertain their wishes and keep an open mind in discussing budgetary concerns with them as well as with the bereavement care provider you choose to engage.

The best thing about pre-planning is how it can help you and your family save plenty of money in the long run through an inflation price lock and an instalment payment plan. That way, you and your loved ones will be able to spread out the payment through a long period instead of having to make a single large payment in an as-need situation.

Consider how you would like to be remembered or memorialised
In multicultural and multi-religious countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, it is important to determine the religious guidelines to be followed in the final rites are in accordance to your wishes. Having your decisions and final wishes expressed in black and white is sometimes useful to avoid family disputes later when you are no longer around, especially if members of your immediate family have adopted different faiths.

Aside from this crucial point, pre-planning gives you the opportunity to decide on how your send-off would be, in your own terms. The best way to consider this would be to think about other funerals or memorials you’ve participated in. Think about what made it meaningful; maybe there are elements you would like to adopt in yours. Perhaps there is someone you would like to present your eulogy, or there could be a particular personal touch you may want to add to the ceremony. All these little things may at times seem insignificant but could mean a lot in giving closure to your loved ones.

Decide on how you would like to be laid to rest
Deciding on how you would like to be laid to rest is one of the most important aspects of pre-planning to consider. The current two main options available in Southeast Asia are burial and cremation. Due to religious and cultural restrictions, sometimes only one of these options is available.

Either one of these two options entails further considerations; for example, if you choose burial, you may need to think about where and how you want to be buried.  If you consider cremation, you may need to think about the options available for the subsequent deposition of ashes; do you want to choose to be interred in a columbarium or perhaps you may want your ashes scattered at sea?

The choice of final resting place can be a matter of convenience or even a unifying element for future generations. Most private memorial parks such as those managed by Nirvana take this factor into consideration by providing a well-maintained, landscaped and peaceful environment for the comfort of visitors as a way to encourage extended families to visit and gather in celebration of heritage and reunion.

Consider supporting a charitable cause
In most Asian cultures, it is considered funeral etiquette for mourners to make a donation when attending the wake. The original purpose of this charitable practice is to help the bereft family defray the cost of the funeral.

With pre-planning however, this would mean the cost of the funeral has already been covered; as such, you may want to consider channelling such donations to a charitable cause of your choosing to preserve its original intent.

It is also considered a traditional gesture and mark of respect to send funeral wreaths and bouquets to the bereft family. Nowadays some people choose to notify mourners to defer this practice and request that the money reserved for such intents to be donated to charitable causes as it is considered a more meaningful tribute to the deceased and meritorious for all involved to benefit the needy even in death.

Ensure your loved ones are informed of your wishes and arrangements
It makes good sense to ensure that your loved ones are aware of your wishes and pre-plan arrangements. Some may have chosen to state these intents in a will; but occasionally the reading of a will may not take place till after the funeral. It will be better to include them in a separate funeral plan so that your next-of-kin will know what to do in the immediate aftermath of your passing.

It is good practice to have more than one designee who is aware of your pre-plan arrangements. This way, your loved ones can immediately notify the bereavement care provider to handle matters and your family can be left in peace to focus on mourning.