Month: November 2022

If you have been tasked to help plan a funeral reception after a loved one has passed away, you may be nervous and not sure exactly where to start. While these receptions can be held in a variety of ways, you want to ensure you create one with dignity and creates a comfortable space for guests to mingle and support one another. Providers of cremation services in Irving, TX. know this can be a daunting task and share these steps for getting started.

1. Decide on a Budget

It is important to set a budget before you even begin planning the reception. This is because the budget will be your guide when it comes expenses for things like the location of the reception, food costs, table and chair rentals, and any other costs associated with the reception. If you do not have a set budget, the cost for a reception can get out of hand very quickly.

2. Select the Location of the Reception

While most funeral receptions are held in churches, funeral homes, or a family member’s home, they certainly don’t have to be. Many families may choose to hold the event at a local park or museum, hotel, restaurant or other event space.

Things to consider when deciding on the location, consider things such as:

• Is the space able to accommodate all of the guests?
• Does the location have a kitchen or can food be catered in?
• Does the location have things like chairs and tables or will those need to be rented?

3. Set the Menu

With most funeral receptions, guests will expect some sort of meal or refreshments. This could be anything from cookies and punch to a full blown three course meal. Some options that families may choose include:

• A buffet being offered
• Having a sit down meal catered in
• Catering in sandwiches and other “lighter” options
• Having guests bring in dishes for a potluck style reception

What you decide to serve and how you decide to serve it is entirely up to you as these are all appropriate options. Some factors that may impact your choice are

• Cost– Catered meals can be more expensive than lighter refreshments
• Space– Does the room have ample space for tables and chairs for a sit down meal? Is a buffet style table better for the space?
• Tone of the reception– If you want more of a casual environment where guests walk around and mingle then serving lighter refreshments may be good whereas a catered sit down meal has a more formal feel.

4. Invite the Guests

The final step is inviting the guests. This could be done as an announcement on a social media post or at the end of the memorial service. You could also send paper invitations in the mail. Just make sure however you invite your guests, you provide the day and time of the event as well as the address and directions.

After your loved one’s cremation services in Irving, TX. having a reception after the funeral or memorial service is a wonderful way for guests to gather, honor the deceased and support one another. Planning such an event can be stressful but if you take it step-by-step it can make the process much more manageable.

Making sure you choose the right provider for the task at hand is important. The same is true when it comes to your provider for cremation services in Dallas, TX. In fact, this is a case when you want to go above and beyond to ensue you are working with a trustworthy and reputable provider. Whether it is for your preplanning needs, or immediate needs for a loved one, you want to ensure the provider will treat your situation with the utmost respect and dignity.

With cremation rising in popularity over the years, more and more cremation providers are opening businesses. With so many providers how can you feel confident that the one you choose is a good one? One way is by asking questions. You can tell a lot about a provider by simply asking the right questions. If you aren’t sure what you should ask, keep reading as we cover the top three questions to ask.

1. Can My Family and I Tour Your Facility?

Visiting a location in person can tell you a lot about the business. Asking if you can tour their facility is not an odd question and any reputable facility will be more than happy to show you around. If they provider tries to discourage you from visiting or dodges the question, find another provider.

When touring the location, while you may not be able to enter in every area, you can still get a clear idea of things like their cleaning standards, how organized they are, even how they treat their staff. Take note of these things and see if you feel comfortable letting them take care of your loved one.

If you take a tour and notice the facility is dirty or staff is acting unprofessional, choose another provider. The way they handle their facility says a lot about the way they will handle your loved one. You want a clean, professional service.

2. How Will my Loved One be Taken Care Of?

Cremation providers that are reputable will have systems and processes in place to ensure the correct handling of your loved one while in their care. This will include things like how the body is handled and processed when it arrives at the facility to the cremation itself and how the cremains are handled and processed afterwards. Make sure to ask questions so that you fully understand their practices and even more so, that you feel comfortable and confident with them.

3. Do You Have Reviews and/or Testimonials?

Knowing how a cremation provider has treated their past clients can be a very good indicator of how they will treat you and future clients. You can often times find such reviews online by searching the cremation provider’s name.

If you cannot find any reviews online, simply ask them directly as they should be more than happy to share them with you. If they do not have any past testimonials or dodge your request to see them, find another provider.

Whether your are searching for a provider of cremation services in Dallas, TX. as part of your preplanning needs or immediately for a loved one, you want and need one that you can trust. Don’t be afraid to visit the facility in person and ask as many questions as you need to allow yourself to feel confident with your choice. Any reputable provider will be more than happy to help you feel comfortable.

As providers of cremation services in Farmers Branch, TX, we often get asked how to make a loved one’s memorial service unique and personal to them. While these services all tend to follow a standard order of service, there are several ways you can add a unique touch to them. Today we are going to talk about some of the main ways you can customize your loved one’s memorial service.

Create a Personal Memorial Tribute Video

A very common element you will see in a lot of services is a tribute video being played. These videos typically show a slideshow of photographs of the loved one and their life with a nice background music track playing.

This is a perfect opportunity to truly make this video special and personal to your loved one. By selecting photographs that express their personality, hobbies, and passions, you can let guests see more of your loved one that just the standard portrait photos. You could even include video clips that are from favorite times.

And when it comes to the background music, instead of selecting a general track, select something your loved one would have listened to. This could be a certain song, a song from a certain band, or even a type of music.

Create a One-of-a-Kind Display Table

Along the same lines as the video is a display table. Rather than a video, this is a still display and can include things that showcase their life and personality such as:

• Favorite photographs
• Awards, trophies, or other achievements
• Personal items they enjoyed such as a musical instrument, skateboard, sewing supplies, etc.
• Military honors
• Favorite books

Bring in Your Loved One’s Favorite Colors

If your loved one had a favorite color or color combination, consider using that as a theme throughout the service. You could have guests incorporate the color in their clothing, or use the color in things such as flowers, décor, or even in the memorial program pamphlet.

Play Your Loved One’s Favorite Music

Most services have several times when music is played. This could be in the beginning before the service gets started as the guests arrive, or even in the middle of the service when time is taken to play a specific song. Use these opportunities to play something your loved one would have wanted.

Consider Creating a Themed Service

To make a truly unique and personal memorial service, you could consider having an overall theme for the entire event. For example, if your loved one was an avid sports fan, you could use sports décor and colors throughout the service. Perhaps the loved to travel and were always visiting exotic places. You could use some of the places as inspiration for the décor, food, etc. Think about what your loved one adored and build a theme around that.

As providers of cremation services in Farmers Branch, TX. We understand that you want your loved one’s service to be unique and personal to them and we are here to help create your ideal service to honor and pay tribute to them.

We often hear of death certificates and know we need them when our loved one passes, but what exactly are they and what are they used for? Today we are going to look at death certificates, what they are, how to obtain them, and why you need them after your loved one’s cremation services in Irving, TX.

What is a Death Certificate?

A death certificate is the official declaration of death when one passes. It is a document that states information regarding the death such as the person’s name, and date, time, and cause of death. These documents are required by law to be issued and are done so by the government.

Who Completes the Certificate?

The death certificate may completed by a variety or people. This could be a medical practitioner, such as doctor, hospice nurse, coroner, etc., and a licensed burial agent, funeral director, or family member.

Why Are Death Certificates Important?

Death certificates serve to verify your loved one’s death. They are also used on a broader scale to help track things such as overall mortality and society trends.

What Other Information Do I Need to Provide for Completion of the Certificate?

To complete the death certificate, the funeral director, family member, or licensed burial agent will need to know the following about the deceased:

• Their full name
• Social security number
• Date and Place of birth
• Address at time of death
• Marital status
• Spouse’s name (if applicable)
• Military information (if applicable)
• Father and mother’s name (with maiden name)
• Highest level of education
• Race
• Occupation

What Accounts Will Need a Certificate?

One of the biggest reasons you will need a death certificate is to show for proof of death when dealing with your loved one’s accounts. Some of these accounts include:

• Social security
• Bank accounts
• Credit cards
• Cell phone companies
• Utilities
• Student loans
• Mortgages
• Insurance
• Property transfers such as with vehicles or houses
• Retirement accounts
• Social media accounts
• Credit agencies
• Department of motor vehicles
• IRS/Taxes

These are just some of the accounts you may need to contact. The specific accounts will depend on what your loved one had open. Also note that some of these accounts will only require a copy of the certificate while others may need an original.

How Do I Obtain a Death Certificate?

If you are working with a funeral home or cremation provider, you can typically order the death certificate directly from them. It’s important to consider you may need more than one certificate for dealing with the different accounts your loved one had. If you need more copies you can get them from the county or state vital records office.

It is important to note than not anyone can order a certified copy. These are typically only allowed to be given to immediate family members, executors, and others who can prove they have a direct financial relation to the estate.

If you would like more information about cremation services in Irving, TX. or how to obtain a death certificate afterwards, give us a call and let one of our directors assist you one-on-one.