Guest article – Planning your funeral wishes is powerful and meaningful

Sarah Jones from Full Circle Funerals discusses the importance of having a funeral plain in place, in order to best understand a loved one’s wishes for their final journey.

It is often said that talking about death isn’t easy. Yet, for many people, setting out their funeral wishes or creating a clear plan can be a very positive, helpful experience.

Making clear what you would like can give a sense of completeness, and the act of fulfilling those wishes is very consoling for the people responsible for arranging the funeral.

After someone has died there are many practical decisions and administrative tasks to navigate. Thoughtful planning — guided by professionals such as funeral directors and solicitors — can ease that burden and ensure that a person’s values and choices are fully reflected in the funeral.

When families and friends have little idea what the person would have wanted. This uncertainty can lead to stress, disagreement, and doubt.

A simple written plan or conversation can change that. Setting out your wishes helps ensure that your funeral reflects who you are — your faith, beliefs, or personality — and gives your family clear guidance when they need it most.

People tell us that the act of fulfilling those wishes feels like a gift to the person who has died and that this is really consoling.

There are two main ways to prepare — Funeral Wishes and Funeral Plans:

Funeral Wishes

This is a record of what you’d like to happen after your death — for example: burial or cremation preference, ceremony type, music, readings, or people you’d like involved. These wishes aren’t legally binding but are deeply valuable guidance.

Funeral Plans

A funeral plan is a financial product that allows you to pre-pay for your funeral, locking in today’s prices and specifying your chosen arrangements. Working with a regulated funeral provider gives you reassurance that your money is protected.

Solicitors play an important role in guiding people through later-life planning. When discussing wills, powers of attorney, or estate matters, they can prompt valuable thoughts and conversations about funeral wishes.

Many funeral directors offer free consultations to support people to understand their choices and express their wishes.  It doesn’t matter if there are one of two simple requests, or whether the wishes and detailed and comprehensive – the reassurance and act of gifting is the same.

Our funeral planning guidebook shares the key funeral decisions that need to be made and provides a range of options and choices to expand your ideas and provide inspiration about what you might like to choose for your funeral.

At the end of every chapter (in the physical book) there are prompts to note down anything that has resonated with you.

When you have completed your written plan, we would encourage you to speak openly to the people who are likely to be responsible for arranging your funeral when the time comes.

People describe feeling some anticipatory anxiety about introducing the subject, but most families find relief and reassurance once they have taken the first steps.

Many people put off funeral planning because they assume it’s morbid or unnecessary. In truth, it’s an extension of good life planning.

Making plans won’t mean that anything is going to happen any earlier, but it is a powerful step towards everyone having their needs met at the time of bereavement.

How can Full Circle Funerals help?

If you’d like to discuss how to record your funeral wishes or include them in your will, please contact Full Circle Funerals or request a funeral wishes document or consultation here.

A brief conversation today can save uncertainty and conflict later — and ensure your final farewell reflects your life and values perfectly.