When you decide to meet with the funeral home director of your local funeral home for the purpose of preplanning your funeral arrangements, you may choose to do so without the involvement of your family. This doesn't mean, however, that you shouldn't share some of the relevant details of your plans with your loved ones after things are finalized. Once you go through the plans with your funeral director, it can be useful to sit down with your immediate family and discuss the arrangements that you've made so that there are no surprises at the time of your passing. Here are some specific details to make sure that you bring up.

People Who Will Play Prominent Roles

It's nice to talk about the people you'd like to play prominent roles in your funeral service. For example, telling someone that you'd like him or her to deliver the eulogy is an honor. Likewise, letting your pallbearers know about their role is a good idea. People who will receive this honor will appreciate knowing about it when you're alive, rather than hearing about it from the funeral director after your death. Given the importance of these roles, people will want to thank you for choosing them.

The Scope of Your Service

One of the key benefits of preplanning your funeral is solidifying the exact nature of the service that you wish to be held in your honor. It's useful to share these details with your family members so that there are no surprises once you pass away and the nature of your wishes is revealed. For example, your family may think that you'll be having a public visitation, funeral, and burial, when in reality you simply want to have no visitation and have your funeral and burial open to only a small group of immediate family members.

Cremation Versus Burial

It's also courteous to share your decision on being cremated versus being buried. There are numerous advantages to each approach, which you'll likely have considered prior to sitting down with the funeral director and preplanning your arrangements. Letting your family members know about your wishes can influence how they act after your passing. For example, if you were to pass away in a hospital surrounded by family members and have asked to be buried, your family will know that this is the last time they'll see your body. Conversely, if you've asked for a visitation and a burial, your family will expect to see your body in an open casket.