Cookie Cutter or Unique?

Plan the Best Ever Funeral

Cookie cutter funerals have no place for most families anymore. People have real ideas of how they want their funeral to be for the friends, family members and the loved ones they leave behind.
The problem is that most people don’t plan ahead for that special day that is designed to honor the dearly departed while ministering to the hurting hearts left behind. As a result, the sole decisions are left in the hands of the ones who are still reeling from the sudden loss.
Fortunately, Bixby Funeral Service has opened up their doors for free advanced planning for individuals and families to come and plan out their wishes in advance. They are discovering that people are loving this option.
“I’ve had so many families tell me it wasn’t the burden they thought it would be,” says Jack Selby, who started the funeral service with his wife Carol in 1983. “They’ve told me, ‘This is actually fun.’ That means a lot to us and we know it means a lot to their families. It’s all about celebrating the life of your loved one while planning ahead.”
Funeral planner Jody Greene said he and his wife Kara, both directors at Bixby Funeral Service, like to remember that funerals can and should be as unique as the individual’s life that is being celebrated.
“There are a lot of really unique things people are starting to do with their services here,” Jody shares. “With our RiverCrest Event Center, many are making funerals and memorials an ‘experience’ for those who attend. Oftentimes, guests leave with a parting gift that reminds them of their loved one or perhaps the service is followed by a reception with catering that allows family and friends to talk and connect over those special memories of their loved one.”
So how exactly does a family plan out the experience they want to leave their friends and family with?
Selby says to everyone: “Have the talk. Get together around a cup of coffee and say, ‘Hey mom and dad, what do you want to have at your funeral? How do you want your life celebrated? What do you want said? How do you want to be remembered?
“We even encourage people to think about the funerals and memorial services that have been a meaningful part of their past, as they’ve been given the irreplaceable opportunity to say farewell and to gather with family and friends as people stop their lives to be together during these moments.
“Then, he added, you and your family will come in for a free pre-planning session where you can plan out the whole thing and keep it on file. Then when the day comes, everything is all set. With pre-planning, there is also an option to pre-fund those wishes. This is where you begin to put money aside a little at a time even if you want to spread it out over a 3-year or 5-year payment plan.”
So, what do you want your funeral or memorial to look like? Contact Bixby Funeral Service today to begin making your own unique plans.