What is Pre-Paid Burial Planning?
Pre-paid burial planning is one of the most thoughtful and considerate gifts you can give to your loved ones, because it relieves the burden of making difficult and expensive decisions at the time of grieving, and lets you set your own legacy. The love story you built with your family will endure for generations, and planning your burial arrangements in advance allows your family the time to connect with the warm and tender memories you shared together.
More than 50 percent of Americans ages 50-74 pre-plan their burial needs. Imagine the calming peace of mind you can have knowing that it's all taken care of.
Make burial plans now, in order to:
- Spare your family from making hard decisions at an emotionally stressful time
- Alleviate additional grief at the time of loss
- Ensure your decisions are informed and thoughtful
- Choose the specific items you want at today’s prices
Step 1: Choose your burial plan option
Above ground, in-ground, or cremation. This site will walk you through the various burial options to help you decide which feels right for you.
And if you want additional guidance, you can speak to a caring, knowledgeable representative at a MemorialPlanning.org affiliate neighborhood cemetery location.
Step 2: Select your memorial space
As part of your burial planning, you must decide if you want your final resting place to be in the ground, in a mausoleum, or in a columbarium. Once you've chosen, we ease the process with three effortless purchase options:
- Instance Download – Access a no-obligation cemetery planning guide full of detailed burial planning information and tips.
- In-Person – Make a no-obligation appointment to take place right in your home, or at your local cemetery’s office if you’d prefer. You’ll receive a comprehensive consultation tailored to your specific pre-paid cemetery plan and memorialization preferences.
- Phone – Have a brief and informative phone conversation with a burial planning expert. Based on your discussion, the representative will create a customized agreement and mail it to you.
Step 3: Select all necessary burial items
Depending on your burial preference, a number of items are required. You can review the below chart to determine what items are required for any burial.
| Type of Space | Burial Items Necessary for a Complete Plan |
|---|---|
| Land *Many of our customers sub-sequentially purchase their opening and closing and vault (in turn finalizing the space arrangements). At a later date, the memorial and then finally the casket, are purchased resulting in a complete land (in-ground) pre-paid burial plan. |
1. Vault 2. Opening-and-Closing 3. Memorial 4. Casket |
| Mausoleum Crypt (Community and Private) |
1. Opening-and-Closing 2. Casket |
Cremation- Land |
1. Urn 2. Vault 3. Opening-and-Closing 4. Memorial 5. Casket |
| Cremation - Niche (Mausoleum or Columbarium) |
1. Urn 2. Niche Opening-and-Closing |