At-Need Cremation Checklist

Funeral At-Need Checklist

Choose your preferred type of disposition:

☐ Cremation

☐ Green (eco-friendly) burial

☐ Anatomical donation (ending in cremation)

Choose your preferred venue:

☐ Chapel

☐ Church

☐ Other:

Select the type of gathering, service, or ceremony:

☐ Visitation, viewing, wake, or rosary

☐ Private family viewing

☐ Public viewing

☐ Wake at home

☐ Visitation at the funeral home

☐ Celebration of life service

☐ Traditional funeral service

☐ Body present

☐ Body not present

☐ Open casket

☐ Closed casket

☐ Memorial service (after cremation)

☐ Home funeral service

☐ Green or eco-friendly funeral service

☐ Scattering ceremony

☐ Family gathering

☐ Reception or fellowship meal

Choose ways to personalize the event:

☐ Meaningful location (park, golf course, lake, garden, beach, event center, theater, art gallery, church, stadium)

Indoor backup location for bad weather:

☐ Speaker (clergy, celebrant)

☐ Pallbearers, eulogist, helpers, attendees

☐ Catered meal

☐ Potluck meal

☐ Prayers, poems, or readings

☐ Special songs or hymns (live or recorded)

☐ Memorial video with meaningful music

☐ Memorials or monuments (marker, headstone, video tribute, online memorial)

☐ Memorial contributions to charity

Decide on the place of final rest:

☐ Scattering of cremated remains (sea, park, private property, memorial garden—with permission)

☐ Keepsake items (cremation jewelry)

☐ Organ donation or anatomical donation

Determine your preferred method of payment:

☐ At-need payment: family contributions, shared responsibilities, or crowdfunding (youcaring.com, gofundme.com)