Preplanning can place the funeral provider and the funeral consumer on a more equal footing. The inexperienced consumer who makes arrangements at the time of need can be extremely vulnerable. Prior knowledge helps the consumer decline certain services and purchase only what is wanted. The consumer can decide the type and cost of the funeral or other disposition rather than someone else. If death occurs unexpectedly, it is a good idea to have a non-family member or clergy accompany the family when making funeral arrangements to provide emotional support and to help the family make decisions more clearly.
Funerals can be simple or lavish.
Many Americans are beginning to question the value or need of a traditional funeral. Actually, the modern American funeral only dates back to the Civil War, when a Brooklyn doctor invented the idea of embalming bodies of soldiers so that they could be shipped home. Embalming is essential to the modern or traditional funeral. It also includes professional service fees, burial and transit permit, newspaper death notices, extension of credit, and completion of filing of the death certificate. All of the above goods and services have generally been included in a package-priced traditional funeral.