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Planning your own funeral

When the time comes, it can be a great comfort to your loved ones to be able to conform to your wishes. It can therefore help ease an already difficult time by planning your own funeral or memorial in advance. By leaving written instructions, you can avoid any uncertainty on their part as to your intentions.

Support for planning your own funeral

Humanist Society Scotland have a free, online form, These are my wishes. This enables and encourages people at any stage of their life to record practical decisions about what they would like to happen after they die. Making your wishes known now can help ease the burden on your loved ones, and ensure that your life is celebrated the way you want it to be.

These are my wishes allows you to consider various options for at the end of your life, from burial, cremation to donation to science.

When planning your own funeral, you can consider what kind of ceremony you would want. This might include noting your preference for a humanist funeral celebrant or making a note of any music or readings you’d like to include. Of course, there’s no compulsion to have any kind of ceremony. For example, you have the option of a ‘direct burial’ or a ‘direct cremation’. Even if you choose this, or donate your body to science, you may still like to hold a memorial ceremony. This would allow your loved ones the opportunity to say goodbye and celebrate your life.

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Next steps

Our These are my wishes form is completed online. Once you’ve finished it, you will then be able to download a PDF copy of your answers. You can then share them with the appropriate parties (e.g. your solicitor, your next of kin). Please note we do not share your form or answers with anyone, and will retain a temporary copy solely for the purpose of enabling you to return to complete your form at a later date. We advise you to keep a copy of your printed wishes with other important documents, such as your Last Will and Testament (Will).

You may find that you need some help answering the questions on the form or wish to speak with a celebrant after completing it. If so, you can reach out to our friendly and compassionate humanist celebrants for support.