plan ahead
Why Should I Plan Ahead?
Losing someone is hard enough. Adding a hundred logistical and financial decisions on top of grief is what makes those first days feel unbearable for the people you love.
Preplanning your funeral is one of the most thoughtful decisions you can make. It removes uncertainty, protects against rising costs, and ensures your final wishes are honoured exactly as you'd want. When you take those decisions off your family's shoulders and put them safely on paper, your loved ones don't have to guess — they can be present with each other, in the way funerals were always meant to allow.
What Preplanning Gives You
Four reasons families choose to plan ahead — and why we believe every family should consider it.
Your Wishes Are Documented
Every detail — from the service style to the smallest personal touch — is recorded exactly as you'd want it. Your family won't have to wonder what you would have chosen.
Peace of Mind for Everyone
You know your affairs are in order. Your family knows they'll be supported. That certainty, on both sides, is what preplanning is really about.
Flexible Funding Options
Prepay in full, spread payments over time, or simply document your wishes without prepaying. Lock in today's prices and shield your family from years of inflation.
Relief from an Impossible Task
Families face 70+ decisions in the first two days after a death. Preplanning removes almost all of them — so grieving is what those days are for.
How Preplanning Works
Preplanning is not one big decision — it's a series of small ones, made in your own time.
1
Reach Out
Call or drop by. There's no pressure and no obligation — just a conversation.
2
Explore Your Options
We'll walk you through service styles, disposition choices, and personal touches at your pace.
3
Document Your Wishes
Your decisions are recorded on a plan we keep securely on file, with a copy for your family.
4
Decide on Payment
Prepay to lock in today's prices, arrange a payment plan, or simply document without prepaying.
Ready to Learn About Preplanning?
Whatever stage you're at — just thinking about it, ready to have the conversation, or looking for something you can work through on your own time — we have resources to meet you where you are. Sunset Memorial Funeral Home has
partnered with Kinship, a preplanning education company that helps families understand their options and plan with confidence.
The Online Assessment
A short guided questionnaire that helps you identify your preferences at your own pace.
The Planning Guide
A comprehensive resource that walks you through every decision, step by step.
in partnership with
What Does It Cost to Preplan?
Creating a preplan itself carries no cost — it's a conversation and a form. Costs only apply if you decide to prepay for your funeral in advance, and those depend entirely on the service you choose.
When you do prepay, your funds are held in a regulated trust account, separate from our business operations. Any interest earned is non-taxable, and if your funeral ends up costing less than the amount set aside, the difference is returned to your beneficiaries.
Payment plans are flexible. You can pay in a single lump sum, spread payments across several years, or arrange monthly withdrawals from your bank account — whatever fits your situation. We'll walk you through the options and help you find something that works.
What Happens to the Money
Held in a regulated trust
Separate from our business operations.
Grows tax-free
Any interest earned is non-taxable.
Refunded if unused
The difference goes to your beneficiaries.
Transferable across Canada
If you ever move away.
Common Questions
Straightforward answers to the questions families ask us most often.
What steps are involved in prearranging a funeral?
Prearranging happens in four steps: an initial conversation to understand what you're looking for, a walkthrough of your service and disposition options, documenting your wishes on a plan we keep on file, and — optionally — deciding how you'd like to fund it. The whole process can happen in one meeting or across several, depending on what you're comfortable with.
What information do I need to prearrange a funeral?
For your first conversation, you don't need to bring anything — just yourself. Over the course of preplanning, we'll gather your full legal name, date and place of birth, parents' names, next-of-kin details, and any specific service wishes you want documented. If you want to prepay, we'll also need your banking information for whichever payment plan you choose.
Do I have to pay in advance?
No. Preplanning and prepaying are separate decisions. Many families document their wishes without prepaying, which still saves their loved ones from the hardest parts of arranging a funeral in grief. Prepayment protects you from inflation and gives your family one less thing to handle — but it's optional.
Can I change my plan later?
Yes. Preplans are designed to be flexible. You can update your wishes, adjust your service preferences, or change your payment plan at any time.
What if I move out of province?
Your preplan is transferable to another licensed funeral home in Canada. If you relocate, we'll help coordinate the transfer of your plan and funds so everything moves with you.
What happens to my prepayment if Sunset Memorial Funeral Home is no longer in business?
Because prepayments are held in a regulated trust account — not by the funeral home itself — your funds are protected and can be transferred to another funeral home of your family's choosing. Your money is never at risk if something happens to the business.
