Funeral pre-planning - your wishes written down, your price locked in

People who come to us to plan ahead

Most often it is older people who do not want their children to carry a financial or practical burden after they are gone. Some live alone and have no close relatives to make the arrangements. Some have children living abroad who may not make it home in time. Relatives come too, when a loved one is seriously ill and the doctors are giving little time: they want to be at that person's side in the last days, not searching for a funeral home. And then there are simply orderly people, who keep their will, the deeds to their flat and a funeral plan together in one folder.

Contents of a written plan

• Place: a family grave, a new plot in Tbilisi, the home village, or cremation followed by burial of the urn.
• Ceremony: lying in state at the family flat or in one of our halls, for how many days, a church service or a secular farewell, which church or which spiritual father.
• Coffin and accessories: model, colour, cross, flowers, and clothing the person has chosen themselves.
• Wake: the kelekhi meal that follows the funeral - a restaurant or the house, the menu, a rough number of guests.
• Headstone: the stone, its shape, the photo, the wording of the inscription, sometimes an epitaph chosen by the person themselves.
• Contacts: who to call first, who makes the decisions, who must be told abroad.
• Personal wishes: music, poems, who will speak - or, on the contrary, a request for a short and modest ceremony.

Fixing today's price

The most practical part of the plan is that the price written into the contract does not change, even if rates go up several years later. Our commitment covers the funeral home's own services: the coffin, accessories, hearse, preparation, documents, gravediggers, pallbearers and coordination. Anything set by others - the cemetery plot fee and the restaurant menu - goes into the contract as an approximate amount, and the family pays the actual price at the time of the funeral.

Keeping your money safe

A natural question is: what happens to my money if something changes? That is why the contract sets out several rules. The money you pay in is held in a separate account and is not used for the funeral home's day-to-day expenses. You can cancel the contract at any time, and the payment is then returned minus a small administrative portion, the size of which is stated in the contract itself. If you move to another city or country, the money can be transferred or refunded.

Inside the consultation

1. Meeting: at our office, at your home or by video call, at a time that suits you. People often come with a son, a daughter or a friend.
2. Conversation: the coordinator listens and asks questions but does not push anything. A lot is left undecided after a first meeting, and that is perfectly normal.
3. Draft plan: a few days later we send a written plan and estimate that you can read through quietly at home.
4. Contract: only when you feel ready. One copy stays with you, one with us, and a third can go to the family member who will be making the decisions.

Securing a cemetery plot in advance

For many people the key question is the place: next to a spouse, in the family plot, or at a particular cemetery where their parents lie. If a spouse is already buried, reserving a double plot or getting permission for the family grave to be opened in future needs to be sorted out in advance, and we help with that. A new plot can be chosen too: we show the available places in photographs, and the terms of purchase depend on the rules of the cemetery administration. A double headstone with space already left for a second name is often the result of exactly this kind of planning.

When a loved one is seriously ill

This is the hardest conversation of all, and we handle it gently. Relatives often feel guilty for thinking about a funeral while the person is still alive. In truth it is an act of care: having a plan means that in the final days the family will be at their side rather than on the phone. The coordinator holds such a meeting at home or near the hospital in under an hour and leaves a written plan, so that when the time comes a single message is enough.

Updating the plan over the years

Wishes change: a person moves to another district, a spouse dies, grandchildren are born, health calls for a different kind of ceremony. So every few years we get in touch and ask whether what is written down still holds and whether there is anything to add. A change is made as an annex that supplements the original plan.

A funeral plan versus a will

A funeral plan does not replace a will. A will deals with how property is divided and is drawn up by a notary, while a funeral plan is a service contract between the client and the funeral home. Even so, many people add a separate clause to their will saying that a plan exists and where it is kept, so the family is sure to find it. We recommend keeping a copy of the contract in the same folder as the deeds to your flat and your ID, and making sure at least one family member knows about it.

Opening the conversation at home

Often the hardest part is starting. An elderly parent does not want to frighten the children, and the children feel awkward asking. In many families the conversation begins by chance, after the funeral of a neighbour or relative, when someone says, "I wouldn't want it like that." That is a good moment to ask how they would want it. Some people find it easier to write than to talk, and for them we have a short questionnaire that can be filled in at home without any rush.

A burial in the home village

Many people want to be buried in the village they come from, beside their parents, even if they spent their whole life in Tbilisi. For the children this wish often comes as a surprise and, if nobody knew about it beforehand, it can even lead to arguments. Writing the village, the cemetery and the location of the family grave into the plan settles the question. We calculate the transport distance, check whether embalming will be needed and note down who in the village we should contact about preparing the grave.

Once the time comes

A family member calls the hotline and gives the contract number or the person's name. The operator opens the plan straight away, and the coordinator who worked on the contract, if available, contacts the family personally. Everything proceeds as written, and all the family has to do is confirm what has already been decided. If circumstances have changed - for example, the family chooses a different hall - the change is made immediately and the estimate is adjusted.

Frequently asked questions