What Is My Farewell Wishes and How Does It Work?
My Farewell Wishes is an Irish funeral pre-planning service that allows you to arrange your funeral in advance with a trusted local funeral director and put money aside towards the cost.
We work in partnership with more than 70 established family funeral directors throughout Ireland, helping people make practical arrangements for their funeral while spreading the cost through flexible payments.
You choose your funeral director, discuss the arrangements you'd prefer and decide how much you'd like to contribute and how often.
Your payments are held safely in an independent Trust, ready to go towards your funeral costs when the time comes.
It's a straightforward way to plan ahead, make financial provision and give your family the reassurance of knowing that arrangements are already in place.
How Do I Get Started?
You can begin by contacting My Farewell Wishes or speaking directly to one of our participating funeral directors.
You might simply want to ask a few questions, discuss the type of funeral you'd prefer or find out how much your arrangements might cost.
There's no obligation to make a financial commitment simply because you've made an enquiry.
If you decide to proceed, we can explain how to formally register your funeral wishes and how to make payments towards your funeral costs.
You can take your time, consider your options and decide what arrangements suit you.
Why Does My Farewell Wishes Work With Funeral Directors?
Choosing a funeral director is one of the most important parts of planning your funeral.
You want someone you can trust, who understands your wishes and who will be there for your family when the time comes.
That's why My Farewell Wishes works in partnership with trusted, established family funeral directors throughout Ireland.
We work with more than 70 participating funeral directors, all family funeral businesses with strong connections to the communities they serve.
If you already have a funeral director you know and trust, that's a natural place to start.
If you haven't chosen one, we can help you find a participating funeral director in your area.
You don't need to have selected a funeral director before contacting us. We'll happily discuss your wishes and explain the process first.
Before your funeral pre-plan is arranged, you'll choose a participating funeral director who will look after your arrangements when the time comes.
This means you're planning ahead with a trusted funeral professional, rather than simply putting money into a savings arrangement without knowing who will carry out your wishes.
How Does Funeral Pre-Planning Work?
The process is simpler than many people expect, and you can begin with either My Farewell Wishes or your local participating funeral director.
Step 1: Start a conversation
You can contact My Farewell Wishes or speak directly to a participating funeral director.
You might already have a clear idea of the funeral you'd like, or you might simply want to explore the options.
We'll explain how funeral pre-planning works and help you understand what's involved.
Step 2: Discuss your wishes and choose your funeral director
These two things can happen in whichever order suits you.
You might already have a funeral director you trust and want to discuss your arrangements with them.
Alternatively, you can talk to My Farewell Wishes about your preferences first, and we can help you find a participating funeral director.
You can consider the type of funeral you'd prefer, including burial or cremation, the ceremony, a wake or reposing and any personal touches that matter to you.
Your funeral director can advise on the arrangements available and provide an estimate of the likely costs.
Step 3: Decide how much you'd like to put aside
Once you've chosen your participating funeral director and are ready to proceed, you can decide how much you'd like to contribute towards your funeral.
You choose the amount you'd like to put aside and the frequency of your payments.
You might prefer regular contributions, occasional lump sums or a combination of both.
We'll help you understand the available payment arrangements so you can choose an option that suits your budget.
Step 4: Keep your arrangements up to date
Planning ahead doesn't mean every decision is set in stone.
Your circumstances may change, or you may simply change your mind about the type of funeral you'd prefer.
You can review your wishes and adjust your contributions as your circumstances change.
How Does Paying Towards Your Funeral Work?
One of the benefits of My Farewell Wishes is the flexibility to put money aside in a way that suits your budget.
You decide how much you'd like to contribute and how frequently you'd like to make payments.
You might prefer to spread the cost through regular instalments, make occasional lump sum payments or add extra money when it suits you.
If your circumstances change, you can increase, reduce or pause your contributions without losing the money you've already paid.
There is no requirement to pay for your funeral in full at the beginning.
The money you contribute builds up towards the cost of your funeral, giving you the opportunity to make financial provision gradually over time.
For more information, read Can You Pay for a Funeral in Instalments?, which explains how flexible funeral payments work.
You can also visit our Ways to Pay page for details of the payment arrangements available through My Farewell Wishes.
Where Does the Money Go?
When you make payments through My Farewell Wishes, your contributions are held safely in an independent Trust.
The money is held towards your future funeral costs until it is needed.
This allows you to put money aside over time, knowing that your contributions are being held safely towards your funeral.
What Happens When the Time Comes?
When the time comes, your family simply contacts your chosen funeral director.
Because you've already discussed your preferences, your funeral director has a record of the arrangements you'd like.
Your family will have the reassurance of dealing with a trusted funeral director who understands your wishes and can guide them through the arrangements.
The money you've put aside through My Farewell Wishes is then deducted from the cost of your funeral.
Having a funeral pre-plan doesn't mean every detail has to be decided years in advance.
It means your wishes are known, your chosen funeral director is familiar with your preferences and you've had the opportunity to make financial provision towards the costs.
Can I Speak to Someone Before Deciding?
Of course.
When you contact My Farewell Wishes, you'll speak to someone who understands funeral arrangements and can explain the process in straightforward terms.
You don't have to work everything out online or have a list of decisions ready before getting in touch.
You might want to ask how to choose a funeral director, what arrangements you can make in advance or how much you could put aside each month.
We're happy to talk through your questions and help you understand your options.
There's no obligation to arrange a funeral pre-plan simply because you've made an enquiry.
Our article What Happens When You Call My Farewell Wishes? explains what to expect from that first conversation.
You can also visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to common questions about funeral wishes, payments and planning ahead.
Why Do People Choose to Plan Their Funerals?
Everyone has their own reasons.
Some people want to make sure their personal wishes are known.
Others would like to make things easier for their family by taking care of some of the decisions in advance.
Some want to set money aside gradually, rather than leave the full cost to be dealt with later.
And some simply feel better knowing they've made a start.
Whatever your reason, you don't need to be elderly or unwell to think about your funeral arrangements.
Planning ahead is something you can do at any stage of adult life.
Where Do I Start?
You can start with a conversation.
If you already have a trusted funeral director in mind, you can ask whether they work with My Farewell Wishes.
You can also contact us directly. We'll explain how the service works, answer your questions and help you understand the next steps.
Together with your chosen funeral director, we can help you explore your funeral wishes and decide how you'd like to put money aside towards the costs.
Call My Farewell Wishes on 042 6039990 or visit www.myfarewellwishes.ie.
Planning your funeral doesn't have to be complicated, and you don't have to do everything at once.
Sometimes it begins with a simple conversation.
