How to Pre-Plan a Funeral with Stellato Funeral Homes

Updated

Stellato Funeral Homes offers several ways to plan ahead: you can complete an online preplanning form, work through a preplanning checklist, use the "Talk Of A Lifetime" program as a conversation guide, or contact the funeral home directly for custom planning. The right path depends on how much you want to decide now versus document for later — and whether you'd rather start online or with a person.

Ways to Pre-Plan

The website lists four planning-ahead resources, each suited to a different starting point:

Option Best for What it is
Online Preplanning Form Recording your wishes without an in-person meeting A form on the site you fill out yourself
Preplanning Checklist Making sure you haven't missed decisions A structured list of items to work through
Talk Of A Lifetime Families who haven't discussed preferences yet A conversation program to guide the discussion
Contacting the funeral home Custom arrangements or questions about specific services Direct planning with staff

Step-by-Step: Using the Online Preplanning Form

  1. Go to the Planning Ahead section of stellatofuneralhomes.com.
  2. Open the Online Preplanning Form.
  3. Enter the information the form requests about your preferences and the person you're planning for.
  4. Submit the form.

Expected result: the funeral home receives your preplanning information and can follow up with you. Because the site doesn't state what happens after submission, treat the form as a starting point and confirm next steps with the home directly.

Step-by-Step: Working Through the Checklist

  1. Open the Preplanning Checklist from the Planning Ahead menu.
  2. Read through each item and note the decisions you've already made and the ones still open.
  3. Use the open items as your agenda — either to research on your own or to bring to a meeting with the funeral home.

Expected result: a clear picture of what's decided and what isn't, so a conversation with staff stays focused.

If You Haven't Talked About It Yet

"Talk Of A Lifetime" is listed as a planning-ahead resource aimed at getting families to discuss what mattered to the person being remembered. Use it before filling out any form — the answers it surfaces (favorite music, meaningful places, personal values) are exactly the kind of detail that shapes traditional, cremation, personalization, and veterans services.

What You Can Plan For

Stellato's services section covers immediate need, traditional services, cremation services, personalization, veterans services, and merchandise. Pre-planning can address any of these, so decide which service type fits before or during the planning process.

Common Sticking Points

  • The form isn't the whole plan. It captures your wishes; it doesn't by itself finalize arrangements. Follow up with the funeral home.
  • Checklist vs. form. The checklist is for organizing your thinking; the form is for submitting information. Use them in that order if you're starting from scratch.
  • Custom requests. If your situation doesn't fit the standard options, the site directs you to contact the funeral home for custom planning options rather than trying to force it into the form.
  • Pricing. The site lists planning-ahead pages but no published prices, so ask about costs directly when you contact the home.

Getting in Touch

For pre-planning questions, custom planning, or to confirm what happens after you submit the online form, use the contact details in the Get In Touch section of the site. If a death has already occurred, the Immediate Need services path is the appropriate starting point instead of pre-planning.