A new online funeral planning service, Way To Go, has launched, allowing people to plan their own perfect send-off.
Way to Go is the brainchild of Julia Page who wants to encourage people to take control of their own funeral so that it’s exactly how they want it. The service allows customers to choose everything they want for their funeral, including the venue, music, readings, poems and photographs to be shown on the day. They can pick a special theme, choose music and readings, a funeral director and even record a video message to be shown to friends and family.
Founder Julia, who is based in the Vale of Glamorgan, is a former English teacher and now a funeral celebrant who has seen many people’s loved ones confused and distressed due to the complexities of funeral planning.
Many people find they don’t know the wishes of their family and friends, which is why she is a huge believer in not being afraid to talk about death and making your own funeral plans. If you prefer not to share them with your loved ones, Way to Go generates a code which can be printed off and left with your family or in your paperwork/will. This code enables the reader to access a read-only copy of everything you have planned.
Julia had this to say about the service: “Loved ones often find it difficult to make the right decisions when they are grieving, so using the planning website ensures that they have less stress and worry at what is, already, a difficult time. There is a huge sense of relief when they know they have honoured their loved one’s wishes.
“I believe that discussing death and your wishes is hugely important so that people understand that death is a natural thing. Way to Go allows people to have the funeral they want; to control their ‘brand’ in terms of pictures and music, rather than leaving it to family members who may pick something that is totally unsuitable.”
By taking all the planning into their own hands, Way to Go subscribers can reduce the pressure on family and friends to have to make big decisions at a time of great loss and grief, and have the peace of mind that their wishes will be known to their loved ones.
Those who sign up to the service will have complete control of their Way to Go plan, and it will only be shared with loved ones when the planner chooses. This includes leaving the unique code in a safe place so that plans can be accessed after your death.
Way To Go costs £10 a year for each member, with the first year completely free of charge. For this annual charge, funeral plans can be stored, updated and shared at any time. In addition, 10% of the money paid will be donated to charities whose focus is end of life care.
The idea for Way To Go has been a long time coming for Julia, who has had the idea for almost 30 years. She added, “My friends always thought it was a bit strange that I had such clear ideas about my funeral, particularly the music I want. I believe we should be able to talk about our wishes. It can be interesting to think about what we feel sums up our life, and the beauty of Way To Go is that you can update your choices whenever you want.”
