Funeral pre-planning
Plan my own funeral, lovingly, in advance.
Why it matters
Why planning ahead matters.
Grief narrows the world. In the first 72 hours after a death, the people you love most are making dozens of decisions on no sleep and very little appetite. Most of those decisions cannot be undone. Pre-planning shifts every one of them to a calmer day.
It also gives you authorship. The traditional funeral was designed around a script that suits everyone and no one. Pre-planning lets you reject the parts that aren't you, and keep — or invent — the parts that are. A favourite venue. A specific song at a specific moment. A photograph wall instead of a slideshow. An open mic instead of an order of service.
Quietly, it's also a gift to yourself. Many of our clients describe a real lightness after a pre-planning session — the relief of knowing the people they love will be held by a plan, not left to guess.
Benefits to family
What your family receives.
- Clarity in the first 24 hours. One phone number to call. One folder of decisions already made.
- Permission to grieve. No one is forced into project-management mode while heartbroken.
- A celebration that fits. Music, photographs, food and venue chosen by you, not defaulted to.
- Financial transparency. Costs and inclusions documented so there are no surprises for executors or partners.
- A continuing keepsake. The framed exhibition designed during pre-planning goes home with the family afterwards — a memorial that lives on, on their walls.
The process
Our pre-planning process.
01 · A private first conversation
We meet — at your home in Buderim, Brisbane, Bulimba or Burleigh, or by video — and listen. There's no script and nothing committed.
02 · Documenting your funeral wishes
We work through the moments that matter: who reads, who speaks, what plays, what's served, what's worn, what's photographed. Practical decisions sit alongside the creative ones — burial or cremation, location, who to notify, who you'd like to lead the day.
03 · Designing the celebration
You preview a creative direction for your own celebration of life — venue, room layout, photography curation, music, food, the shape of the day. You shape it. We refine it.
04 · A living plan, held privately
Your plan is stored securely and reviewed lightly every couple of years. When the day eventually comes, your family makes one call and we step in — quietly, fully prepared, and entirely on your terms.
Talk to us about your loved one — gently, and without obligation.
Frequently asked
Answers, openly.
Across the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, these are the questions families ask us most.
- What is funeral pre-planning?
- Funeral pre-planning — sometimes called pre-arrangement — is the process of recording your funeral wishes in advance so your family doesn't have to guess. At Art of Life we go further than a paperwork exercise: we help you design the actual experience you'd like your people to have, from the music to the photographs on the walls.
- Why plan my own funeral now?
- Because love is the worst time to be making logistical decisions. Pre-planning takes a 72-hour scramble off your family's hands. It also lets you shape something that feels like you — not a default service chosen under pressure by people who can barely breathe.
- Is funeral pre-planning legally binding?
- Your documented funeral wishes are a strong guide for your family and executor, and we structure them carefully so they're easy to follow. For pre-paid funeral plans or legal estate matters we'll always recommend you speak to your solicitor or financial adviser alongside us.
- Do I have to pay for the celebration upfront?
- No. Many of our Queensland clients simply document their wishes with us so the family knows exactly who to call and what to do. Others choose to set funds aside through their estate. We'll talk through the options without pressure.
- Can I change my funeral wishes later?
- Of course. Life shifts. Relationships shift. Your wishes can be updated any time — we recommend a light review every couple of years or after any major life event.
- Where do you offer pre-planning consultations?
- We meet families across the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and the Gold Coast in person, and anywhere in Queensland or beyond by video. The first conversation is private, unhurried, and never a sales pitch.
Also from Art of Life
Other ways we help families.
Celebration of Life Planning
The story-led gathering your pre-planning is designing in advance.
Read more →Life Story Curation
Capture your story now — interviews, photographs and keepsakes preserved for family.
Read more →Memorial Gallery Exhibitions
An immersive photography exhibition curated as the centrepiece of the day.
Read more →Gift your people calm, clarity, and you.
Begin a private pre-planning conversation. We meet across the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and the Gold Coast — and anywhere in Queensland by video.
Begin an enquiry