End-of-Life Planning Services

When you’re mourning a loss, there are a hundred things to do…

One Canopie can take some of these matters off your plate and help you honor your loved one with a personalized celebration of life, memorial or funeral.

We’ll deal with the logistics, saving you time and energy to concentrate on family and the things that matter most.

SERVICES

  • Provide information and advice on options for disposition (e.g. traditional burial, cremation, green burial, water cremation, donation)

  • Budget Management

  • Help determine core desired elements for the remembrance (e.g. funeral, memorial, celebration of life, wake, visitation, graveside service, shiva)

  • Advise on the style, theme and mood of event(s).

  • Develop guest list

  • Send invitations and track RSVPs

  • Vendor sourcing, interviewing, negotiating and contracting (for venues, caterers, florists, musicians, photographers, videographers, rentals, etc.)

  • Manage all vendors’ services and deliverables

  • Serve as vendors’ Point of Contact

  • Arrange for transportation to and from locations

  • Provide guidance on readings (e.g. poems, scriptures) for ceremony

  • Host a Virtual Ceremony for fully-remote or hybrid memorials

  • Provide custom decor elements, including special touches to honor your loved one’s memory

  • Assist in writing and creating all printed materials (invitations, signage, programs, etc.)

  • Create an image slideshow or video to showcase memories

  • Handle audio / visual components

  • Set-up and Take-Down on event day

  • For Veterans: Arrange for Military Honors

  • Draft and publish obituary in newspaper(s)

  • Notify individuals and/or organizations of the passing

  • Miscellaneous end-of-life tasks (e.g. ending subscriptions, closing accounts, forwarding mail, stopping social media)

  • Legal Services (e.g. assign power of attorney, assign health care proxy)

  • Additional services by request

You choose which projects you could use some help with and we will create a customized plan together.

Our services start at $1200.

We operate nationwide, and are proudly based in New York City.

  • She was extremely supportive in helping me fulfill my deceased brother’s wishes. She was able to facilitate the process of donating his body to science, overseeing the return of his remains, in a respectful manner. I would not have been able to do all of this for him without her support and guidance. Although our interactions were virtual, I felt like she was by my side. It was a gift to work with her.

    Walter F.

FAQs

  • Hiring a planner for a funeral/memorial/celebration of life saves you time and helps you avoid stress. After a loss, anxiety can set in when you don't know what to do, how to start or what to expect -- especially when you're already grieving and when decisions need to be made relatively quickly. One Canopie will go over the process, and outline all the options and possibilities with you so you can make informed decisions and know what to expect. We can then take care of everything from start to finish. Additionally, if you elect our day-of services, instead of needing to coordinate with the vendors, help them set up, and worry over whether there's enough food/seating/flowers, you can simply spend time with friends and family and let us handle it all.

  • Our services are complementary to the important work of a funeral home. A Funeral Director can prepare the body, but may not educate families on services they don't perform, such as eco-friendly burials or water cremations. Additionally, they do not perform pre-death services or help families with post-death tasks like writing and publishing an obituary; notifying individuals of the death; or helping to close the affairs of the deceased.

  • In a free consultation, we will discuss the services you would like One Canopie to perform. After that conversation, we will send you a fee quote based on the customized project. This fee is agreed upon at the time of contract and only changes should the scope of the project materially change. There will be no hidden costs or surprises. A deposit of 50% of the total fee will be due upon signing the contract.

  • Families can choose what event(s) they would like based on where friends and family of the deceased live; cost; preferences of the deceased; religious beliefs; and tradition. Funerals are ceremonies with the body of the deceased present and usually take place within 1-2 weeks of a passing. Memorials and Celebrations of Life are ceremonies that take place after a body has been cremated or buried and can be held at any time. These events are normally held within a month of the passing. Additionally, families can choose to have a viewing, vigil or wake prior to the burial or cremation of a body, and may host a shiva after a burial. We can go over your options and help you decide on the best plan for your family.

  • Given the nature of the event, some funerals and memorials need to be planned on a quick timetable. If you need to cancel or postpone the event, we will work with any contracted vendors to help you recoup your funds. Costs for services that our staff at One Canopie has not yet begun to fulfill will be refunded. Additionally, One Canopie offers a Money-Back Guarantee of our planning services if you are unhappy with our work.

  • Yes! We pride ourselves on educating families about their options for reducing the carbon footprint of end-of-life processes. Often, these methods not only help our environment, but also make the funeral or memorial special and one-of-a-kind.

  • Yes, we offer other end-of-life services both pre- and post- death. We can assist with assigning power of attorney and health proxies. We can help you find a qualified therapist or end-of-life doula to help prepare your loved one and your family for the future. We can also advise on ways to honor your loved one's body after death; arrange for grief counseling services; and help with end-of-life logistical tasks (e.g. cancelling subscriptions and accounts). If you have another project you'd like help with that's not listed in our services above, we'd be happy to discuss our ability to help -- our goal is to simplify this time for you and your family.

  • We understand things happen. We always plan for contingencies and have a Plan B, C and D in case of emergencies. Rest assured your event is always in the most capable hands.

  • For each memorial, our lead planner meets with you and learns about your loved one and your family's history and traditions. From there, we are able to think of creative ways to honor the life of your loved one by designing personalized memorials. We can reflect their hobbies, interests, accomplishments and passions into any part of the memorial. (For example, we can play your loved one's favorite song during the service, or incorporate their classic car in the procession to their final resting place.)