As busy moms, sometimes we overlook the importance of making a will or haven’t spoken to our loved ones about how they would like to honor their wishes after they’re gone. But planning early on makes the burden for family easier, and a new website aims to help you tackle what can be a tricky topic—legacy and how you or your loved ones would want to plan for your memorial. I Made the Arrangements empowers you to take charge of your or a parent’s legacy, making things easier for when the time comes. Created by Paul Fried, this platform removes the stigma of funeral planning, with the idea that the more we talk about it, the less daunting it feels. On the “ I Made the Arrangements” website, you can create a will for free, organize your end-of-life plans, and set up advance directive information. Plus, it offers ways to personalize your experience, from writing a eulogy to picking out songs for the occasion. Read on for what Paul says about how this site can help create peace of mind and make legacy planning easier for you and your loved ones. (featured photo credit: I Made The Arrangements)
I Made The Arrangements
What led you to create the I Made The Arrangements website?
My father was a Holocaust survivor. In January of 2024, I visited Auschwitz, where my father was imprisoned. As I walked the camp, I tried to imagine the atrocities that occurred there. But what really struck me was the walls of photographs of anonymous faces of people who died there. I couldn’t help but think about what their end-of-life was like, and all that’s left of their legacy is this portrait. Then I started to think about my legacy. I have often thought about my mortality and what my funeral would look like. Who’s going to eulogize me? What are they going to say? A funeral is a major life cycle event. Unlike other life cycle events, people usually don’t plan their funerals. Your funeral is the last impression you’re going to make on your loved ones. Don’t you want to personalize it and take control of the narrative? Our society has convinced us that talking about death, dying, and funerals is taboo, yet it is coming to all of us. When we die, our loved ones have a 24–48-hour window to put together an end-of-life ceremony or a funeral. And they do this while they are extremely sad, distraught, and grieving. By making the arrangements before we pass away, we relieve our loved ones of this burden.
Why do you think it’s essential for someone to start thinking about these things now? Why do you think people need to plan this far in advance?
Thinking about these things sooner rather than later is important because, as we know, tomorrow is promised to no one. Approximately 50% of Americans have life insurance and a retirement plan, 24% have a will, and 17% plan for their funeral. I think there are a few reasons people don’t want to do it—it’s still a very taboo topic, and when we’re young, we believe we will live forever, so we put these things off until we realize the contrary.
What should you prepare before going to the I Made The Arrangements website?
The first thing I would say is to have an open mind. Baby boomers came to mind when I first thought about who might be using the site. People might want to sit with their parents and help them make the arrangements. I thought about the bonding moments of sitting with your mother and father and understanding their final wishes. My thought was that you would hear stories and discover something you didn’t know about your parents. Then, while you were discussing it with your parents, you might think, ‘ Wow, this would also be a great tool for me. ‘ It’s also helpful for anyone going through life stages such as marriage, buying a home, or having children. Videos are available for you to watch, providing a better understanding of the process. We have a lot of funeral resources that may help in your end-of-life planning, and I would encourage you to walk through the Wish Capture questionnaire, which is the questionnaire for your funeral arrangements. This is all accessible for free.
Why did you add the “Create your own free Will” section to the site?
There is a simple Will Building component to I Made the Arrangements because we believe everyone should have a Will, not just those with complex estates. In keeping with our mission to make end-of-life planning more thoughtful and less overwhelming, this tool helps ensure that your wishes are clearly documented and that your loved ones are spared unnecessary stress during an already difficult time. Our Will Builder is ideal for those with a simple estate.
How do you create a Will or Advanced Directive on the site?
You can easily create an Advanced Directive and a Will on the site for free. You need some information when you build out your Will, such as names and addresses of executors. With the Will Builder, you can start and stop at your convenience. The system will save your answers to pick up where you left off. You will begin by confirming that you are at least 18 years of age and of sound mind, entering your legal name and appointing executors, identifying the property, and talking about guardianship if you have children, debt, expenses, taxes, and more details. It’s a simple step-by-step fill-in-the-blank document. Once you’ve completed the Wish Capture (funeral planner) questionnaire, Will Builder, and Advanced Directive Builder, you will save the information, and the system will email you a PDF. You can then use these documents as needed. You can forward them to loved ones, funeral directors, or attorneys. The Will Builder document must be signed, witnessed, and notarized. You would then have to file it with your county clerk. We suggest you look into the requirements needed in your area for filing a Will.
What are some unique features of I Made The Arrangements memberships?
There are three membership levels: a free membership, a monthly membership, and our Legacy Membership, which comes with a one-time membership fee. When you have full access to the site, it is necessary to appoint a Wish Keeper; this is your I Made the Arrangements executor. They will have limited access to your information while you are alive. Once you pass, they will record the date of your passing, granting them full access and ensuring that all your final wishes are carried out. There are tips on how to choose your Wish Keeper on the site. You will add contacts, along with their email addresses and cell phone numbers. You can create a Notification of Passing that will be sent to all your contacts, informing them of your passing. You can securely store important account information, so your family doesn’t need to scramble trying to find it. You can write your eulogy and obituary or even upload a video eulogy. You can queue up emails or text messages to be sent out after you pass away, such as birthday wishes to your children. We sync with Spotify so that you can create a playlist for your end-of-life celebration. With our Legacy Plan, you can upload photos and videos and create an online legacy that will be there for future generations.
To learn more about I Made The Arrangements, visit their website, Instagram, and Facebook
This is a sponsored post by I Made The Arrangements.
