Plan your own funeral on new website

12:37pm Friday 8th February 2008

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Welcome to yourdeathwish.com - the Facebook-style website where you can PLAN your own funeral.

Users on the site can choose everything from what songs they want played to which sandwiches they want served to guests.

The site - created by Brightonian Victoria Vanstone - has already attracted 1,500 people in just two weeks.

Victoria, who studied at Northbrook College, Worthing, came up with the idea after witnessing Asian tsunami in 2004.

She said the aim of the website was to give people the chance to have a say on their funeral before it is too late.

Miss Vanstone, originally from Regency Square, Brighton, said: "I'm so pleased everyone is getting it because a lot of people might think it is morbid.

"It isn't morbid though, it is something which people have shown a lot of interest in."

She developed the site two years ago after seeing at first hand the devastation caused by the tsunami while she was in Thailand teaching English.

The 30-year-old entrepreneur was particularly influenced by the way the mainly Buddhist population dealt with the effects of the disaster.

Miss Vanstone said: "I was living in Thailand at the time and it gave me a greater perspective on death and how sudden it can be.

"It made me think about the amount of people who have thought about their own funerals, but have never told anyone.

"I needed to create a way to let people share this information."

The free website allows users to specify a host of details from what sandwiches they want served to the dress code for guests.

Miss Vanstone said she wants to keep the website light-hearted and has given the page a bright design with a colourful logo.

She said it has been based on the many social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace which allow users to look at each other's profiles.

Users can put their views on life support and organ donation on their profiles.

The page also hosts a number of articles on death, including a step-by-step guide on what to do when somebody dies.

Loved ones can even log on to read any private messages which users can leave for family and friends once they have passed away.

Miss Vanstone said: "All of the responses I have had so far have been really positive. I think it is a useful tool as much as anything.

"Profiles can even act as a remembrance page where people can go and post tributes.

"I am so pleased that everyone is getting it because a lot of people might think it is morbid.

"It isn't morbid, it is something that people have shown a lot of interest in."

Miss Vanstone said it was the first website she had ever created and designed it herself.

She said she hopes the idea will take off and see people from across the world sign up to plan their funerals.

www.yourdeathwish.com