How to arrange a funeral
Arranging a funeral for a family member or loved one can be difficult. Help and advice from your local funeral director can ensure you are able to provide a unique tribute to their life.
If you are responsible for arranging a funeral, it can be an emotional period of your life as it is likely the deceased is a family member or a close friend. By arranging a suitable and respectful service you are helping both yourself and other people close to the deceased with their bereavement.
Arranging a funeral is a daunting task especially as you will also be grieving. Your local funeral directors can guide you through the options and help you make the important decisions making the process as easy as it can be.
With all the different options and choices to be made it can be tough. You will have to balance your wishes with any that the deceased may have made. It’s therefore important that the person arranging the funeral is able to make decisions and give instructions about various aspects of the funeral such as:
Each funeral is a very personal and unique celebration of the deceased’s life, many people prefer unique additions such as a eulogy to be read or certain music to be played or performed at the service.
One of the first decisions to make
The first decision to be made for any funeral service is whether it shall be a burial or a cremation. You will also need to decide where the service will be held, this may be at a church or place of worship, at a crematorium, at the graveside or somewhere else. In the case of cremation there can be a service at a church combined with a shorter service at the crematorium’s chapel.
The decision on whether there will be a burial or a cremation may have already been made by the deceased in their will or from a discussion with family members.
Information the funeral home will need
Upon contacting your local funeral home, there is some key information that they will need to know.
- The deceased’s full name, age and address
- Where the deceased is resting (this could be at home, a nursing home or hospital)
- The name and contact details of the deceased’s doctor/GP
- Has the death certificate been issued and collected?
- If you or the deceased would like a religious or non-religious ceremony?
- If it is to be a religious service whether you need the services of a minister or not.
The arranging of the funeral service involves many elements. Your local funeral director will take care of all of the details. They will listen carefully to your requirements, help you make important and difficult decisions, liaise with third parties, and are responsible for ensuring everything runs as smoothly as possible on the day.
Your funeral director will guide you through the options when you have to make decisions about: