Arranging a funeral is an emotional and unsettling time, however, it is a way to acknowledge, celebrate and honour the life of someone that has passed away. Funeral arrangements can vary from service to service as they are very personal to the individual that has died and can be influenced by religion, culture and wishes set out in the deceased’s last Will and testament.
If you’re the person putting the funeral plans in place for a loved one that has passed away, you can make use of our practical checklist below to help you keep track of the arrangements.
Funeral Planning Checklist
1. Contact funeral directors
When someone passes away, your first step after registering the death to get the death certificate Will be to contact local funeral directors. This is so you can talk through the arrangements for the funeral service.
We always recommend that you try and speak to a range of funeral directors to find one that best meets your funeral requirements, budget and any funeral instructions in the Will.
2. Choose the type of funeral
Below we’ve listed the most common types of funeral you could consider if the person that has passed away has not left instructions in their Will:
- Burial - this is where the casket is lowered into a grave after the main funeral service
- Cremations - this involves intense heat to reduce the body to ashes
- Direct cremation - this involves the same as the above but without a service
- Woodland burial - this involves burying someone at a site of natural beauty
If a religious service is chosen it must be conducted by an authorised religious appointee such as an ordained minister or clergy from the faith or religion. However, if it is to be a non-religious/humanist ceremony you can have a civil celebrant lead the service.
You might also be interested in reading: A guide to non-religious funerals in the UK and Planning your LGBTQIA+ funeral
3. Contact venues for the funeral ceremony and wake (if you’re holding one)
The majority of funerals are held in a place of worship, cemetery or crematorium but you could also look at other options such as a community venue (if they can accommodate the coffin).
Many people choose to host the wake in their home (to try and reduce costs) or at a venue that is easily accessible to those attending the funeral. Providing guests with beverages and food such as sandwiches or a simple buffet is common but is not essential and can be budget-dependent.
Once the date for the funeral has been set, it’s a good idea to start planning this element of the funeral so that you can include details in the invitations.
It's important that you keep the funeral budget in mind when planning the ceremony and wake, as if they are costly, it Will mean you have less money to spend on other elements of the funeral such as flowers and catering.
With the increased uptake of funeral plans in the UK, you may find out that the person that has died had paid for everything already which could save you from paying for it out of your own pocket.
4. Send out invitations
Make sure you speak to your family and those closest to the person that has passed away to create a list of attendees that you want to contact. You can then reach out to them over the phone, by written invitation or place a funeral notice online.
You might also like to read: A guide to attending a funeral & what you need to know about funeral etiquette
5. Plan the order of service
You might want to plan an order of service detailing chosen hymns/music, readings, poems, photographs and information about the wake. These are usually printed on a card or as a booklet. You can talk to your funeral director about how best to put one together that adds a meaningful touch to the service.
6. Organise transport to and from the funeral and wake
Many funeral directors Will manage the transport for you. Usually, they Will organise the hearse to carry the coffin and a vehicle for the immediate family, but if you are on a budget you can book the hearse yourself and ask guests to arrange their own travel.
What can you do to help plan your own funeral?
If you've not made your Will yet, now is the perfect time to get it done because dying without one can make it very tricky for all the people you leave behind. When you're making your Will you can include specific funeral instructions, such as: where you would like to be buried/scattered, song requests and the funeral service you would prefer in your letter of wishes.
If you're interested in finding out more about the average cost of a funeral in the UK as well as how to reduce costs or pay for a funeral, read our guide: How Much is a Basic Funeral in the UK on Average?
