Where to start
If you in the process of arranging a funeral for someone else, the first thing you need to do is check if they have left specific instructions about their funeral, or whether there is a prepaid funeral plan or a life insurance policy that covers some, or all of the funeral costs with a chosen funeral director.
Once you have a Funeral Director on board, they can help you with as much of the arranging as you need. Alternatively you can make your own funeral arrangements with the help of family and friends.
Whether putting plans in place for yourself or for someone else, you need to consider the following:
- The type of funeral service required – burial, cremation, green
- Whether it should be a religious or humanist service
- The location – Church, Cemetery, Crematorium
- Type of coffin – wood, veneer, willow, bamboo, wicker
- What the deceased should wear
- The content of the service - funeral music, readings, poems, eulogies
- Choice of flowers or donations to a favourite charity
- Funeral transportation
- Funeral stationary – attendance or acknowledgement cards, order of service sheets
- Obituaries in local papers and funeral announcements
- Any catering requirements for after the service
The type of funeral may limit some of the decisions you make, for example you can’t use a veneered coffin if you are having a green funeral, or the person who has died may only be able to wear certain types of clothing if being cremated but your funeral director will help you with this.
One option which is growing in poularity is a cremation without a funeral. With this alternative to a traditional funeral there is no service so no one in attendance. Whilst this might not be suitable for everyone, it could be helpful to people who are on lower budgets or have no family.
If you are interested in understanding more about this type of alternative funeral, take a look at our direct cremation section.