Planning a funeral for a loved one who has passed away can be an extremely difficult thing to do, especially at such an emotional time. It can be difficult to know where to start, so here is a quick guide on what you need to do and the various options available.
It is important to ask for help from friends and family where possible. Help and support from loved ones can make a huge difference, and make the planning a little bit easier for you.
It is common for a funeral director to be hired to aid in the planning of a funeral, however it is not mandatory. If you wish, you can plan the funeral yourself, however hiring a funeral director can make the process easier and less overwhelming, as they will take care of all of the arrangements for you while respecting your wishes, as well as taking care of the deceased.
If you need help finding a funeral director near you, try our find a funeral director tool:
There are many costs associated with planning a funeral that you’ll need to think about. If you choose to hire a funeral director, you will need to pay a fee for their services. There are also cemetery/crematorium fees, hiring a venue for the wake, and the fee of announcing the death should you choose to do so.
For more information on the costs involved for a funeral, visit our blog here:
How Much Does a Funeral Cost?
There are a few ways you can pay for a funeral. If the deceased had a funeral plan or life insurance policy in place before they passed away, this might cover the cost of their funeral. Alternatively, they may have had money set aside in their estate to cover funeral costs. If this is not the case, then usually a relative or friend will pay for the funeral.
There are many decisions to be made when planning a funeral. It’s important to check to see whether the deceased had any wishes or requests for their funeral, as this may make the planning a little easier for you. If not, you will need to think about what kind of funeral you’d like for your loved one (for different types of funerals go here:
What different types of funerals are there?).
You may also want to think about whether you’d like a burial or cremation, a traditional coffin or shroud, who you’d like to officiate the funeral, whether you or someone else might want to read a eulogy, and whether you’d like to hold a wake. These are just a few of the things you will need to think about when planning a funeral for your loved one.
For more information on arranging a funeral, visit the government website here:
GOV.UK - Arrange the funeral
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