8 Things to Consider When Planning a Funeral

Whether it's a spouse, child, relative or close friend, the death of a loved one can feel overwhelming. You may experience challenging and profound emotions ranging from shock, sadness and emptiness to guilt and regret.

However, it can be hard to deal with these emotions or concentrate on your grief when you have a funeral to plan. The funeral is a day when you can remember and celebrate the life of the person you have lost. It is a day where you can talk about old memories and funny occasions that meant a lot to you. If you've recently lost someone and want to give them the send-off they deserve, make sure you consider all of the things below when planning their funeral:

1. Their Wishes

First, you need to consider whether your loved one had any wishes for their funeral. Some people have a list of what they would like on the day, while others leave it up to their family and friends to decide.

2. The Type of Service

There are two main types of service for you to choose from. You could choose a burial or a cremation. Most burials take place at churches, while cremations take place at crematoriums. Crematoriums are buildings that are specifically designed for funerals. They are usually in a quiet, peaceful location. Click here to find out more about what a crematorium offers.

3. The Venue

In some areas, there are several churches or crematoriums to choose from. If this is the case in your area, you will want to research them all to find one you like the look of.

4. The Date

Once you have decided on the venue and type of service your loved one would like, you next need to contact the funeral director to organise a date for the funeral. The funeral director will usually give you a range of dates to choose from. This allows you to choose one that you prefer.

5. The Order of Service

Whether you choose burial or cremation, you can create the order of service for your loved one. The order of service is a booklet that details what will take place during the funeral, such as when hymns or songs will be played and when a eulogy will be read.

6. The Eulogy

It's up to you whether you want to write the eulogy yourself or ask someone else to do it. A eulogy is a piece of writing about the person who died, what they did during their life, and what they achieved.

7. Decide on the Music

Most people choose their loved one's favourite music or hymns to be played before, during and after the funeral service. However, this is entirely your choice. If you don’t want to play your loved ones favourites, you could choose songs that remind you of them instead.

8. Consider Transport

While getting to the funeral in your own car is possible, most people choose not to do this. They are too upset on the day to drive a car. Instead, they hire a funeral car to take them and other close relatives and friends to the ceremony and return them home.

Although dying is an inevitable part of life, this doesn't make losing someone you love any easier. Losing a loved one is considered one of the most heart-breaking experiences we ever have to cope with. However, for many people, this grief can be made even worse when they have to start planning a funeral. Instead of focusing on their grief, they must concentrate on planning the best funeral possible. If you’ve been left with the task of planning a funeral and you want to ensure your loved one has a good send-off, consider the things we've listed above.