How to Arrange a Funeral
When a loved one passes away, it is always a difficult time.
As well as processing their own emotions and grief, it’ll often be down to family members or close friends to organise the funeral.
With so much to consider, the process can be overwhelming, which is why the team here at Lilley Funeral Directors has put together this handy guide outlining how to arrange a funeral.
Register the death
The first thing to do after a loved one has passed away is to register the death. The local registry office where the deceased lived is the best place to do this, but if the coroner is involved they will be able to recommend where you will need to make the registration.
You can register the death if:
- You’re a relative of the person who has died
- You were present at the death
- You were living in the same house as the person who died at the time of their death
- You are organising the funeral (not including funeral directors)
You will need to register the death within five days of the individual passing away and you will require:
- Their full name
- Marital status
- Date of birth
- Date of death
- Place of birth
- Occupation
- Maiden name (if female and married)
- Spouse’s name
- Spouse’s date of birth
- Spouse’s occupation
- The medical certificate showing the cause of death
Check for prepaid plans
Often, particularly if the deceased was elderly or unwell, they may have a prepaid funeral plan in place. This means that the funeral was already fully or partly planned and paid for before they died, allowing them to declare their wishes and make it easier for loved ones.
If you discover a prepaid plan is in place, you may need to put some finishing touches to it, but it should make it easier to honour their wishes.
Choose the funeral type
If there is no prepaid plan in place, then it may be down to you to choose the funeral type. There is a range of funeral types to consider and our team will be able to help you decide what best reflects your loved one’s wishes.
Burial or cremation?
The first thing you’ll need to decide is whether your loved one should be buried or cremated. Your loved one may have given you some idea about their preferences regarding this, but if not we can help by discussing the different burials and cremations on offer.
For burials, this includes:
- A traditional burial – The most traditional option that sees your loved one buried in a plot at a cemetery which can be visited.
- Natural burial – A more environmentally friendly option, your loved one will be placed in an eco-friendly coffin and laid to rest in beautiful natural setting
Cremations you can choose include:
- Traditional cremations – These follow much the same formula as traditional burials, but after the funeral service, your loved one will be cremated instead of buried.
- Direct cremations – Typically chosen by those who do not want to spend a lot of money on their funeral or prefer minimal fuss, a direct cremation is an unattended cremation that takes place without any mourners or a ceremony. After the cremation has taken place, the ashes will be sent to family or friends, who may choose to hold their own private ceremony or scatter the ashes.
Choose the type of service
Depending on the personality, character or beliefs of your loved one, there are also several service types to choose from:
- Religious funeral service – Many people still opt for a religious funeral and at Lilley Funeral Directors we can cater for all faiths and denominations. Sometimes, even those who profess not to be religious will still opt for a religious service to preserve tradition. If you want to customise a religious service with certain readings or songs, or require the use of our facilities to carry out religious practices like washing the deceased, we can help cater for this.
- Memorial service – Sometimes described as a non-religious funeral, these services often include many of the same features as a traditional, religious service but without any religious elements. For example, they may include music instead of hymns or poems instead of readings from holy books.
- A celebration of life service – Celebration of life services are more usually upbeat and positive, and place less focus on mourning the loss of your loved one. They can still include music and readings, but the mood tends to be more uplifting. Often, these services go hand in hand with a themed funeral that celebrates an aspect of the deceased’s personality or hobby. They may also include a personalised coffin.
Create a funeral notice and order of service
Finally, you should create a funeral notice to inform people where and when the funeral will take place. This should include details of the deceased, the location and time of the funeral, as well as instructions about flowers, gifts and charitable donations. Traditionally, such notices were published in local newspapers and while many people still choose to do this, they can also be published online.
You will also need to plan the order of service, which outlines the order of any music, readings or eulogies on the day. You should be aware that religious funerals need to have certain things in the order of service. This will be discussed with you when planning the funeral.
At Lilley Funeral Directors, we’ve supported local families in Bexley, Crayford and Dartford for many years. If you need support planning a funeral for your loved one, get in touch with our team today.