Planning a Funeral or Memorial Service
07-24-2020
Funerals and Planning
Please also check the Resources page and links for guidance—but here is a summary of some of the key points you may wish to consider.
You may prefer an officiant or humanist service, or need to meet religious requirements on the time period before burial, for example. You may also—if it is not pre-determined by the religion or if you do not know the deceased's preference—need to make a deciion on burial or cremation.
A funeral director—familiar with the religious affiliation—will also be able to guide you through the basics of not only the considerations that need to be taken into account for the service of your choice, but will be able to advise you on procecures and some of the legalities that will need to be done first.
Explore these links for more information.
Diffeerent Religious Practices: An excellent US site outlines practices across various religions, what typically occurs or is expected, and etiquette and protocol concerns that you may be unsure of. Please see My Florist for a comprehensive and detailed article.
Elements you may need to consider when planning a funeral: 
Please click on the link to Rochester Funeral Homes a Funeral Planning Checklist for futher information.
- Advise the authorities
- Advise family,friends, colleagues, place of work
- Choose a funeral director familiar with your religious beliefs/or as applicable
- The funeral director will provide information on steps (official) that you may need to take and through all the steps of planning the ceremony/burial
- Should the body be embalmed
- Are you considering burial or cremation
- Will a plot be needed, an urn, a casket—there may be implications if you choose cremation
- Will there be a need for vault, mausoleum.
- What will you do with the ashes—Will they be scattered, buried, held?
- Costs and implications for services
- Will there be public viewing of the body/visitation—open or closed casket
- Will cremation occur before the visitation, at the service, or at a later time
- Consider clothes, jewelry, cosmetic work necessary for the deceased—or if the latter is required
- Visitation and wakes—do you wish to have this?
- Temple, Mosque, Funeral Home, Church
- Graveside ceremony
- Military
- Public figure/memorial/recognition from officials or groups to be incorporated
- Program
- Music
- Speakers, Tributes, Eulogy
- Obituary—write it, publish it
- Flowers
- Charitable Donataions
- Photos and videos for the visitation/the program/cards
- Will pall bearers be needed/chosen from friends and family or funeral home
- Music for visitation and service
- Order of program
- Transportation—to the cemetary/of friends and family
- Gravestones and markers/receptacles
- Accommodation of relatives/friends
- Legalities/business matters/insurance
CANADIAN GUIDANCE
Industry Canada publishes a Consumer Handbook(downloadable PDF) and provides detailed information on what to do after a death/and also what the Canada Revenue Agency requires as well as other legalities. There are more links on the Resrouces page on this site you may wish to explore.
US GUIDANCE
The US Federal Trade Commission publishes comprehensive guidebooks/PDFs available to download at no charge on the US Gov site. These booklets also contain links and lists of associations and organizations that provide funeral planning and services, counselling, and many other facilities that may be needed at the time of loss, and links to information you will need tohandle the legal side. Please also check the Resources page on this site.
UK GUIDANCE
This organization in the UK provides a wealth of easy to access and follow information on all topics related to funerals, planning, repatriation and much more.
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