How do I plan a funeral for a family member?

A funeral can be quite overwhelming, especially if you’re the one organising it. It’s not easy organising a large-scale event during a time of grief, often in a very short time frame too. But at the same time as it being daunting it is a great privilege. If you’ve been asked to plan a funeral for a family member, try to bear that in mind as you set about the multitude of decisions to be made.

We recently explored the Four Steps in Planning a Funeral in the UK. That post dealt with the administrative aspects of how to plan a funeral. In this blog post, we want to explore some of the more personal details of funeral planning.

Funeral Director

The services of a Funeral Director are invaluable, as they have extensive professional experience of how to plan a funeral. Typically, the Funeral Director will: Organise the registration of death; run much of the administrative aspects of funeral planning; prepare and transport the body from the chapel of rest; and decorate the service hall as appropriate.

Order of Service

An order of service lets the congregation know how a service is going run. It can be as simple as a small notice that lists where the eulogy comes in relation to a hymn or a poem. Many people use this as an opportunity to share small pieces of information about, or photographs of, the deceased.

Nobody’s expecting Shakespeare from an order of service but it’s nice to let the character of the deceased speak through the page. If they were formal, the order of service can reflect that with a simple booklet that runs through the order of the day. If they had a noticeable trait or quirk, use that. Add in some of their favourite jokes or print the service out in their favourite shade of pink.

Eulogy Support

We’ve written a lot recently about the importance of the eulogy, but very little on how much pressure people are under when they’re asked to write one. It can be difficult to condense someone’s life into a few short words, particularly if that person was dear to us. If you’ve asked someone else to prepare a eulogy, make sure they have all the support they need.

Offering and asking for support is possibly the most important part of how to plan a funeral. You’re unlikely to need your family and friends more than when you’re planning a funeral. Help out where you can and ask for help when you need it. They might not know any more about how to plan a funeral than you do, but at least you can shoulder the burden together.

Music Choices

We still associate funerals with the noise of an organ, and while they do have a certain ceremonial flair to them, they’re not a prerequisite for a funeral service. Our taste in music is so characteristic of who we are that it’s a shame not to let that shine during our funerals. Whether that song choice is irreverent or poignant doesn’t matter, the congregation will appreciate the sentiment either way.

How to Plan A Funeral with Capital Life Funeral Plans

There’s no simple answer to how to plan a funeral, but we hope this short guide has given you some things to consider. If you’re thinking of taking out a Capital Life funeral plan for a loved one, we can talk you through all these choices in more detail. You can prepare a detailed plan far in advance of the service day to ensure that you have everything you need exactly when you need it and remove the emotional and financial burden from your loved ones.

We would be honoured to help you plan your funeral so it is a day for people to remember you and celebrate your life.  If you would like to speak to one of our knowledgeable Funeral Advisors, please call us on 0800 411 8683. Or, contact us by filling out a short form and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

We can also assist with Wills, Inheritance Planning, Probate, and LPAs.