Key Decisions to be made when planning a funeral.

  • Work through the checklist on this page and decide the direction for the event and get the structure in place. After this you can start to delegate some of the tasks if you wish to.

  • Organising a funeral is stressful for multiple reasons. Ask for help from hose close to you and try to decrease your mental load by delegating some of the tasks.

    Read here.

  • When the occasion calls for a paired-back funeral, these are the minimum components to put in place.

    Read here.

There are some things that need to be decided upfront. Once you have these in place, the planning gets easier and begins to take direction.

Below is a list of the key decisions that need to be made in order to put together a funeral that is both representative of your loved.one and allows those in attendance to celebrate their life.

  1. Type of Committal

You will need to decide:

  • Burial or cremation

This affects:

  • Venue availability

  • Legal paperwork

  • Costs

  • Timing

2. Type of Funeral Service

You will need to choose the overall format of the service.

At a macro level, this means deciding whether the service will be:

  • Religious

  • Non-religious / civil

  • Humanist

  • Direct cremation (no service)

  • Committal-only (graveside or crematorium)

This decision sets the framework for everything else, but does not require personalisation at this stage.

3. Date, Time & Location

You will be asked to agree to:

  • A funeral date

  • A time slot

  • A venue (crematorium, cemetery, place of worship, or none for direct cremation)

Your funeral director will advise on availability and any restrictions.

4. Who Will Lead the Service

You must confirm who will officiate, such as:

  • A religious minister

  • A humanist or civil celebrant

  • A family member or friend

This choice must align with the service type already selected.

5. Budget Parameters

You don’t need final figures immediately, but you do need to set:

  • A general budget range

  • Whether cost reduction is a priority

  • Whether any prepaid plan exists

This allows the funeral director to make appropriate recommendations.