The minimum requirements for 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.

For many reasons some people will want to opt for a ceremony that only has the basics. In these cases, we have put together the minimum requirements for a funeral in the UK to go ahead.

  1. What is legally required for a funeral in the UK

At a minimum, the funeral director must have:

  • Authority to proceed (from next of kin or executor)

  • Correct burial or cremation paperwork

  • A confirmed venue and time

2. These things are the practical requirements needed as a minimum to hold a funeral

The funeral cannot proceed without:

  • A method of committal (burial or cremation)

  • Transport arrangements

  • A coffin or suitable container

  • An officiant or confirmation that none is required (e.g. direct cremation)

3. What Is Not Required

To be clear, you are under no obligation to provide any of the below or to have them included at all in the service you opt for.

You do not need:

  • Music

  • Readings

  • Flowers

  • Printed service sheets

  • Eulogies

  • A wake or gathering

These are personal choices, not requirements.