When a loved one passes away, one of the first thoughts you will have after the initial shock will be the funeral. A funeral offers a final chance to say goodbye to your loved one. You want to make sure everything is perfect for them and their final requests are fulfilled. In some cases, the loved one who has passed might have had a plan of what they wanted for their funeral. In other circumstances, it’s up to the family to plan a memorable day for the deceased.
However, when you might not have had to arrange a funeral before, you don’t know where to get started. After all, a large number of people might want to attend, and it can feel daunting to ensure everything is perfect. Also, you don’t have lots of time to plan a funeral, and you want to make sure everything is organized properly so the day runs smoothly. Therefore, here is our guide to how long it takes to plan a funeral, so you know exactly when you need to plan to ensure everything runs smoothly for your loved one’s funeral.
What is The Average Time it Takes to Arrange the Funeral?
The length of time to plan the funeral depends on lots of factors. While the average time takes two weeks, funerals can take a shorter or longer time than this period. It generally takes two weeks to find the right venue and get arrangements all sorted for the day. However, many things can affect these plans and can put the brakes on the day. From sorting paperwork to booking venues, there are a lot of important decisions to be made. Therefore, it’s particularly vital to give yourself enough time to get everything prepared for a meaningful day for your loved one.
When Should the Planning Begin for the Funeral?
The next question everyone asks is when they should be thinking about making funeral arrangements. The first thing you need to do is spend a couple of days letting yourself process this life-changing news. It’s an emotional, heart-wrenching time and you don’t want to rush into making any plans. Once you have given yourself some time, you can start to plan for the funeral when you feel ready. Here are a few things to consider when to start planning.
Planning can begin informally before documents arrive
When you are ready, you can begin to consider what you would like for the funeral of your loved one. While you might not initially be able to do anything formally until you receive the official documents, it’s a good idea to start thinking about where you want to hold it and what type of service would be appropriate for your loved one.
It’s worth meeting up with other family members to discuss their own opinions and thoughts and therefore when you can take official steps for the funeral, you already have in mind what you would like to arrange for your loved one’s funeral. It’s also worth checking if the friend or family member who died didn’t have any specific wishes for their funeral. After all, you want to ensure the day is personal and appropriate to their wishes.
Talk to the funeral director first
It’s also important to find a funeral director who will organize everything for the funeral. They will be able to help you start planning the day and will be able to go through everything you need to do to ensure the funeral runs smoothly. From helping you to choose a casket to sorting everything at the venue, they can ensure the day is planned perfectly. Of course, you will need to talk to a few to decide which one is right for your family. When you decide on the right funeral director, you can go through the types of funerals, and they will help you through the planning stage. But it’s worth noting they can’t do anything officially until the documentation comes through for your loved one.
What Could Delay Starting Planning the Funeral?
The planning of a funeral can be delayed due to a number of reasons that we are going to discuss here now.
Investigations/autopsies can cause delays
If there is any question of how the person has died, this can cause delays to plan the funeral. For instance, if this was an unexpected death, an autopsy might take place. In this case, the funeral can’t be arranged until this has been completed. Also, if the passing was in suspicious circumstances, there might be an investigation into why and how the death occurred. This will also mean that the funeral can’t take place until the police have conducted their investigation. While you can consider what you would like for your loved one, your plans will be delayed and the funeral will take longer to happen.
It can take time to make decisions
A number of significant decisions need to be made for your loved one’s funeral. These can take time to plan, especially during such an emotional time and you want to make sure every decision is correct. With so many decisions to be made, it can take time to decide on everything. You don’t want to look back with regret over the significant event for your loved one.
Also, there may be several people involved in making the decisions. You want everyone’s wishes taken into account when deciding on arrangements for the funeral. You also need to take account of any wishes from the person who has died and they may have made requests in their will. It can take a little while for this to be read so you might not want to plan until you have these wishes.
Choosing the right date for everyone to attend
Another factor to consider is that close family and friends need to be available to make the date. If anyone lives further afield, you might want to delay the date to enable them to have time to travel to the funeral. You want to make it as convenient as possible for everyone to be able to come and pay their final respects to the person that has passed. Therefore, the date might need to be changed so those closest can attend the funeral for your loved one.
Getting space at the right venue
You also might have holdups when it comes to where you want to hold the funeral. Availability can be an issue and therefore getting a date might take longer than expected. Therefore, the date could end up being pushed back and it will take longer to have the funeral. Getting in touch with the venue is key as soon as you can to ensure the date is available for your loved one’s funeral.
What are the Alternatives to a Traditional Funeral?
You could consider a direct cremation
If you have family coming from afar or want longer to plan a celebration for your loved one, you could hold a direct cremation now and then have a memorial service at another time. This way, you can get everyone together for a memorial when the time is right. It’s a good idea if you want the cremation to take place but can’t get everyone together yet. If people are sick or there is a family emergency, a memorial ensures you can have plenty of time to arrange the celebration when everyone can be there. Also, it means you can hold a memorial where you want to. You can take the ashes and combine this with the spreading of the ashes too.
You could arrange a graveside burial
Another option is a graveside burial for your loved one. The burial is often shorter than a traditional funeral and will take less planning. It’s a low-key yet personal service that some families prefer. It all occurs in one place so there is less movement from different venues too. This type of funeral takes less planning and can happen more quickly. It’s also more cost-effective for families.
In Conclusion
While most funerals take up to 2 weeks, we have discussed the reasons why a funeral can take longer to plan. It’s the last thing a family can do to show their final love and respect to the person who passed so it’s important to ensure everything goes to plan. The best thing you can do is to get in touch with your funeral director as soon as possible and start planning the event. They will ensure everything runs smoothly for the day.
Also, you should decide who will hold the funeral as soon as you can. For instance, if you want a particular priest or vicar to hold the service, it’s best to get in touch with them to discuss potential dates. And remember to lean on friends and family who will be happy to arrange the plans with you. It’s an emotional time so don’t put too much pressure on yourself and let others help you plan the day.
