Funeral Planning Checklist — Your Guide to Planning a Loved One’s Funeral

Posted by: Erin Ward in Funeral Planning Resources, Funeral Advice | July 8, 2021

Like when you plan a wedding, there is a lot more that goes into funeral planning than you may think. From major decisions like burial or cremation to small details like the table centerpieces at the post-funeral reception, there are a lot of things to arrange. It can all get a bit overwhelming, especially on top of grieving a loss.

To make things a little easier, you can follow this funeral planning checklist, so you don’t forget anything important.

The Basics

After a loved one passes away, there are a few things to determine before you get into the details of funeral planning, including:

Information about your loved one that you want to include in the obituary.
Charities for donations.
The funeral home you’re going to work with.
Your funeral payment method, such as a credit card payment or crowdfunding campaign.
Memorial products you want for remembering your loved one.
Any special requests for your loved one’s funeral.

Visitation

To make the visitation as personalized to your loved one as possible, you should choose:

Photos for the memorial displays and tribute video.
Your loved one’s possessions for memorial displays.
Music to play.
A funeral theme if you want one, such as a seasonal theme or a loved one’s hobby.

Funeral Service

When planning the funeral service, you need to select:

The location.
The disposition method, such as burial or cremation.
An officiant and any other speakers.
Pallbearers.
Readings, prayers, and any other literature.
Funeral flowers.
Funeral gifts for your guests, like a small packet of seeds or a poem.

Graveside Service

For the graveside service, you need to pick the:

Cemetery.
Burial plot, mausoleum, or ash scattering location.
Burial clothing.
Grave marker and inscription.

Post-Funeral Reception

If you’re having a post-funeral reception, you need to decide:

The location.
If you’re catering the food or having a potluck.
The menu.
The table centerpieces.

Is there anything else that we should add to the funeral planning checklist? Share your ideas with us in the comments!