How to Arrange a Funeral: A Step By Step Guide

Planning a funeral can be a difficult and stressful time. Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, but there are many ways that you can create a personal and meaningful send-off that honours their life and their wishes. 

There are no rules when it comes to funeral arrangements. You can make the day as formal or as relaxed as you wish, and you can find an option to suit any budget. 

If you don’t know how to plan a funeral, getting the assistance of a funeral director can provide peace of mind. They will be able to help you at every stage, from organising the collection of your loved one at their place of passing to planning every detail of the funeral ceremony. 

We would be honoured to help you arrange a funeral service, and can provide as much or as little support as you need. Speak to our compassionate, dedicated team here for assistance and more information. 

We have put together a step by step guide on how to arrange a funeral to give you a better understanding of what’s involved and how you can celebrate the life of your loved one.

Plan Their Send-Off Style

Your loved one may have an end of life plan that lays out their requests, whether that is cremation or burial, traditional ceremony or relaxed gathering. There are many ways that you can honour their wishes within any budget. 

Once you have confirmed what is happening with the remains, you then need to decide on the type of memorial service that you require. Some people want a no-fuss send off with little formality, while others would like a more traditional farewell ceremony. This may be detailed in their end of life plan, or you may have to decide on what you think best commemorates their life and passing.

We have a range of funeral options to choose from, including full service funeral packages, burial packages, and cremation packages. You can also customise and personalise these funeral packages to suit your needs.

Choose a Coffin or Urn

Depending on the type of send-off you choose, you will then have to decide on a coffin and/or urn for your loved one’s remains. While many people may find this step confronting, personalising the coffin or urn can be a meaningful way of cherishing your loved one and commemorating their life and loves. 

We offer a wide range of bespoke or decorated coffins and urns, as well as timber and veneer finishes, and even bio-degradable options. If you are organising a cremation, you also select a coffin for them to be cremated in. 

You can view our coffins and urns options with pricing here for further information. 

Another thing to consider if you are burying your loved one is a burial plot and headstone. Your funeral director can help you organise these so your loved one can be interred without stress.

Organise a Venue or Location

While many people associate funerals with a church or chapel service, there are no rules around the venue or location of the service. There are many factors that can affect where you hold the funeral: you may want a graveside memorial, a service or scattering of ashes at a location meaningful to your loved one, or even a small memorial at home. 

Whatever you choose, it should be a reflection of your loved one’s unique life. They may have been a keen surfer, gardener, painter, cricketer, baker, or reader. This will provide inspiration for the best location to say goodbye, whether that’s indoors or outdoors, inside a chapel or at the local sports club. 

The location or venue will also help shape the other elements of the funeral, including the order of service, the catering, the decorations, and the arrangements following the funeral. We have staff and locations available whether you’re looking around the Sydney or Central Coast areas.

Decide on a Celebrant or MC

The next step is to consider who will lead the service. Traditional celebrants and MC’s are experienced in leading funeral services and can be a great support. They will help the service flow smoothly and can assist with other elements on the day, including helping to hand out order of service booklets and decorate the venue. 

If you would prefer, you can instead enlist the help of a friend or family member to MC the service. This can provide a personal touch during proceedings and a great way to involve family and friends on the day. 

Whatever you decide and regardless of the type or size of the ceremony, it helps to have someone guiding the funeral and helping to make sure it goes off without a hitch. It will undoubtedly be a difficult day for all involved, particularly for whomever is arranging the funeral, so having someone to manage proceedings can alleviate further burden and stress.

Decide on the Order of Service

There are many ways you can plan the service and you can create as much or as little structure as you wish. A traditional order of service booklet provides guests with an outline of service proceedings, but it can be much more than a list. 

The order of service can act as a tribute to your loved one, a keepsake for family and friends, and an important memento for people who are unable to attend the service.

Traditionally, an order of service may look like: 

• Entrance music
• Introduction by celebrant or MC
• Reading
• Hymn or prayer
• Eulogy
• Reflection time with music
• Final messages
• Committal
• Farewell music

Once you have the service planned, designing and creating the booklet or card is the next step. You can include photographs of your loved one, sentimental messages or poems, an epitaph, a message from family or an invitation to a wake following the service. 

Your funeral director will be able to assist you in collating and designing an order of service. Alternatively, you can create your own order of service booklet using programs like InDesign or Microsoft Word and get it printed ahead of service.

Select Music

The choice of music is a very personal and meaningful part of a funeral service. Music can help us process our feelings as we mourn, make us feel closer to a loved one during the ceremony, and evoke memories of their life.

Many people select songs that were meaningful to their loved one or may have been requested in their end of life plans. Some choose to celebrate the life and humour of their loved one with funny songs, while others prefer a more traditional and classical playlist. There are no right and wrong music choices – select the music that you think is most in keeping with the memory of your loved one.

If you’re struggling to find the right songs for the funeral, ask family and friends to each recommend a song, this can make the selection process much easier for you. 

Alternatively, here are some of the most popular funeral songs to choose from.

Popular Australian funeral songs:

• Highway To Hell – AC/DC
• Stayin’ Alive – The Bee Gees
• I’ll Never Find Another You – The Seekers
• Amazing Grace – Gurrumul and Paul Kelly
• True Blue – John Williamson
  

Uplifting funeral songs:



• Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
• You Raise Me Up – Josh Groban
• Beautiful Day – U2
• What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
• I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston/Dolly Parton
  

Classic funeral songs:



• Hallelujah “Vocal” – Mozart
• My Way – Frank Sinatra
• Funeral March – Beethoven
• The Four Seasons (Winter) – Vivaldi
• Unforgettable – Nat King Cole
  

Modern funeral songs:

• Someone Like You – Adele
• Angels – Robbie Williams
• I’ll See You Again – Westlife
• In the Arms of an Angel – Kelly Clarkson
• Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
  

Funny funeral songs:

• Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
• I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead – Bon Jovi
• Disco Inferno – The Trammps
• Don’t Worry. Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin

Create a Photo Slideshow or PowerPoint

A photo slideshow or PowerPoint is a popular visual accompaniment to a funeral ceremony. It can be a focal point during the eulogies and can be a sentimental touch during times of reflection. Sharing images, words, videos, songs, and other audio visuals can help tell the story of your loved one’s life, and can bring an uplifting or humorous element to the day.

Slideshows or digital displays are also an important component if you need to live stream the funeral online for guests who can’t attend in person. This was particularly helpful in times of lockdown and continues to be a popular option. 

Your funeral director can help you create a PowerPoint or slideshow as part of their additional services. Alternatively, you can create an audio visual display yourself (or enlist the help of a tech-savvy family member) to celebrate the life of your loved one.

Organise Catering

If you’re hiring a venue or using a funeral home’s church or chapel, they will likely have catering options available for you to choose from. Using a funeral caterer can help ease the stress of the day, and will ensure you have the right amount of selection of foods you require.

This doesn’t mean you can’t personalise the catering selection either. Food is a very important aspect in many people’s lives and it can have great cultural significance. Your loved one may have had a favourite meal or an important cuisine that you want to feature on the day. If your caterer can’t accommodate this, you can enlist the help of family and friends to organise these important dishes. 

The important thing is to not over-burden yourself, the last thing you want is to worry about cooking, transporting food, and then cleaning up afterwards. For a simple, DIY solution, ask family members and guests to bring a plate of food so that the work is shared. This will also make people feel useful and needed, which can help ease the stress of the day.

Choose Decorations and Flowers

If you have chosen a funeral service with a funeral director, they can help you organise the decorations and floral arrangements. Decorations can be as simple or as tailored as you need, with popular options such as coffin covers, wreaths, bouquets, personalised memorial displays, photos, balloons, funeral registries, memorial signs, and aisle or chair decorations. 

The amount and type of decorations you can use depends on the venue size and location. Many chapels are designed to accommodate a range of decorations, while other venues or outdoor locations will require more set-up. 

The best place to start when choosing funeral decorations is to think about the personal touches. Did your loved one have a favourite flower? Or perhaps a sports team or hobby they were passionate about? This can provide great inspiration for decorating the funeral in a way that celebrates and honours their memory. 

Getting your funeral director to assist and advise on decorations can help remove some of the burden so it’s one less thing to worry about. Alternatively, you can arrange the decorations and flowers yourself if you prefer a self-planned funeral.

Other Personalisation Options

There are many other things that you can use to personalise the funeral service, from fireworks, lantern release, tree planting, themed funerals, memorial websites, keepsakes, playing games, or pet-friendly services for animal lovers. 

The list is endless and there is always room to customise the funeral to honour your loved one, regardless of whether you have chosen a funeral package with a funeral home or are going completely DIY.

After the Memorial or Cremation

Following the memorial service or cremation, many people choose to have a wake or gathering at their residence or the residence of the deceased. This can be much less structured and formal, depending on your needs. This time is designed to provide comfort to family and friends and an opportunity to share stories about the departed. 

If your loved one requested a no-fuss direct cremation, there are still ways you can celebrate and honour their life. Ash scattering ceremonies in a favourite or memorable location can provide closure and relief for loved ones, and can be a much simpler send-off for people who don’t want a traditional service.

If you’re unsure about whether you want to keep or scatter your loved one’s ashes, we explore this further in our helpful article What To Do With Ashes.

Are you looking for further advice or information on how to arrange a funeral? Our compassionate and dedicated team are available 24/7 for any assistance that you may need. Talk to us today.

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