A How-to Guide for Making Funeral Arrangements
In Brief: What’s in this article?
Making funeral arrangements involves 7 key steps: making first calls, arranging transportation, checking for pre-arrangements, meeting with a funeral director, confirming cemetery arrangements, selecting products, and handling estate matters. This guide walks you through each step with tools, frequently asked questions, and resources to help.
What To Do When Someone Dies—Step by Step
Losing someone you love is one of life’s most profound experiences. In the midst of grief, you may also find yourself responsible for making funeral arrangements — a task that can feel overwhelming when you’re already carrying so much.
This guide is here to help. We’ll walk you through every step of the funeral arrangement process — clearly, compassionately, and at your pace. Whether a death has just occurred or you’re planning ahead for a loved one whose health is declining, you’ll find the information and tools you need right here.
Note: When you hear the term “making funeral arrangements,” it generally refers to the process that takes place when someone has already died. Funeral planning (or preplanning) generally means deciding how things will be handled when death has not yet occurred. If you are planning ahead, our Funeral Planning page may be more helpful.
Understanding the Funeral Arrangement Process
Funeral arrangements generally unfold in a predictable sequence, starting with notifying the right people and ending with settling the estate. Knowing what’s coming can help you feel more in control during a time when everything may feel uncertain.
Below is an overview of the full process. Each step links to more detailed guidance — take it one step at a time.
How to Make Funeral Arrangements: 7 Key Steps
- Make “First Calls”
When someone passes away, the very first step is notifying the appropriate parties and arranging for the deceased to be transported from the place of death. This includes calling a funeral home, and in some circumstances, the police or a hospice provider. These are often called “first calls.”See First Call.
- Confirm Deceased Transportation
After the first call, the funeral home will arrange an initial transfer of your loved one to their facility. In some situations — such as when a death occurs out of town — a second transfer may be needed. Your funeral director will help coordinate this. See Deceased Transportation.
- Look for Pre-Arrangements
Many people plan their own funerals in advance. Before making any decisions, search for any pre-arranged funeral plan your loved one may have left behind. These plans typically designate a specific funeral home and may already cover costs, which can save time, money, and the need for difficult decisions.
- Meet With a Funeral Director
The arrangement conference with a funeral director is where most of the key decisions are made. You’ll discuss how your loved one will be cared for, whether they will be buried or cremated, the type of service you’d like, and the associated costs. It’s a good idea to bring a trusted friend or family member with you for support. See Arrangement Conference.
- Confirm Cemetery Arrangements
If your loved one will be buried, you’ll need to secure a burial space — a grave plot, a mausoleum crypt, or a columbarium niche for cremated remains. Your funeral director can often help coordinate this, or you may meet directly with cemetery staff. See Cemetery Arrangements.
- Select Funeral and Memorial Products
This step involves choosing the products needed for the service and for the lasting memorial — such as a casket or urn, a grave marker or headstone, and printed funeral stationery like programs and prayer cards. You are not required to purchase these items from the funeral home; shopping around is completely legal and often saves money. See Funeral and Memorial Products.
- Handle Estate, Financial, and Administrative Matters
In the days and weeks following the funeral, there are administrative tasks to complete: notifying government agencies, filing death benefit claims, transferring assets, and settling accounts. This can feel daunting, but taking things one step at a time makes it manageable. See Estate, Financial and Administrative Matters.
Making Funeral Arrangements when Death is Imminent
If someone you love is seriously ill and may not have long to live, pre-planning the funeral — even in a general way — is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself and your family.
Advance planning gives you time to:
- Research and compare funeral homes and cremation services
- Understand all your options without time pressure
- Make decisions that truly reflect your loved one’s wishes
- Potentially save significant money
- Reduce the burden on other family members during an already difficult time
Our Funeral Provider Search tool can help you locate a funeral home, cremation service, or cemetery near you. And our online planning tools and forms can guide you through the process at whatever pace feels right.
Common Questions About Arranging a Funeral
Losing a parent is a profound loss. Beyond the grief, there are practical steps to take promptly. One of the most important is obtaining multiple certified copies of the death certificate — typically 8 to 12 copies. You use these to settle insurance claims, close bank accounts, transfer property, and handle other legal and financial matters. More information about who may need a copy is available on our Things To Do After the Funeral page.
Funerals can be expensive, and it’s more common than you might think for families to face this challenge. Depending on where you live and your financial situation, you may qualify for government assistance, veterans’ benefits, or support from nonprofit organizations. Direct cremation is also a significantly more affordable option than a traditional burial. Our guide to paying for a funeral outlines all of your options in detail.
Not always. If a person was under hospice care or had a terminal illness and their death was expected, you typically do not need to notify the police. However, if the death is sudden, unexpected, or the result of an accident, you usually must notify the police. Your local laws and the circumstances of the death will determine exactly who to call first. Visit our First Call page for more information about who to call when someone has died.
In most cases, laws require a licensed funeral director to handle the body. However, the extent of their involvement in the ceremony itself is entirely up to you. Some families choose to work with a funeral celebrant — a trained professional who specializes in creating personalized, meaningful ceremonies. Some states permit home funerals. This allows families to take a more hands-on role. See our page on home funerals and burials.
As far as arranging the ceremony, you may find that you would like to work with a funeral celebrant. A funeral celebrant is a trained professional who helps you plan the type of ceremony you would like.
This is a deeply personal decision, and there’s no single right answer. Key factors to consider include your loved one’s expressed wishes, religious or cultural traditions, environmental preferences, and cost. Cremation generally costs less and gives families more flexibility in how and where they memorialize the remains. Burial provides a permanent, physical place for family and friends to visit. Visit our cremation section.
Absolutely not. Many families today choose a memorial service (held without the body present), a celebration of life, a graveside-only gathering, or no formal ceremony at all. What matters most is that the tribute feels right to the person being honored and to those who loved them.
Start by thinking about what made your loved one unique — their passions, their humor, their values. A meaningful service doesn’t have to follow a script. It might include music they loved, readings that reflect their philosophy of life, or a photo tribute. Our celebration of life guide offers detailed inspiration and practical planning advice. Learn more about personalizing a memorial service here.
Tools and Resources to Help You
You don’t have to navigate this alone. Funeralwise offers several tools to guide you through the process:
- After Me Planner and Organizer — A step-by-step online planning tool to help you prepare for your arrangement conference and explore costs. Includes a compact portfolio to help you organize your important documents.
- Quick Plan — Get a simple funeral plan and cost estimate in just a few minutes. Free, with no obligation. The first in our portfolio of After Me Planning Tools.
- Funeral Arrangement Planning Form — Prefer paper? Print this form to compile everything you’ll need to share with your funeral director.
- Funeral Arrangements Checklist — A downloadable checklist to keep track of everything that needs to be done when planning a funeral that will take place soon.
- Funeral Preplanning Checklist — A downloadable checklist to keep track of everything that needs to be done when planning in anticipation of end-of-life needs.
- Funeral Provider Search — Find and compare funeral homes, cremation services, cemeteries, and celebrants in your area.
Whatever stage of the process you’re in, we’re here to help you find your footing. Take a breath. You can do this.
Contributors: Rick Paskin, Molly Gorny
