Arranging a funeral service so soon after a loved one has passed can be a distressing time for all involved, but the timescale may not be as long as first thought.
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How long after death is a funeral?
A funeral service normally takes 1 to 2 weeks (7 to 14 days) to arrange and organise. Getting all the relevant paperwork filed correctly, gathering family and friends together in one place at short notice and making choices about the service are some of the factors that can increase this timescale.
In this guide, we outline when you can begin arranging a funeral and some things to consider that may impact the 1 to 2 week timescale.
Registering a death
Once the cause of death has been confirmed by a GP or through a Coroner’s Inquest, you must register the death within five days if you are in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and within eight days if you are in Scotland.
To register a death, you will need to contact a registry office – you will have to contact the registry office for the place where the person died, rather than for where they lived – a funeral director cannot register a death.
Once the death has been registered, you will receive:
a Certificate for Burial or Cremation (the ‘green form’) – this gives permission for burial or an application for cremation
a Certificate of Registration of Death (form BD8) – you may need to fill this in if the person was getting a State Pension or benefits
Whilst you wait for an appointment at the registrar office or for your documents to come through (burial or cremation cannot actually go ahead until you have the death certificate), you can start thinking and planning about the funeral service you’d like to create.
You may want to start contacting local funeral directors within a few days, as it can take a few phone calls or meetings to find the undertaker who feels right for you and your family’s needs. They’ll be happy to start planning the funeral with you and guiding you through the process – see our guide on what funeral directors do.
What can impact the funeral arrangement timescale?
Whilst 7 to 14 days is a reasonable timescale for a funeral to be arranged, there are some factors to consider when organising the service as these can impact this period of time.
Investigations into the death
A coroner in England is an official who investigates certain deaths in order to establish the cause – this may be because the circ*mstances were suspicious or the death was sudden. This process is called an inquest.
There may be a wait for a cremation or burial service date
Your chosen local crematorium, place of worship or cemetery may not be available immediately and you may need to wait for a suitable time slot. The waiting time can be up to 3 weeks, and varies by location, depending on how many crematoriums there are. Public holidays can also cause delays in arranging a funeral.
Family and friends may need time to travel
It can take several days for relatives and friends who want to come and pay their respects to make arrangements to travel from around the country or overseas. The funeral service itself can vary in length depending on what type of funeral you choose to go ahead with.
How to choose a funeral director?
Finding the right funeral director in your area has never been easier – the emergence of technologies and local directories gives families the information they need when choosing an undertaker.
Searching online for terms such as ‘funeral director near me’ can help you collate a list of potential candidates and from there, you can look around for a variety of key points and ask further questions if needed.
A funeral service normally takes 1 to 2 weeks (7 to 14 days) to arrange and organise. Getting all the relevant paperwork filed correctly, gathering family and friends together in one place at short notice and making choices about the service are some of the factors that can increase this timescale.
Like many things in life and death, there's no definitive answer. However, planning a funeral generally takes between a single day and four weeks. On average, funerals in the U.S. are held approximately a week after a person's passing.
Here we look at the timeline for planning a funeral, and what might hold up the arrangements. Typically it takes one to two weeks to arrange a funeral. Getting the paperwork sorted, gathering family together in one place and making choices about the service are some of the things that affect the time it takes.
You can allow for a few days or a week after death for the funeral service to take place. A funeral with more guests can take additional time to plan and set up the viewing area. An embalmer will prepare the deceased for the service.
Why do you have to wait 3 days to cremate a body? In the United States, the law requires that a body must be held for three days before it can be cremated. This waiting period gives family and friends time to plan a funeral or memorial service.
The Chinese believe the soul of the deceased returns to his or her home seven days after death. To ensure the soul finds its way, a red plaque bearing an inscription is placed outside the home.
A funeral is typically held around one or two weeks after the death, though it may be longer if the funeral director only has certain days available or if there is an inquest into the death. You may wish for your loved one to be buried as soon as possible, depending on their religious beliefs.
Most American funerals take place within one week or less from death. With the help of a funeral home, a week is typically enough time to make arrangements and contact loved ones. Historically, funerals had to take place after just a matter of days, because of decomposition.
An open casket funeral typically has to take place within a few days or a week after the person's death. If the funeral is not going to take place for a longer period of time, then the body may not be able to be preserved well enough to host an open casket funeral. The preferences of the person who died.
What is appropriate clothing for a funeral? Traditionally, funeral etiquette suggests men and women wear black clothing that's conservative and respectful. Black or dark colours are most common, but some cultures expect mourners to wear a less traditional funeral colour.
After the funeral service, the remains of the deceased are usually transported by hearse to a cemetery or mausoleum. In the case of cremation the ashes may be buried in a cemetery but some families may choose not to bury the ashes. They may keep them in an urn, or scatter or bury them on private property.
On What Days are Funerals Typically Held? American funeral homes are often open seven days out of the week and allow services to be held on any day of the week. In the United States, Saturday is the most popular day for a funeral due to the 5-day work week and generally high availability among most people on Saturdays.
Thanks to modern preservation methods, funerals can be held up to two weeks after the date of death. If the body is cremated, the family can wait as long as they'd like to make the funeral perfect for honoring their loved ones.
Sometimes, funerals may need to be delayed. This could include when family or friends need to arrange travel to attend the funeral, or there may not be availability with your preferred funeral director, church, or crematorium.
How long does it take? The process takes around two hours to complete, including washing and drying the hair and body of the person who has died. The embalmed body is also carefully massaged to relax muscles and joints tensed by rigor mortis.
A pre-arranged plan generally specifies the funeral service provider that the deceased selected. Meet with a funeral director to make arrangements for the funeral services. In the meeting, you'll talk about how the deceased will be looked after. You'll decide between burial or cremation, and plan the ceremony.
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