Two questions to ask a funeral director when preparing for your first funeral
If this is your first time planning a funeral, here are some questions to ask a funeral director.
How long will each part of the funeral be?
Not all funerals take the same length of time to carry out. You may need to ask the funeral director how long each part of the funeral (i.e. the service at the funeral home, the journey with the hearse to the cemetery and the burial). There are several reasons why this information could be useful. For example, knowing when the funeral service will finish will allow you to pre-book taxis for any relatives of yours who don't drive and who won't be travelling in the hearse (so that they don't have to do this themselves outside the funeral home after the service). Likewise, having an idea of when the burial will end will mean you can tell the caterer what time to start setting up the buffet for the after-funeral gathering.
Before the funeral director can offer time estimates, however, they may need you to tell them a few things. They may, for instance, need to know the word length of the eulogy (so they can estimate how long it will take to recite it) and the number of hymns you're planning to have the musicians perform, as this will then enable them to accurately guess how long the service will take.
What aspects of the arrangements can you help with?
You'll also need to find out which aspects of the arrangements they can help you with. Generally speaking, funeral directors can assist their clients with almost every part of their funeral arrangements. However, your funeral director might need to refer you to another professional for some services. For example, if you want to cremate the deceased and their funeral home does not have a crematorium, they may need to refer you to a crematorium owner. Likewise, if you want a specific type of musician, such as a cellist, they can recommend a few local ones you can call. Additionally, there are some things (like writing the eulogy) that you may need to do yourself, although the funeral director can still give you tips on how to do this.
Knowing what they can and cannot do for you will ensure that you give yourself enough time before the funeral to do whichever tasks or attend whichever appointments you need to, to prepare for this important event.
