Funeral Planning

Funeral planning usually starts before you have had time to think, and most families are making these choices for the first time. These guides cover the decisions in the order they tend to come up: what it costs, how soon it happens, what the service itself involves, and the words you will need on the day.

If cost is the immediate worry, how much a funeral costs sets out the current UK figures and who pays for a funeral if there is no money covers the help available. For the service itself, how long after death is a funeral explains the usual timings. And when it comes to the words, how to write a eulogy takes you through it a paragraph at a time.

Who pays for a funeral if there's no money?

This guide covers who is legally liable for the bill, what the estate can release, what the Department for Work and Pensions pays, and what a public health funeral involves.

7 min read

How to write a eulogy

This guide covers what a eulogy is, how long it should be, the structure that works, a worked example and what to leave out. It is written for someone doing this for the first time, while grieving.

8 min read

How long after death is a funeral in the UK?

This guide explains what drives the timeline, what can delay a funeral, how cremation and burial timings compare, and the realistic upper limit if you need longer.

7 min read

Celebration of life ideas: how to plan a service that feels like them

This guide covers venues, music, poems and readings, the order of service, personal touches and the planning behind them.

8 min read

Death notices and obituaries in the UK: what they are and how to place one

This guide covers the difference between the two, how to place a death notice or funeral notice, what each costs, what to include, and how The Gazette notice differs.

8 min read

How much does a funeral cost in the UK?

This guide breaks down funeral costs by type of funeral and by region, explains what drives the bill, and covers the help available, including the Funeral Expenses Payment and paying from the estate.

7 min read

Funeral songs in the UK: how to choose music for a funeral service

This guide covers how many slots you get, how music for funerals in the UK works at each venue, which songs and hymns families choose, and what to check before the day.

8 min read

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Funeral Planning

Guides in this category

Who pays for a funeral if there's no money?

How to write a eulogy

How long after death is a funeral in the UK?

Celebration of life ideas: how to plan a service that feels like them

Death notices and obituaries in the UK: what they are and how to place one

How much does a funeral cost in the UK?

Funeral songs in the UK: how to choose music for a funeral service

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