How Soon Should I Start Making Funeral Arrangements?

Losing a loved one is one of the most traumatic experiences in life, and can leave even the most structured mind struggling to make connections in the hours after your friend or family member’s passing. You may be racing in many different directions, wondering who to notify, when you should schedule any visitation times and the funeral, and the hundreds of other decisions required. Staying organized is crucial, and knowing that there are professionals available to support you may allow you to feel more in control.

Understanding Timing

It’s important to know that there is no ideal time between a loved one’s passing and their visitation or memorial service. Traditionally, several days are required to ensure the funeral home has time to prepare your loved one for burial or cremation, and allows time to contact friends and family members who may be from out of town. If family and friends are local, a service may comfortably be held within a week. If death occurs away from home or you need additional time to bring family members home, additional time may be required before a service may take place. In these cases, you may want to consider having your loved one embalmed.

Funeral Services

You may have noticed that most cemeteries are not open for burials on Sundays, so services are often performed on other days of the week. If your loved one passed on a Thursday or Friday, for instance, you may find it most convenient to wait until Monday to hold services. If your loved one made arrangements with a local funeral home, it is important to make that determination to ensure that you are following their final wishes.

At Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, our funeral director and staff will  patiently answer your questions  to ensure that you are comfortable with the care of your loved one.