How much does a funeral cost?

The median cost of a funeral with burial in the United States is approximately $8,000–$10,000, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. Cremation is less expensive, typically $1,500–$5,000. Costs vary significantly by region, provider, and choices made. See our complete funeral cost breakdown for itemized prices and money-saving tips.

What is the difference between a funeral and a memorial service?

A funeral service is held with the body present, usually within a few days of death. A memorial service is held after the body has been buried or cremated — it can be days, weeks, or even months later. Memorial services tend to be more flexible and can be more personalized.

Do you have to use a funeral home?

In most U.S. states, you are not legally required to use a funeral home, but you must meet state regulations for handling and disposing of human remains. Home funerals are legal in most states with the right permits. Most families use a funeral home for practical and logistical reasons.

What is pre-planning a funeral?

Pre-planning means documenting your funeral preferences — burial or cremation, service type, music, readings — and potentially pre-paying for services. It relieves your family of difficult decisions during grief and ensures your wishes are honored. You can document preferences privately without pre-paying.

How do I write a funeral program?

A funeral program typically includes: the person's name, dates, and a photo on the cover; the order of service; names of officiants, speakers, and musicians; any poems, readings, or lyrics; and a brief biography or tribute. Most funeral homes offer templates, or you can create your own.

How to Plan a Funeral: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Planning a funeral is one of the hardest things a person can do — often in the immediate aftermath of loss, with grief, family dynamics, and time pressure all at once. This guide is for anyone who needs to plan a funeral right now, or wants to plan one in advance so their family doesn't have to.

We'll walk through every step in order: from the first calls to make, to choosing between burial and cremation, to writing the obituary and honoring a life in a way that feels right.

Step 1: Take Care of Immediate Logistics (First 24–48 Hours)

Before any planning can happen, there are a few immediate steps that must take place:

Get a death certificate

When a death occurs at home or in a hospital, the attending physician or hospice nurse signs the death certificate. If the death was unexpected or unattended, the medical examiner may be involved. You will need multiple certified copies of the death certificate — typically 8–12 — for banks, insurance companies, government agencies, and estate matters. Order them through the funeral home or county vital records office.

Choose a funeral home

If you haven't pre-planned, you'll need to choose a funeral home quickly. A few things to know:

You are not required to use the hospital's or hospice's preferred funeral home
Funeral homes are required by the FTC Funeral Rule to provide itemized price lists
You can call multiple homes for pricing before choosing
Consider location, reputation, religious/cultural practices offered, and price

The funeral home will handle the transfer of the body and guide you through the legal requirements in your state.

Notify close family first

Before posting anything publicly, notify immediate family and close friends personally — by phone, not text or social media. Start with the people who would be hurt to hear this from someone else.

Step 2: Make the Key Decisions

Most funeral planning revolves around a set of core decisions. If the deceased left instructions, those should guide everything — which is one of the most important reasons to document final wishes in advance.

Burial or cremation?

This is often the first and most consequential decision. Consider:

Burial: Traditional internment in a cemetery. Requires a casket, burial plot, and usually a grave liner. Typical cost: $7,000–$12,000+ (varies widely by region)
Cremation: The body is cremated and the remains (ashes) are returned to the family. Less expensive ($1,000–$4,000 for direct cremation). Allows more flexibility for memorial timing and location.
Green/natural burial: The body is returned to the earth with minimal environmental impact. No embalming, no concrete vault. Growing in popularity.
Body donation: Donation to a medical school or research institution. Often at no cost to the family.

If the deceased had strong preferences, honor them. If they didn't specify, consider what would bring the family the most comfort. For a detailed comparison of costs, religious considerations, and environmental options, see our burial vs. cremation guide.

Open casket or closed?

This depends on the condition of the body, religious and cultural preferences, and what the deceased would have wanted. An open casket requires embalming. A closed casket or urn is equally appropriate and often preferred.

Type of service

You have more flexibility here than most people realize:

Traditional funeral service: A formal viewing/visitation, a funeral service (religious or secular), and burial or committal
Memorial service: Held after cremation or weeks later; can be more personalized and flexible
Graveside service: Simple service at the burial site
Celebration of life: A less formal gathering focused on honoring the person's life, not mourning their death. See our complete celebration of life planning guide.
Private service / family only: A small, intimate gathering for immediate family
No service: Completely valid. Not everyone wants a formal gathering.

Step 3: Plan the Service

Once you've made the core decisions, the service itself can be planned. Most families work through the funeral home's coordinator, who will help with logistics.

Venue

Options include: funeral home chapel, house of worship, graveside, community center, park or outdoor space, or the family home. Choose a place that reflects the person and can accommodate the expected attendance.

Officiant

Who will lead the service? Options include a clergy member, a celebrant (a professional who leads non-religious services), a family member, or a close friend. There is no requirement for religious officiants.

Military Funeral Honors (If the Deceased Was a Veteran)

If the person served in the U.S. military, they may be entitled to free military funeral honors — including the folding and presentation of the flag, and the playing of "Taps." Many veterans are also eligible for free burial in a national cemetery and a government headstone. Ask the funeral home to coordinate honors, and see our full guide on VA funeral and burial benefits for veterans.

Music

Music sets the tone of the entire service. Consider songs that meant something to the deceased, or that feel comforting to the family. Have a backup plan (digital playlist) if live music falls through.

Readings and eulogies

Choose 1–3 people to speak. Brief them early — most people who've never given a eulogy are more anxious than they expect. Keep each eulogy to 3–5 minutes. If you need help writing one, FinalKeepSake's AI Writing Studio can draft a personalized eulogy based on your notes.

Order of service / program

Create a printed or digital program that lists the order of events, names of speakers and musicians, a photo of the deceased, and any readings or poems. Funeral homes often handle printing, or you can use an online template.

Obituary

Most families submit an obituary to a local newspaper, the funeral home website, and social media. See our complete obituary writing guide for templates and examples.

Step 4: Flowers, Food, and Donations

Flowers: Many families request flowers be sent to the funeral home or service venue. If the family prefers no flowers, state "In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to [charity]."

Food/reception: If you're hosting a reception after the service, coordinate with family members to provide food, or hire a caterer. Many churches and community centers have reception facilities.

Memorial donations: Choose a charity, foundation, or cause that mattered to the deceased. List it clearly in the obituary and service program.

Step 5: Understand the Costs

Funeral costs vary enormously by region, provider, and choices made. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the median cost of a funeral with burial is approximately $8,000–$10,000. Cremation services typically range from $1,500–$5,000.

Line items may include:

Basic services fee (non-declinable)
Transfer and preparation of the body
Embalming (optional for closed casket or cremation)
Casket or urn
Burial plot and opening/closing fee
Grave liner or vault (often required by cemeteries)
Headstone or grave marker
Obituary publication fees
Death certificates (typically $10–$25 each)
Officiant and musician fees

Request a General Price List (GPL) from any funeral home before making decisions. By law, they must provide it. For a complete itemized breakdown of every charge — caskets, burial vaults, cemetery fees, and how to reduce costs — see our full funeral cost guide.

Step 6: Notify the Right People and Institutions

See our complete "What to Do When Someone Dies" checklist for a full list. Key notifications include: Social Security, banks and financial institutions, insurance companies, the employer/HR department, the post office, Medicare/Medicaid, and subscription services.

Pre-Planning a Funeral in Advance

The most thoughtful gift you can give your family is a plan they don't have to make. Pre-planning involves:

Documenting your preferences for burial vs. cremation, service type, music, and readings
Pre-purchasing a cemetery plot or cremation service (called "pre-need" arrangements)
Setting aside funds or purchasing a life insurance policy to cover costs
Writing your final wishes and storing them where family can find them

FinalKeepSake's Final Wishes module is designed exactly for this — a private, organized place to document all of your preferences so your family never has to guess.

A Note on Grief During Planning

You may be reading this in the immediate hours after a loss. Please know: you don't have to do everything at once. Funeral homes are experienced at working with grieving families. Ask for help. Delegate tasks. Accept the casseroles.

The funeral itself is important, but it's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that your family is together, and that the person who died was loved.