Planning a funeral is never going to be a pleasant task, whether it be your own or that of your nearest and dearest. However, this article aims to give you some idea of what to expect when you have to plan a funeral for the first time.

The first thing you will need to do is to contact an undertaker. A good one will guide you through all the decisions which have to be made in order for the funeral to take place, with the minimum of pain and disruption. You will find undertakers or funeral directors listed in your local telephone directory and on the internet. However, in view of the nature of the occasion, I always feel that a personal recommendation is good.

Having chosen your undertaker, you will need to make an appointment to meet. Some firms will come to your house and others will expect you to go to their premises. If you have a choice, do whatever you're most comfortable with.

The questions will now begin. Firstly do you want burial or cremation and in either case, will the service be religious or secular? If you want a church service and a burial, you will also need to choose a cemetery as not all churches have space available. You may want cremation but with burial of the ashes. If you want a non-religious burial, you may be able to choose a woodland area or similar. So you have now chosen your church, crematorium and/or cemetery. (For church, read any appropriate building depending on the religion in question.)

You will now be offered further choices - this time coffins. You will need to select the style of coffin, the material from which it is to be made and the design of handles. You will also have to choose the style and wording of a plaque. If there is to be a cremation, you will need to select a casket or urn for the ashes. Obviously the cost varies tremendously, depending on what you opt for.

You will have to tell the funeral director where you wish the body to rest until the funeral and whether you wish it to be on view for people to pay their respects. Whether or not the deceased will be on view, you will have to decide on their clothing.

In the next article, we will continue to discuss the options when planning a funeral.