Funeral planning has always required quick decisions during an emotional week, but 2025 brings a few new realities: more families choose cremation, more people expect digital tools and transparency, and more seniors are proactively preplanning so their families aren’t left guessing. What hasn’t changed is the core need: a clear sequence of steps, honest pricing, and a plan that honors the person without creating financial shock.
This guide is written to be used in real life. If you’re planning after a death, it will walk you through the first calls to make, the service choices that affect timing and cost, the paperwork that can slow everything down, and how to build a budget that fits your family. If you’re a senior (or helping a senior) who wants to plan ahead, it will explain the most common preplanning routes—prepaid funeral plan contracts, preneed insurance, and “plan now, pay later”—and what to check before signing anything.
What’s Different in 2025: Trends Families Are Actually Using
Cremation is now the majority choice in the U.S. The National Funeral Directors Association reports the 2025 cremation rate is projected to be 63.4%, compared to a projected burial rate of 31.6%, reflecting a long-term shift in how families choose disposition. That trend matters because cremation often changes the timeline: families may complete the cremation first, then plan a memorial or celebration of life later when travel is easier.
Digital expectations are also rising. In its 2025 consumer study, the NFDA reports that nearly 30% of families now complete all funeral arrangements online, and nearly 64% would arrange livestreaming for distant relatives. Those numbers explain why streaming, virtual attendance, and online paperwork have shifted from “extra” to “common,” especially for seniors with out-of-state family.
Finally, families are asking for personalization that feels authentic rather than elaborate. Celebration-of-life formats, meaningful venues, photo displays, playlists, and memory tables are now part of mainstream funeral planning. If you want a focused, step-by-step approach to that style of gathering, Funeral.com’s guide How to Plan a Celebration of Life (Step-by-Step Guide) is designed for families who want a clear plan without turning it into an event-production project.
The First Calls to Make in the First 24 Hours
When a death happens, families often feel pressure to “do everything now.” In reality, you can reduce stress by making the right small set of calls first, then letting the rest follow in sequence.
If the death occurs at home under hospice care, start with hospice; they will guide you through pronouncement and next steps. If there is no hospice and the death is unexpected, call emergency services. Once pronouncement is handled, notify a few key people: the legal next of kin or designated agent (if there is one), the closest family members, and a trusted friend who can help with logistics and communication.
Then call a funeral home or cremation provider. If you already know the preferred funeral home, that call can happen quickly. If you don’t, it is still appropriate to call two or three providers and ask for price information before committing, especially if budget matters. The Federal Trade Commission explains that consumers have the right to receive an itemized General Price List (GPL) when discussing arrangements in person, and the Funeral Rule is designed to make price comparison possible.
Service Choices That Drive Timing and Cost
In 2025, many families mix and match options rather than choosing a single “standard” package. The practical way to decide is to separate disposition (burial or cremation) from the gathering (funeral, memorial, graveside, celebration of life).
A traditional funeral with viewing tends to add preparation and facility time, and therefore cost. The NFDA reports the national median cost in 2023 was $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial and $6,280 for a funeral with cremation. Those are national medians, not guarantees, but they help families set realistic expectations while comparing quotes.
For many budget-conscious families, direct cremation (cremation without a viewing or formal service) is the starting point, followed by a memorial later. The Funeral Consumers Alliance notes that a reasonable price for direct cremation typically ranges from $700 to $1,400 depending on region, and adding a service or viewing increases the total.
Burial planning can be just as variable because cemetery fees are often separate from funeral home fees. Outer burial containers, opening and closing, and marker costs may be controlled by the cemetery rather than the funeral home. If you want a plain-English explanation of how the numbers typically stack, Funeral.com’s article Funeral Costs Broken Down: What You’re Paying For and How to Compare Price Lists walks through common line items and the practical questions that reveal what is and isn’t included.
Paperwork That Families Usually Need (and How to Avoid Delays)
Paperwork is the part of planning that can quietly stall everything if it isn’t handled early. Your funeral director will guide much of this, but families feel less overwhelmed when they know what is coming.
In most cases, you will need identifying information for the deceased (legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, parents’ names, marital history, military service details if applicable) to complete the death certificate. You will also need to decide how many certified copies to order. Many families order more than they expect to need because banks, insurance companies, and government agencies often require originals rather than photocopies.
If you are planning a cremation, most states require a cremation authorization signed by the legal decision-maker. If you are planning burial in a cemetery, you may need proof of ownership of a plot or columbarium niche, or you may be purchasing those rights during the same week.
Embalming is another area where families can be unsure. The FTC Funeral Rule explains that no state law requires routine embalming for every death; some states require embalming or refrigeration if burial or cremation does not occur within a certain time. The practical takeaway is that if you do not want embalming, you usually can choose an arrangement that does not require it, such as direct cremation or immediate burial.
Building a Budget in a Stressful Week
If you are trying to set a budget while grieving, it helps to treat budgeting as a short decision tree rather than a moral conversation. You are not pricing love. You are choosing what your family can sustainably pay for while still honoring the person.
Start by naming the “non-negotiables” for your family. For some families, that is a viewing. For others, it is a graveside service. For others, it is a church funeral. For others, it is keeping things simple now and planning a celebration of life later when everyone can gather.
Then request itemized pricing. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, you can ask for the GPL and compare goods and services item by item. If you’re trying to lower costs, ask about the lowest-cost options for direct cremation or immediate burial, and ask what is included in the quoted price. The Funeral Consumers Alliance also provides a helpful guide to reading funeral home price lists so families can compare accurately rather than comparing incomplete totals.
If your family is choosing cremation and you’re unsure what comes next, it can help to separate the cremation cost from memorial choices. Many families choose a permanent urn later, after the first urgent week. Funeral.com’s cremation urns for ashes collection is a practical place to browse options, and families who plan to share ashes often choose keepsake urns or small cremation urns so multiple relatives can have a portion without repeated transfers.
Modern Service Options Seniors Often Prefer
Seniors preplanning in 2025 often prioritize two goals: making things easier for their family and ensuring the service feels true to them. That combination is driving a few clear preferences.
Many seniors choose a simpler, lower-stress disposition plan (often cremation) paired with a memorial gathering that can happen later. Others choose an immediate, small graveside service with a larger reception afterward. Many also want practical digital inclusion for distant family. The NFDA reports that nearly 64% of consumers would arrange livestreaming for distant relatives, which is why more families are building streaming into their plan from the start rather than improvising with phones on the day of the service.
If livestreaming is part of your plan, treat it like any other sensitive decision: get clear permission from the family, decide whether the stream is public or private, and choose whether it will be recorded. Funeral.com’s article Is It Okay to Take Photos at a Funeral? includes a practical discussion of streaming etiquette and boundaries in modern services.
Preplanning Options for Seniors: Plan Only vs Prepay
Preplanning can mean “write it down,” or it can mean “fund it.” Seniors often do best when they understand the difference and choose the level of commitment that fits their finances and health situation.
Planning only is the simplest starting point: you document disposition preference, service type, preferred provider, music, readings, obituary details, and who should make decisions. Even this level of planning can spare your family a painful week of guessing.
Prepaying typically happens in two common ways. One is a prepaid contract (often called a preneed contract) with a funeral home, where specific goods and services are selected and funded ahead of time. The other is insurance funding, where a policy or annuity is intended to fund the plan. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners uses the term “preneed insurance” to describe insurance or annuity contracts used for funding a preneed funeral agreement, highlighting that this category is treated as regulated insurance in many states.
In its 2025 consumer study, the NFDA reports that 19.4% of respondents have pre-planned and prepaid for arrangements, primarily to guarantee prices and relieve survivors of financial burden. That aligns with what many seniors want: clarity, less decision-making for family, and fewer financial surprises.
Before funding anything, ask a few practical questions: What happens if you move to another state? Is the plan transferable? What happens if the selected services become unavailable? Is the contract revocable, and under what conditions? How are funds held (trust vs insurance funding), and what consumer protections apply in your state? If you anticipate needing public benefits later, do not guess—rules vary. For SSI specifically, Social Security notes that individuals (and spouses) can generally set aside up to $1,500 each for burial expenses without counting it as a resource, with conditions.
If you want a focused, plain-English overview of prepaying for cremation as one common senior plan, Funeral.com’s article How Do You Prepay for a Cremation? walks through how families often separate “paying for the cremation” from “deciding later what the memorial should look like.”
A Funeral Planning Checklist for a Stressful Week
If your family needs a practical checklist, this is designed to be short enough to use, and complete enough to prevent avoidable mistakes. Treat it as a sequence, not a test.
- Confirm pronouncement and notify immediate family; identify the legal decision-maker.
- Secure the home (if applicable), locate key documents (ID, military discharge, will), and select one point person for communications.
- Call 2–3 funeral homes/cremation providers, request itemized pricing, and ask for the General Price List when meeting in person.
- Choose disposition (burial or cremation) and confirm timing requirements (refrigeration/embalming rules, travel considerations). FTC
- Choose the gathering type (funeral with viewing, memorial, graveside, celebration of life) and decide whether livestreaming is needed. NFDA
- Order certified death certificates and confirm permits; submit obituary details if desired.
- Set a budget and request an itemized statement of goods and services before signing.
- Plan memorial details that matter (music, readings, speakers, guest book, reception), keeping it simple and true to the person.
- If cremation is chosen, decide whether ashes will be held temporarily at home or placed later, and choose urn/keepsake options when ready.
If you want a calmer narrative walkthrough of this same sequence, Funeral.com’s guide How to Plan a Funeral in 7 Steps: Honoring a Life with Care is a helpful companion, especially for families who feel overwhelmed by paperwork and timing.
End-of-Life Planning for Seniors: What to Put in Writing
For seniors, the greatest gift to family is not a “perfect plan.” It’s a usable plan. Write down your disposition preference, service preference, preferred funeral home, and the person you want to make decisions. If you have strong preferences (religious elements, songs, military honors, green options), record them clearly so your family isn’t left debating what you would have wanted. The NFDA reports that many consumers still value religious components and are also increasingly interested in green options, which is another reason to state preferences explicitly rather than assuming family members will align.
Then store the plan where it can be found, and tell at least two people where it is. Many families plan well and still struggle because the plan is locked in a drawer no one knows about.
If part of your plan includes cremation memorialization—an urn at home, a columbarium niche, scattering, or sharing among relatives—note that as well. If you want to leave guidance without forcing decisions, you can name principles instead of products: “Keep a small portion for each child,” or “Scatter at the lake,” or “Place my urn with Dad.” Funeral.com’s What to Do With Ashes guide can help families translate those principles into a practical plan later.
A Final Reassurance
Planning a funeral in 2025 is not about doing everything “the traditional way” or “the modern way.” It’s about choosing what fits your family’s values, budget, and reality, with enough clarity that you don’t feel pressured in the hardest week. If you are planning after a death, focus on sequence and itemized pricing. If you are preplanning as a senior, focus on documenting decisions and choosing a funding approach only after you understand portability, protections, and your broader financial picture. Either way, the most meaningful funerals are usually the ones that feel simple, true, and human.
