Informing Family and Friends

Funeral Planning Information » Things to Consider for a Funeral Service » Informing family and friends

Who to Inform and When

Immediate family and close friends are usually told about the death of a loved one before any thoughts about the funeral have taken place. The main thing is to make sure that all of the key people are made aware before any announcement is made, or messages are posted on social media.

These days, details of the funeral are often incorporated within an announcement of death or obituary and, increasingly, on social media.

Finalise the Funeral Arrangements

Before letting people know you will need to finalise the funeral details. Once a date and time has been chosen, inform people as soon as possible so that they can make the necessary travel arrangements.

Here are some of the things to consider:

whether you are having a small, private funeral, perhaps followed by a memorial service at a later date, or a service where everyone is welcome
a suitable date, time and location for the service
the location for the funeral reception (if you are having one)
whether flowers are welcome, or if donations to a particular charity or charities is preferred
whether to include the funeral director or celebrant’s details to provide a point of contact should anyone have any additional questions nearer the day

If you are live streaming the service, don’t forget to send login details to those who are attending remotely.

An Announcement of Death

Traditionally, an announcement of death is published by families in local or national newspapers. These can vary in length, but they tend to be quite short and to the point and usually include the time and date of the funeral and/or memorial service.

Obituaries tend to elaborate more on the life of the deceased, but can also include details of the funeral and/or memorial service.

On Social Media

Social media has certainly made it quicker and easier to inform a larger number of people about the death of a loved one and the date, time and location of the funeral and/or memorial service.

Whether social media is used will depend on a number of factors, including the age of the deceased. A grand-parent may have fewer friends actively using social media than a younger person. Depending on the circumstances, a short notice on facebook or twitter may be an appropriate and efficient way to inform people.

For more information, please go to Announcing a Death.

Online Tribute Services

Most funeral directors these days offer an on-line tribute service for families to both celebrate the life of their loved one, and to communicate the details of the funeral and/or memorial service. There are lots of other online ways to memorialise a loved one. Please see, Digital Memories Inspiration and Digital Memories & Digital Legacy Providers.