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Funeral wishes

Burial or cremation, the gathering, and who should act — recorded ahead of time so nobody has to guess.

Use the wishes form

We don’t book funerals · Not a will

By End of Life PlannerUpdated

Funeral wishes vs the wider file

Funeral wishes are the ceremony slice. Final wishes is the wider set of decisions, including pets and the house. After a death, the first-days list is what to do when someone dies— this page is for recording preferences while you still can.

Preferences to record in advance

Ceremony notes for the people who will arrange things — not a directory of funeral homes, and not a full arranging checklist.

  • Burial, cremation, or other preference

    Say it plainly.

  • Whether you want a viewing, or the body present.

  • How small the gathering should be, and where.

  • Who should be there, and who should make the call.

  • Readings, music, or traditions

    Only if they matter.

  • Prepaid arrangements or plots, if any, and where those papers live.

Sources

Public references this page draws on. We are not affiliated with these agencies, and this is not legal, medical, or funeral-director advice.

Next steps

Continue with a related guide, worksheet, or product feature.

  • Final wishes — Decide what to include in your final wishes, from a memorial to pet care. Use short examples and a checklist to record what matters to you.
  • Final wishes document — Download a final-wishes form, see how to complete it, and read a filled example. For values and stories, write a legacy letter.
  • When someone dies — Find a calm first-days checklist after a death: who to contact, which papers to locate, and practical tasks to organize, with links to US public resources.

Write the ceremony notes now so nobody has to guess later.

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