How to find out when someone's funeral is
Do you want to find out when and where a funeral is taking place? Here are some steps you can take.
When a person dies, you may want to attend their funeral. However, it's not always clear when and where the funeral will be held.
In this guide, we'll share a few approaches you can try to find out when a funeral is and make sure you can pay your respects.
Keep in mind, however, that some families choose to keep funerals private or only invite a few selected guests. If you haven't been told about a funeral, this might be the reason. Always use your discretion before reaching out – and try not to feel hurt if you didn't receive an invite
Four ways to find out when a funeral is
1. Make direct contact with family and friends
For many, the first port of call is the immediate family of the person who has died. They're usually in charge of arranging the funeral and will be able to tell you when the person died and any plans for the funeral.
If you can't reach out to the person's immediate family, you could try contacting their wider circle of relatives or close friends. If this doesn't work, you may have to contact a funeral home or place of worship.
2. Contact the funeral home or place of worship
Many funerals are organised through funeral directors. If you know where the person died, you may have success contacting local funeral directors.
If the person who died belonged to a religious community, you could try contacting their place of worship.
3. Look online for death announcements
If you still haven't found out the date of the funeral you wish to attend, you could look online for death announcements. A death announcement will usually tell you when and where a person died and when and where the funeral will be held.
There are many funeral notice websites in the UK that might have information on where a person's funeral will be held. These include:
- Funeral Notices (https://funeral-notices.co.uk/)
- Funeral Guide (https://www.funeralguide.co.uk/obituaries)
- MuchLoved (https://www.muchloved.com/)
- Death Notices (https://death-notices.co.uk/)
In most cases, you search by name or location to find information about the funeral.
Death announcements can also be found on the websites of local and national newspapers.
They're also posted on funeral home websites. If you know where the person died, you could look on a local funeral director's website.
Finally, you may find the death announcement you're looking for on social media.
4. Contact a professional organisation or alumni group
Was the person who died a member of a professional body or a university alumni group? They may have published a death announcement. They might also respond to a request for more information about the person's funeral.
How long after death will the funeral be held?
Traditional UK funerals are typically held around two weeks after someone dies. The exact date, however, depends on several factors.
The funeral could be held more than two weeks after death if a funeral director or funeral venue is unavailable. It could also be postponed if there are payment issues or family conflicts. And some religions, such as Islam and Judaism, hold funerals very shortly after death – often within 24 hours.
Akshardham Funeral Directors is a London-based independent funeral home. You'll find more support and information in our funeral advice centre.
