How to Plan a Funeral: A Step-by-Step Guide
Planning a funeral involves five main decisions: choosing burial, cremation, or a memorial service; gathering key documents; selecting a funeral home; scheduling an arrangement conference; and finalizing service details like location, readings, and music. Most families move through these steps within a few days to a week, with a funeral director explaining every option along the way.
If you're reading this because someone you love has died, or because you want to be ready before that day comes, you're already doing something important. Planning a funeral can feel overwhelming, especially in the first hours after a loss, but breaking it into clear steps makes it manageable.
Myers Mortuary has been walking Ogden-area families through this process since 1942, as a fourth-generation, family-owned business. This guide covers exactly what you need to know to plan a service that feels right for your family.
The Main Decisions You'll Need to Make
Every funeral plan starts with a few core choices. First, will the service involve burial, cremation, or a combination of both? Second, do you want a traditional funeral with the body present, a memorial service afterward, or a simple graveside gathering?
You'll also decide on timing, location, and who will speak or officiate. If the death was unexpected, our first steps when a death occurs guide can help you sort out what needs to happen immediately versus what can wait a day or two.
None of these decisions need to happen alone. A funeral director's job is to lay out every option clearly, without pressure, so you can choose what actually fits your family.
Documents and Information to Gather
Before your arrangement conference, it helps to have a few things ready. You'll typically need the decedent's Social Security number, birth date and place, occupation, and parents' names for the death certificate. If they served in the military, their discharge papers (DD-214) help with veteran benefits and honors.
Other useful items include any pre-planning paperwork, life insurance policies, and a recent photo if you'd like help with a tribute video or memorial display. Under Utah Code 26B-8-114, a death certificate must be filed within five days of death and before burial, cremation, or shipment out of the area, so this information gathering typically starts right away.
You don't need everything at once. Your funeral director will tell you what's still missing and help you track it down.
Choosing Between Burial, Cremation, and Memorial
Burial and cremation are both common choices in Northern Utah, and neither is more "correct" than the other. Burial typically includes a casket and a cemetery plot, and some cemeteries also require an outer burial container. Families who choose Myers Mortuary often use Myers Evergreen Memorial Park, our own cemetery.
Cremation offers more flexibility. Some families hold a traditional viewing before cremation, others go straight to a memorial service afterward, and some prefer a simple direct cremation with a private gathering later. All cremations at Myers Mortuary are performed on-site in our own family-owned crematory, so your loved one stays in our care from start to finish.
A memorial service, held without the body present, can happen days or even weeks after death, which gives out-of-town family time to travel.
What Happens at an Arrangement Conference
The arrangement conference is where the plan comes together. You'll sit down with a licensed funeral director, review your options, and make final decisions about the type of service, location, and any special requests, like military honors or a favorite hymn.
This is also when documents are finalized, obituary details are collected, and questions get answered. Families often ask about why families choose to plan ahead at this stage too, since some of these same decisions can be made calmly in advance rather than during a difficult week.
You're never rushed through this meeting. It typically takes an hour or two, and you can bring as many family members as you'd like.
Planning a Funeral in Northern Utah
Families across Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties often plan services with more than one location or cemetery in mind, especially when extended family is spread across the Ogden, Roy, Layton, and Brigham City areas. Myers Mortuary maintains four funeral homes across this corridor, so wherever your family is rooted, a local option is close by.
Northern Utah is home to a large Latter-day Saint population alongside many other faith traditions, and services here range from a simple graveside prayer to a full traditional funeral. Whatever your family's beliefs, we build the service around your wishes, not a template. If you'd like to plan ahead with our team, we can walk through these same steps together long before they're needed.
How Myers Mortuary Supports Your Family
Myers Mortuary has been a family-owned, fourth-generation business serving Ogden families since 1942. Our staff includes Certified Funeral Service Practitioners and Certified Cremation Specialists, and we're proud members of the NFDA and UFDA with an NFDA Pursuit of Excellence award for more than 40 consecutive years.
In our experience, families feel most at ease when they understand each step before they're asked to decide on it. That's why every arrangement conference includes a plain explanation of your options and, if you'd like an idea of what different services generally involve, our funeral cost guide is a helpful starting point before you call.
Frequently Asked Questions About Planning a Funeral
How long do I have to plan a funeral after someone dies?
There's no single deadline for planning the service itself, but Utah law requires a death certificate to be filed within five days of death and before final disposition (Utah Code 26B-8-114). In practice, most families plan a funeral or memorial service within three to seven days, though it's common to wait longer if you're gathering out-of-town family.
What documents do I need to plan a funeral?
You'll typically need the decedent's Social Security number, birth date and place, military discharge papers if applicable, and information for the death certificate such as marital status, occupation, and parents' names. Life insurance policies, pre-planning paperwork, and veteran records help too. Our team can walk you through exactly what's needed during your arrangement conference.
What should I bring to a funeral arrangement meeting?
Bring any pre-planning documents, a list of immediate family members, clothing for the decedent if there will be a viewing, and photos if you'd like help with a memorial display. If you know the decedent had life insurance, Social Security eligibility, or veteran benefits, bring those details too so we can help you start the paperwork.
Who has the legal right to make funeral decisions?
Utah law follows a priority order: first a person the deceased named in a notarized written document, then a surviving spouse, then a personal representative named in a will, followed by adult children, parents, siblings and other next of kin. If there's any disagreement among family members, our staff can explain how the process works and help everyone come to a decision together.
Can I plan a funeral without embalming?
Yes. Embalming is not required by law in most situations, and Utah rules allow a body to be kept without embalming as long as it's refrigerated at 40 degrees or below. Many families choose direct cremation or direct burial without embalming, while others request it to allow more time before a viewing.
What is the difference between a funeral and a memorial service?
A funeral takes place with the body present, often before burial or cremation, while a memorial service happens afterward without the body present. Both can include a visitation, readings, music, and a gathering for family and friends. Your Myers funeral director can help you decide which fits your family's needs and timeline.
Whenever you're ready, we're here. There's no pressure and no obligation, just people who know how to help you plan a service that honors your loved one. Call us at (801) 399-5613, or contact our team online, any time, day or night. Myers Mortuary is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
