If you are the closest relative to a loved one who passed away, but you didn't live in the same city, you might find yourself trying to plan a funeral from far away. While that can be more challenging than being in person, there are some things you can do to make the process easier.
Does the Funeral Need to Be in the Loved One's Hometown?
Before you get started, make sure it really does make sense to hold the funeral in the location where your loved one passed away. Did they have a lot of friends and family in that location? Then it probably does make the most sense to hold the funeral there. If they weren't well established in that location, and they have more family near where you live (or somewhere else), then you may want to hold the service where it makes the most sense for the most people, and from where it's most simple to plan the funeral.
Consider Cremation
One of the most immediate and tricky parts of the planning process from a distance is figuring out what to do with the body. You may not be able to choose a casket in person on such short notice. Cremation is one option to consider since the cremation facility will handle the transport of the body, cremation of the body, and delivery of the ashes to you in your home city. If you are set on a traditional burial, you can look at caskets online and arrange many of the embalming and transportation services through a funeral director who is in the location of your loved one.
Find a Good Funeral Director
That brings up a good point. Find a funeral director who is sympathetic to the situation and willing to help you coordinate the funeral service from a distance. You may want to visit to see potential locations for cemeteries or funeral services, but the funeral director can help you narrow down those options and make the process as simple as possible when you are on location. You may be coordinating many things via phone or email and then putting the finishing touches on in the final days before the funeral service. If no other family lived nearby, you might not have many helping hands to pick up flowers or help decorate the space, which makes it even more important to find a competent funeral planner to make everything come together.
