Is There a “Best Time” to Have a Funeral?

When a loved one passes away, the family and friends arranging their burial and funeral service always have a lot of questions for our team on the best timing for the farewell. It’s always a delicate topic, which we’re happy to help them navigate. The first thing we always tell them is that unless they have a religious consideration or strongly held belief that would dictate timing, there really are no parameters. If you do have religious traditions you would like to follow, at Krause Funeral Home, we will always work to accommodate you. For instance, while there are some allowed exceptions (such as the Sabbath), Jewish families believe the deceased should be buried within 24 hours of death. For devout Muslims, embalming is not allowed, so burial has to take place quickly.

If there aren’t specific religious customs that need to be followed, we would encourage you and your family to take the time you need to determine the best way to celebrate your loved one’s life. If you are patient and give yourself the time you need, you will be able to create a more meaningful funeral service that celebrates their passions, accomplishments, and hobbies through personalization.

Here are several things you should consider when choosing the best date and time for your loved one’s (or your own, if you’re preplanning) final tribute:

• Do you have family or close friends who will need to travel a long distance to attend the funeral? While most employers are understanding about taking time off for funerals, it’s considerate to allow some time for supervisor notification and the booking of airfare, hotel rooms, and any child or pet care needed.
• If you do have a lot of out-of-town visitors coming in for the funeral, sometimes a Monday or Friday is most convenient.
• Is there a pending holiday or other special day that you would like to avoid? There is never a “right time” to have to say goodbye to someone you love, but having a funeral service on a holiday, birthday, or anniversary might cause painful memories in the future. If you can avoid those days, you should.
• Always be sure to check in with the closest members of the person’s inner circle. It would be incredibly disappointing if the funeral was scheduled at a time when a family member had a wedding, a trip that couldn’t be rescheduled, or perhaps an important medical procedure.
• Was your loved one a morning person? If so, a sunrise service might be especially poignant. Want to plan a full dinner reception so you can serve your loved one’s favorite meal? Then an afternoon service would be better. It’s the little things like this that can add so much meaning to a memorial.

We know there are a lot of things to consider amid dealing with your own emotions, so our compassionate team is always ready to help you think these things through. It’s another reason why preplanning is often such a help to families – when the time comes, your family will learn you’ve already considered and planned every detail so they don’t have to.

Over the many years we’ve been serving the wonderful people of Milwaukee, New Berlin and Brookfield, we have witnessed that it’s usually the families who take the time to consider the best way to celebrate a loved one’s life who are able to create the most meaningful memorials. Taking this time will allow you and the people you love to be more present and less stressed out, so you can grieve and truly benefit from the funeral experience.

Remember, Krause Funeral Homes will help in any way possible, no matter your time frame.