What Do Funeral Directors Do?

Funeral directors are in charge of many tasks that make a funeral go smoothly. Their job is demanding but rewarding, and they are essentially on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. What’s more, no two days are the same, and there is no way to predict when a funeral director will get the call. To be a funeral director, a person must be flexible, quick thinking, and empathetic, willing to drop everything and go when called to help a member of the community. But what roles do funeral directors play?

A funeral director is responsible for managing many aspects of a funeral, but the most important part of the job is the support they provide to the families they serve.

While coordinating the funeral service, assisting with special requests, and dealing with administrative tasks, funeral directors also work hard to ensure that the families and their deceased loved ones are cared for appropriately. So, while technically, a funeral director is someone who manages a funeral home, funeral director roles are far more complex than you might realise.

Funeral directors assist in planning funerals, but the way this happens can vary. Optimally, a person will plan his or her funeral in advance, giving the funeral director clear instructions about final wishes. However, many people neglect to do this, and then it is left to their loved ones to make the plan. This can be stressful for family members, who are grieving and may feel overwhelmed.

There are many different aspects to consider, including the date and time of wakes and services, the choice between burial and cremation, the music, flowers, and other aspects of the service, and how they can best honour the life that was lived. The funeral director’s role is to ease the burden for the family, assisting with difficult decisions and facilitating their requests.

Because funeral directors have a wealth of knowledge about planning funerals, they can be a wonderful resource to families who are new to the process. In some cases, a funeral director can explain options that the family did not even know were possible, to make the funeral deeply meaningful and memorable.

The funeral director works to get to know the family, in order to understand their needs and learn about their loved one. In that way, the director can make appropriate and compassionate suggestions to help with planning the funeral.

Their presence at a funeral is the aspect of a funeral director’s job that is most well-known. While most of what they do is behind the scenes, on the day of the funeral they run the show. Funeral directors make sure that the funeral runs smoothly, and everyone is where they are supposed to be. They lead the funeral procession, and often walk in front of the hearse, in traditional garb. That is when they are most visible.

However, there is a lot more to running a funeral than that.

Funeral directors must be adept at crowd management, and sensitive to emotions that may be running high during such a poignant time. They also manage the details, like making sure that floral arrangements are delivered properly after the funeral, either to the cemetery or to the home of the bereaved. Funeral directors are responsible for ensuring that the families’ wishes are honoured, and must be available at all times on the day of the funeral, should the bereaved need them.

Throughout the entire process, the funeral director is focused on supporting the families of the people whose funerals they manage. This does not end when the funeral is over. Funeral directors understand that many families need bereavement support, and will help them find the resources they need in terms of aftercare. Deeply committed to serving their communities, funeral directors offer compassion and support during this difficult time in the life of a family.

When you are looking for a funeral director with deep ties to the community, look to Bridgwater. Founded in 2002 by Nigel Gillard, Bridgwater Funeral Services Limited, in the centre of Bridgwater, Somerset, is a family business that provides personal service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Traditions both old and modern are honoured here, with Green and Woodland burials, horse-drawn funerals, military funerals, and services in all religious denominations as well as non-religious and humanist life celebrations. We also offer low-cost funerals and Golden Charter pre-paid funeral plans. If you need help planning a funeral and want to learn more about our services, contact us through our website for information and resources.