The Funeral Is Thursday: What to Do This Week, Day by Day
In the United States a funeral usually takes place three to seven days after a death. That leaves most families a handful of days, and most of those days go on phone calls. Several of the things that matter most on the day, the obituary, the programs, the slideshow, have deadlines that fall a day or more before the service itself, and nobody tells you that until you ask.
This is a countdown for the week, written for the family doing it now. It assumes the funeral home is handling the arrangements and you are handling everything else.
A note on who wrote this: we make memorial slideshows (Embrance), so the slideshow section below names our prices beside the other options. Everything else on this page is general guidance with its sources listed at the end.
First, what the funeral home usually does for you
Before you add anything to your own list, ask the funeral director which of these they are doing, so no one does them twice.
- The death notice in the newspaper. Most are submitted by the funeral home, and the paper will not publish without the funeral home verifying the death. Some homes charge a fee for this.
- Death certificates. The funeral home can order them for you. Most families need at least five to ten copies, for banks, insurance and accounts.
- Social Security. Funeral directors typically report the death.
- Programs. The funeral home can print them for you, as a cash advance added to the bill.
- The tribute video. Many homes offer one and will send you a link to upload photographs.
You also have rights here. Under the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule, the funeral home must give you prices over the phone if you ask, and a written General Price List to keep. You can buy only the goods and services you want rather than a package. They cannot refuse, or charge a fee for, a casket or urn you bought somewhere else. And no state law requires routine embalming for every death.
What has a deadline, and when it is
Each of these closes before the service, and the times below are the ones the businesses publish. Check your own paper and your own funeral home, because they vary.
| What | When it closes | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper death notice | Mid to late afternoon, often the day before it runs. The Dallas Morning News closes at 3 p.m. the prior day, and Monday's paper closes Saturday. | Starting prices on Legacy.com included $168.85 for the Boston Globe, $175 for the Dallas Morning News and $285 for the Chicago Tribune. Gannett says a notice sent in by the funeral home generally appears online within an hour of approval. |
| Printed programs, at an office store | Same day at Office Depot if ordered by 2 p.m.; at Staples by 12 p.m. for standard pickup. FedEx Office offers same day on many funeral products, depending on quantity. | Large booklet runs may not qualify for same day at Office Depot. Proofread before you order. |
| Printed programs, shipped | FuneralPrints.com prints and ships the same day on orders by 3 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday. | Overnight delivery is available, and the minimum order is 50. |
| Slideshow or tribute video | Earlier than the service. One funeral home sends its own preview the day before; another recommends testing a family video on its equipment 24 hours before. | Bring an MP4 on a USB drive. One home says plainly that PowerPoint and Google Slides files will not play. |
| Speakers, readers, pallbearers | As early in the week as you can | Some people will decline and others will ask. Six to eight pallbearers is usual, and anyone who cannot carry can be an honorary pallbearer. |
Monday: three days out
Call the funeral home and ask for every deadline. When do they need the obituary text, the photographs, the video, the program wording? Write the answers down in one place. This single call replaces most of the guessing.
Ask people to speak, read and carry today. Some will say no and need time to say it; others will offer, and it is easier to make room early. If someone is unsure, give them until tomorrow.
Start the obituary. Paper deadlines tend to close the afternoon before the notice runs, and the funeral home has to verify the death before it publishes, so aim to send it tomorrow. Our obituary guide walks through what to include.
Start on the photographs. They feed the slideshow, the photo boards and the program cover, and they are the job that takes longest because they are scattered across houses and phones. Ask everyone to send theirs today. If they are prints in a box, scanning 200 photos before the funeral is the fast way through.
Tell people the time and place. One group text or email with the date, the time, the address and parking. One funeral home names this as the detail families most often forget to make clear.
Decide who is making the slideshow. If you want someone else to make it, today is the day to ask, because it is the last day that leaves them room.
Tuesday: two days out
Send the obituary and read the proof carefully. Names and dates are where errors hide.
Finish the program wording and order the programs. The order of service, the names of readers and pallbearers, a photograph, perhaps a short passage from the obituary. Order in the morning for same-day pickup, or online by the afternoon with overnight shipping.
Build the slideshow, or check it is being built. If you are making it yourself, tonight is a good night: the photographs are in and the other deadlines have eased.
Plan the gathering after. Where it is, who is hosting, who is bringing food. It is easy to leave until the last minute and hard to arrange on the day.
Clothes. What your loved one will wear, if the funeral home needs it, and what you will. Someone else can handle the dry cleaning.
Wednesday: the day before
Pick up the programs.
Test the slideshow on the funeral home's screen, or send it to them today. An MP4 on a USB drive, plus a copy on a second device in case one fails. If they are making the video, this is usually when their preview arrives.
Gather what goes on display. Photo boards, framed photographs, and the guestbook with pens.
Confirm the people. Readers know when they speak; pallbearers know where to be and when.
Thursday
Bring the USB drive and its backup, the printed eulogy, the programs, the photo boards and the guestbook. Hand one person the job of talking to the funeral home on the day, so you do not have to.
The slideshow, by how many days you have left
This is where the week runs out most often, because it depends on the photographs and the photographs arrive last. For the deadline itself, our guide to making a slideshow in two days goes further, and who can make a funeral slideshow for me compares every way to have one made.
| Option | Cost | Time it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Build it yourself in Embrance | Free to preview, $79.99 to download | An evening, once the photographs are in |
| Build it yourself in Google Slides, PowerPoint or Canva | Free | Longer, and it needs to end up as an MP4 video, since at least one funeral home will not play a PowerPoint or Google Slides file |
| The funeral home's tribute video | Varies by home | Ask their photo deadline; scanning prints takes them time too |
| FuneralPrints.com video tribute | Priced on their site; a $50 rush fee, with the rush date not promised | 48 hours from when they have everything |
| Embrance done for you | $349 | Paid and photos in at least three days before the service, and it is ready the day before, or your money back |
Three or more days out, every option is open, including having it made with a promise on the date. Two days out, build it yourself, lean on the funeral home, or have it made knowing the date is tight: we still work to it, but our ready promise does not cover under three days. The night before, build it yourself, keep it short, and test it where it will play.
What families most often run short on
One funeral home's list of what families forget is worth reading before the day. Telling people the time and place clearly. Deciding who will speak until the last minute. Guests' needs, like seating, access and directions. The gathering afterwards. And trying to do all of it alone. If someone offers to help this week, give them one whole job from the lists above, not a piece of one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long after a death is the funeral usually held?
Usually three to seven days in the United States. Refrigeration can allow a family to wait up to about two weeks, and a cremation followed by a memorial service leaves more room still.
When is the newspaper deadline for an obituary?
Usually mid to late afternoon, often the day before it runs, and earlier for weekend and Monday editions. The Dallas Morning News, for example, closes at 3 p.m. the day before. Every paper we checked needs the funeral home to verify the death, so allow time for that, and many funeral homes submit the notice for you.
How long does it take to print funeral programs?
It can be the same day. Office Depot offers same-day service on orders placed by 2 p.m., Staples on standard pickup orders by noon, and FedEx Office on many funeral products depending on quantity. The funeral home can also print them for you.
How many funeral programs should I print?
The advice varies. Funeral.com suggests enough for about three quarters of the expected guests plus a cushion, since couples share. The Funeral Program Site suggests 10 to 20 percent more than the expected turnout. If you are unsure, err on the side of more.
When does the funeral home need the slideshow?
Ask them, because it is usually before the day. One funeral home sends its own preview the day before the service, and another recommends testing a family video on its equipment 24 hours before. Bring an MP4 file on a USB drive, with a backup on a second device.
Can I still get a slideshow made if the funeral is in three days?
Yes. You can build one yourself in an evening, ask the funeral home, or have one made. Embrance's done-for-you service is $349, and if the invoice is paid and the photos are in at least three days before the service, the finished film is ready the day before, or your money back.
How many death certificates will I need?
Most families need at least five to ten certified copies, for banks, insurance, pensions and accounts. The funeral home can order them for you, or you can order from the state vital records office.
How many pallbearers do you need?
Usually six to eight. Six is traditional, one for each handle on most caskets. Someone who cannot carry can be an honorary pallbearer and walk alongside.
Sources, checked 25 September 2026: After.com funeral checklist; Smith Family Funeral Homes; FTC Funeral Rule; AARP, when a loved one dies; Everplans on death notices, the first things to do and pallbearers; Dallas Morning News notices; Boston Globe notices; Legacy.com for the Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune; Gannett notices; Office Depot same-day printing; Staples celebration of life printing; FedEx Office celebration of life printing; FuneralPrints.com programs and video tributes; Funeral.com on programs; The Funeral Program Site; Rubidoux Mortuary; Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home; Borgwardt Funeral Home. Deadlines and prices are those businesses' published figures on that date and can change.