How a Funeral Director Helps — What to Expect From the Funeral Home
For most Canadian families, the funeral director becomes the central guide through the funeral process — fielding the first call after death, coordinating everything that follows, supporting the family throughout. Understanding what they actually do helps you work with them effectively.
Body care and transport
- Pick up body from place of death (hospital, hospice, home)
- Transport to funeral home
- Body preparation (washing, dressing in clothes provided by family)
- Embalming if requested (or required for international transport)
- Refrigeration during the days before funeral
- Coordination with cremation provider if applicable
Documentation
- Register death with provincial vital statistics
- Order death certificates (initial set typically included in service)
- Notify Service Canada for CPP death benefit application
- Coordinate with coroner if death required investigation
- Provide documentation family needs for estate work
Planning and coordination
- Initial family consultation
- Help select casket or urn
- Help select service style and elements
- Coordinate with religious officiant or celebrant
- Coordinate with cemetery, crematorium, or other disposition provider
- Coordinate with musicians, florists, caterers if applicable
- Schedule visitation, service, and committal times
Service execution
- Set up funeral home chapel or other venue
- Coordinate processional
- Run the visitation/wake
- Coordinate the service
- Manage the committal at cemetery or crematorium
Family support
- Available to answer family questions throughout
- Provide grief resources and bereavement support information
- Coordinate post-funeral follow-up
- Available for ongoing family needs (additional death certificates, etc.)
Time investment
A typical full-service funeral involves 20-40 hours of director and staff time across:
- Initial consultation (1-2 hours)
- Body care preparation (3-5 hours)
- Documentation and coordination (4-8 hours)
- Visitation supervision (3-6 hours)
- Service execution (3-5 hours)
- Committal coordination (2-4 hours)
- Follow-up (2-4 hours)
Direct cremation involves substantially less (4-8 hours total).
Licensing
Provincial licensing requires:
- Specific funeral services education
- Apprenticeship period
- Provincial examination
- Ongoing continuing education
- Compliance with provincial regulator standards
Check licence status through your provincial regulator (BAO in Ontario, BC Consumer Protection BC, Alberta Consumer Investigations).
Working effectively with a funeral director
- Bring questions written down to consultations
- Bring family member as second set of ears
- Ask for itemized pricing (required to provide)
- Don't make major decisions in the first meeting if possible
- Take time between meetings to discuss with family
- Don't feel pressured to upgrade beyond what you want
- Communicate religious or cultural requirements clearly
What we focus on at It's Simple Will
The Funeral Pre-Planner documents preferences in detail so the funeral director and family work from clear direction rather than guessing.
Related guides
Citations & sources
- [1]Funeral Service Association of Canada — Funeral Service Association of Canada (FSAC)
- [2]Bereavement Authority of Ontario — Bereavement Authority of Ontario
Frequently asked questions
What exactly does a funeral director do?
Coordinates body transport from place of death; provides body care and preparation; helps family select casket/urn, service style, music, readings; coordinates with religious officiant if applicable; coordinates with cemetery or crematorium; handles documentation (registers death, orders death certificates, notifies CPP); leads or coordinates the service; handles processional and committal logistics; provides ongoing family support during the days surrounding the funeral.
Are funeral directors licenced?
Yes — provincial licensing through funeral services regulators (BAO in Ontario, BC Consumer Protection, Alberta Consumer Investigations, etc.). Licensing requires specific education, apprenticeship, and ongoing professional development. Check licence status through the provincial regulator.
How much time do they spend on each funeral?
A typical full-service funeral involves 20-40 hours of director and staff time across multiple days — initial consultation, body care, documentation, coordination with other providers, the actual service days, post-funeral follow-up. Direct cremation involves substantially less (4-8 hours typically).
How are funeral directors compensated?
Through the funeral home's professional service fees (typically $1,500-$3,500 included in the overall funeral cost). They don't usually take separate gratuities, though families sometimes provide them for exceptional service.
What's the difference between a funeral director, funeral planner, and celebrant?
Funeral director — licenced professional handling all aspects of the funeral. Funeral planner — typically a coordinator role helping family plan; not necessarily licenced for body care. Celebrant — leads non-religious ceremonies; doesn't handle body care or documentation. Most funerals involve a funeral director coordinating everything; some include a separate celebrant for the ceremony.
Can I work without a funeral director?
In some provinces and circumstances, yes (family-directed funerals). More common in smaller communities. Requires family handling body transport (often coordinating with hospital/coroner), documentation (death certificate, CPP notification), cremation or burial logistics. Not practical for most families; most engage a funeral director.