Often people leave instructions about what they want, either in their will or a letter. When possible, arrangements should respect the deceased’s wishes.

==Who is responsible for arranging the funeral?==

If the deceased left a will, the executor named in the will is responsible for arranging the funeral and paying the funeral expenses from the deceased’s estate.

If there is no executor, the responsibility for arranging the funeral falls to the deceased’s spouse. BC law sets out a priority order if there is no spouse or they are unwilling to take on the responsibility: next is the adult children of the deceased (in age descending order), followed by the adult grandchildren, an adult sibling, and so on.