Civil Funeral Ceremonies

A Civil Funeral Ceremony is what you make it

When it comes to shaping the funeral’s content and delivering the service, the religious beliefs or views of the celebrant are irrelevant. A civil funeral ceremony depends on the beliefs of the person who has died, and their family or friends. It’s the celebrant’s job to put those wishes into a service.

What can be included in a Civil Funeral?

The focus of the funeral is remembering the life of the deceased. ‘Flexibility’ is the key and pretty much anything can be part of a civil funeral. ‘Personalisation’ is another important factor: the choice of music and readings, the participation of mourners during the ceremony and the use of symbolic items and actions … It’s about what the deceased and their family want.

What does the funeral celebrant do?

Planning a funeral service might feel daunting. There are decisions to take and preparations to make. Helping the bereaved family and friends to get through this is a big part of what the celebrant does.

I will:

• meet with you at least once before the funeral, and ideally in person;

• learn about the person who has died, including their life, their relationships, their work and their interests and passions;

• help you to shape the ceremony and capture what was important to your loved one and to you;

• provide guidance to help you find meaningful readings and music choices;

• write a script for the entire ceremony: one which you get to see and sign-off before the day of the funeral;

• give you a final ‘presentation copy’ of the script for you to keep afterwards.