What is a funeral celebrant?
A funeral celebrant is many things – the advisor, the storyteller, the grief companion, the facilitator, the orchestrator, the resource person, the creative writer – but never the dictator. The celebrant seeks to meet the needs of families during their time of loss. They serve by providing a funeral service that is personalised to reflect the personality and lifestyle of the deceased.
What is The Funeral Celebrant Accord?
The Funeral Celebrant Accord defines the attributes and skills required of an excellent funeral celebrant and is intended to set the standards by which all celebrants offering funeral services should be measured. You can read more here.
How much does it cost for a celebrant led funeral?
My fees are from £250 for a funeral or memorial service/celebration of life, this includes meeting with you, as much support as you need in the lead up to the service, all the time preparing the ceremony (including writing the service from scratch, phone calls and research/fact checking), liaising with you and your chosen funeral director and conducting the service on the day. Please contact me if you wish to discuss fees for a scattering or interment of ashes, helping you to plan your own funeral or even helping with a farewell for a much-loved pet as these will depend on your bespoke requirements.
Can we contact you directly?
Of course! You can appoint a celebrant of your choice. If you would like to use a celebrant for the service of your loved one, please get in touch for a no obligation chat to see if I am the right person for you. For me, your needs are my priority and you can read comments from some of the families I’ve been privileged to work with here. It is so important to have someone you can trust and depend on at such a pivotal time in your life. Your funeral director will make suggestions for celebrants that they may already use, but if you have already decided who you would like to conduct the ceremony, please let them know so they can work with your chosen celebrant.
Can we include religious readings and hymns in a non-religious setting?
Of course – this is your loved one’s service and what you feel is appropriate. We are all different and many of us feel that we have a faith, or belief in some kind of afterlife but may not feel totally comfortable with a service in a religious setting. This is completely understandable. As a celebrant, I am not a member of the clergy or a humanist and therefore you have complete flexibility as to what can be included in a ceremony. There is no set formula and, together, we can create something which is unique to your loved one. You can read comments from some of my families here.
“Where are you this moment? Only in my dreams. You’re missing, but you’re always a heartbeat from me. I’m lost now without you. I don’t know where you are. I keep watching, I keep hoping, but time keeps us apart.”
Enya – If I could be where you are