Funeral Celebrant: What does a funeral celebrant do?

A funeral celebrant will write and deliver the funeral ceremony for your loved one. A member of the clergy will conduct the funeral if it is being held in a church or other place of worship. Funerals generally take place in church, in the local crematorium or by a graveside.

Here, a Funeral Director will bring the body to the venue and pallbearers will carry the coffin from the hearse. The funeral celebrant or clergy will then conduct the ceremony. Afterwards, the family will go back home or to a place they have chosen for the reception or wake afterwards.

What are our options?

Other options are also available to families when their loved one passes away – one of these being a direct cremation.  This choice is seeing a growth in popularity at the moment. This may be due to the cost of living crisis and the rising cost of traditional funerals. 

If you choose to have a direct cremation, the body will be taken directly to the crematorium. No ceremony takes place and no mourners are present.  For many families however, the ritual surrounding a more traditional funeral is paramount. This helps them feel they have done their best by their loved-one.  It may also be necessary for their own grieving process, understanding that the person has now ‘gone’. Undertaking the funeral process in a traditional way can be important.  For some who choose a direct cremation, a memorial ceremony afterwards, or a ‘celebration of life’ ceremony, will help with that grieving process. This allows everyone to gather without rush and be part of a fitting memorial when the time is right.

For all of these ceremonies a funeral celebrant will create and deliver the ceremony alongside the family.

What is the process?

During an initial meeting, the family can talk over their requirements with the celebrant.  The family have the opportunity during that meeting to talk at length about the life of their loved one, their personality, their achievements, their loves and their losses. In essence, everything that made them loved, unique and part of the community.  The celebrant will take this information and use it to create a fully bespoke ceremony where the deceased is remembered with love, care and attention. 

Families aren’t the only people to arrange funerals. There are times when a trustee is appointed to look after the affairs of the deceased. The process is the same for both families and trustees. Some families and trustees want to write and deliver the eulogy by themselves during the ceremony. The celebrant is there to manage all of that for them bringing the ceremony together making sure everything runs smoothly. Go to my Funerals page to find out more and also find out more about my eulogy writing service here.

So how do we find the right celebrant?

There are many funeral celebrants to choose from!  Your local Funeral Director will have a list of local celebrants that they are happy to use. They will recommend one that they feel is a good ‘fit’ for your family. 

However, you can choose to have whichever celebrant you want even if you are being looked after by a Funeral Director!  Celebrants are usually self-employed and can be found through their websites or social media accounts by undertaking a basic search in your chosen area.  All will be happy to have a no-obligation conversation with you before you decide to book . By doing a small amount of research yourself, you can find the celebrant that suits you and book them directly. You can also book your chosen celebrant through your funeral director by telling them who you wish to have.

Do you still have questions?

Do you still have questions?  Don’t hesitate to contact me for that chat. I can go through your options with you before you make your final decision. You’ll also find me on Facebook and Instagram.

You only do this once for your loved one so you will want to get it right and feel that you’ve given them the very best send-off you can, with the very best funeral celebrant, for their final day.