Guide to Funeral Celebrants
Title image featuring celebrant Beth Kirkham. Photo by Max Turner.
What is a funeral celebrant?
When planning a funeral service, most families choose to connect with someone who can help them create and lead a meaningful ceremony. For some, this will be a religious or spiritual minister. For others, it may be a family member or friend. But in recent times we have seen a huge increase in demand for independent or humanist funeral celebrants – ideal for those with no particular religious leanings who still want to create a beautiful service. We hope this guide to funeral celebrants will help you decide if this option is right for you.
What do funeral celebrants do?
The role of a funeral celebrant is to support people through the process of planning a funeral or celebration of life service, writing the ceremony script and leading the service on the day. They will begin by meeting with those planning the funeral to ask about your wishes and the wishes of the person who has died. Importantly, they will also take time to find out as much as they can about the person, so that they can write a personal and meaningful ceremony that honours their life.
For many, this process is cathartic, as it allows them to process their loss and tell stories about the person who has died. People can find it very helpful to have the help of a professional at a time when they may be consumed by grief, or feeling stressed about the amount there is to do after a death.
A funeral celebrant will also allow families to write their own content, such as eulogies, if they wish. Sometimes the role of the celebrant is to hold the service together while inviting key family members up to say a few words of their choosing. Celebrants can be entirely flexible and create a service that fits your needs.
Are funeral celebrants non-religious?
Not necessarily. Humanist celebrants follow the humanist belief system and are therefore atheist or agnostic and generally won’t include any religious references in ceremonies. But independent celebrants can adapt ceremonies according to the wishes of families. Some celebrants come from religious or spiritual backgrounds themselves, e.g. former church ministers. So if you wish to have a ceremony that focuses on the life of the person who has died, but that also includes prayers, readings, hymns or a spiritual custom, that is absolutely welcomed.
Where can I find a funeral celebrant near me?
You can search our directory of celebrants on our sister site Outdoor Ceremonies, or via the Association of Independent Celebrants or Humanist Ceremonies. If working with a funeral director, they are likely to have a list of celebrants they regularly work with and recommend, but bear in mind it is entirely your choice and you can source your own celebrant if you wish.
