What areas do you cover?

What are the costs involved?

Costs are dependant on geographical area and the funeral director (if you choose to use one)

My Fee is £220 and I am available to support you on this journey 24/7.

The fees are paid by the funeral director (if you’re using one) or are invoiced and paid by you if you’re making arrangements independently.

What is a Civil Funeral Celebrant?

A highly trained professional who, with the help of the family, creates and crafts a dignified and highly personal funeral ceremony. A celebrant works closely with a funeral director, if using and maintains a high degree of personal involvement with the bereaved family throughout. Starting with the initial meeting right through to delivery of the funeral ceremony.

A celebrant led funeral can offer the bereaved family freedom to celebrate the life of the person who has died. It helps bereaved families with the grieving process as they would have been encouraged to be involved in its creation and it gives centre stage to the person who has died by paying tribute to their character, personality, talents, actions and anything else that made them who they were.

Where can a Civil Celebrant funeral take place?

A civil funeral ceremony is fitting for either a cremation, burial or memorial and can be held in traditional venue such as a crematoriums or chapel or non-traditional venues such as village hall, public house or garden, offering the family a greater choice. Basically, there is no legal requirement to have a funeral ceremony in a designated place so it can take place anywhere!

Are the same words used at every funeral?

Absolutely not! Each funeral wording, or script, should be as individual as the person who has died. A celebrant will use their skills and experience to sculpt the best script possible, one that is sensitive to the needs of the family and brings to light their vision of how they want to say goodbye. The family’s involvement is encouraged and they approve every word and verse that is contained in the script. That way families will feel comfortable on the day, knowing exactly what is going to be said and when.

How long does a funeral ceremony need to be?

Arranging a funeral can be an overwhelming process for most people. However, planning the funeral ceremony, can be very rewarding and actually help with the grieving process. 

As a funeral ceremony is unique to the person who has died so is the length of ceremony. It may be governed by time restraints, if held in a crematorium or may not be, if held in a Natural Burial Ground. There are no right and wrong answers, just what is best for you and your family.

Setting out a clear structure for your ceremony will help decide how long or short it will be. Remember, it is quality of the content and not quantity that matters. You may need to think about other factors such as cultural, religious and traditional factors. Your budget for the funeral as unfortunately, funerals can be expensive and be mindful to ask lots of questions so that you know what you are getting for your money.  

How can we make a funeral ceremony personalised and meaningful?

The moment you instruct a celebrant until after the ceremony has been delivered, the celebrant can help and support you throughout the process. The ceremony can be personalised in many different ways for example by having a theme, a pictorial tribute, a book of life, or perhaps a parting gift, given from the family to all those who attends, that especially reflects the person who has died e.g. their favourite sweets.

The celebrant will encourage family involvement with the ceremony, where possible. For example, readings or poems that can be read by family members. Family members can carry the coffin and you always have music to help personalise the ceremony, flowers and even perhaps the choice of venue.

The celebrant, when possible, will meet with you and your family to talk to you about what you would like included in the ceremony. They will listen and record information about the person who has died as well as capture any stories of their life. They will use the information collected to craft a script that will be based on your memories, personality traits and the stories of their life.

Having spent some time with you and your family, the celebrant will be able to advise you and suggest different ways that you may like to think about personalising the ceremony. 

What about including religion?

Using a celebrant means that you are free to include anything you feel you would like to in order to honour and remember the person who had died and that can include religious, spiritual, or faith-based content. 

You are free to choose hymns, readings and quotes if it reflects your wishes and those of the person who has died. You may like to check with the venue if you would like to include anything different like a symbolic ceremony within the funeral ceremony, such as lighting candles. Again, your celebrant should be able to advise you on this and will work alongside you and your family to discover the best ways to celebrate the life of the person who had died.