Civil Funeral Ceremonies.

Funeral practices in the UK have undergone remarkable changes in the last few years; there has been a clear shift away from the impersonal, standardised and religiously led funeral services of the past.

Modern funerals allows the grieving family a wider range of options that were unheard of 10 years ago. These modern funerals are often referred to by a number of different terms; non-religious funerals, secular funerals, unaffiliated funerals etc. I am professionally trained to lead all of these types of funeral ceremony and Celebrations of Life.

Most aspects of today’s funeral ceremony come down to personal choice; families may well take an active role in choosing the music and readings and may wish to speak about the person who has passed. The primary task of the professional funeral celebrant nowadays is to assist families in creating a funeral that fully reflects the person’s nature, life and personality.

What is a Civil Funeral Ceremony?

Civil Funerals can provide an opportunity to publicly express the different feelings and emotions that well up when a loved one dies; it may well recognise the grief of the family’s loss, maybe his or her understanding of the meaning of life and death but most importantly, provides an opportunity to tell the loved one’s story, provide anecdotes and show the love that still remains.

A civil funeral, is sometimes referred to as a humanist, secular or non-religious funeral. The focus of the ceremony is purely about the person who has passed, as well the family and friends, who shared their life. It often takes place at a crematorium or non religious burial site. Sometimes it is a memorial ceremony or burial of ashes after a funeral. The ceremony can be non-religious or contain religious elements such as hymns, readings, poems or prayers.

There are no restrictions on creating the perfect farewell.

How do we build the perfect Celebration of Life together?

Firstly, it will be a great honour and privilege for me, to work with you to create the perfect Celebration of Life to honour them. I meet with you at your home (or elsewhere if you prefer) to discuss their personality, stories, anecdotes and achievements, to get to know the person whose life is to be celebrated.

This is such an important time together. Over the course of an hour or two, I am able to listen and learn all about the loved one who has passed and start the journey of putting together the eulogy and words that I will deliver during the funeral ceremony. I have also noticed for many of my clients, that this opportunity to relive many happy memories, stories and anecdotes, can often provide some small solace, during the grieving process.

I will guide and advise you as much or as little as you want. Together, we can plan the content and structure of the service whilst incorporating any ideas that you may already have. Whilst you may want to include some religious elements such as Bible readings, The Lords Prayer, Psalm 23, Hymns etc there are many non-religious funeral poems, songs and readings which we can discuss and add into the ceremony, so we have the perfect tribute for your loved one.

Getting the right words to say. You will have the opportunity to view (and change) the eulogy and words for the ceremony, in advance, along with the order of service, to ensure everything is correct and a perfect tribute, ready for the day of the funeral. In fact, I'll keep working on your ceremony script, until you are completely happy with it.

The perfect service for your loved one. On the day of the funeral I would generally lead the service, however participation whether large or small by any family member or close friend is always welcome, be that music, a reading or a poem, and I will always only be a few steps away to give a helping hand if needed.

You can read more of our frequently asked questions here.

Funeral Directors can read more information on my services here.