Choosing a Funeral Celebrant

    Choosing a Funeral Celebrant

    The term celebrant simply refers to the person who will lead the funeral ceremony and officiate throughout. A celebrant will, usually, also perform weddings and naming ceremonies. This is a simple guide to the types of celebrant available.

    Religious

    This will be the traditional leader of ceremonies according to your religion eg. vicar, priest, rabbi.

    A religious celebrant will usually conduct the ceremony according to the conventions of their faith, including prayers and references to a deity.

    Humanist

    A humanist celebrant will not include any reference to faith, religion or an afterlife in a funeral ceremony. The focus is purely on the life of the person who has died, allowing friends and family to share memories and pay tribute.

    humanism.org.uk

    Civil / Independent

    An independent or civil celebrant will conduct a bespoke funeral, based specifically on the wishes of the deceased and their family. It will usually be performed in a non religious building but can include religious content if that is requested.

    www.iocf.org.uk

    Interfaith

    An interfaith celebrant is an ordained minister who has been trained in all aspects of religion and spirituality but has no particular association with an organised religion. They will offer a service according to the wishes of the deceased and family which may or may not include religion.

    www.interfaith.org.uk

    Pagan

    A pagan celebrant will perform the ceremony in accordance with their religion. This will be conducted differently according to the subgroup of the deceased including Wiccans, Druids, Sacred Ecologists and Heathens.

    www.pagan-transitions.org.uk

    Celebrants are trained to engage with people who have been recently bereaved in a sympathetic and compassionate manner.

    It is crucial that there is a positive, trusting relationship between family members and the chosen celebrant as you will be working together to create the ceremony. You should feel that you can communicate easily and freely with them and that your wishes are being respected.