In this section

How do I become a funeral celebrant?

How do I become a funeral celebrant?

Should I have a pet funeral?

Should I have a pet funeral?

What is a Celebrant led funeral?

What is a Celebrant led funeral?

Where can celebrant funerals take place?

Where can celebrant funerals take place?

Can we personalise a Celebrant-led funeral?

Can we personalise a Celebrant-led funeral?

How can I make the funeral ceremony even more meaningful?

How can I make the funeral ceremony even more meaningful?

Can I add religious content into a Celebrant-led funeral service?

Can I add religious content into a Celebrant-led funeral service?

How long does a Funeral service last?

How long does a Funeral service last?

How do I find a funeral Celebrant?

How do I find a funeral Celebrant?

Do Celebrants have a set script?

Do Celebrants have a set script?

The Ultimate Guide to plan a burial service

The Ultimate Guide to plan a burial service

The Ultimate Guide to a Celebrant-Led Funeral

The Ultimate Guide to a Celebrant-Led Funeral

Five unique ideas for an autumn funeral

Five unique ideas for an autumn funeral

Can we personalise a Celebrant-led funeral?

Can we personalise a celebrant-led funeral? Absolutely… After all, that’s the beauty of having a celebrant lead your ceremony! From beginning to end, your celebrant will work with you to craft a service that is tailored to your loved one and gives you the opportunity to say goodbye in a meaningful way. This will include personalising the funeral so that it perfectly captures the essence of your loved one.

When you first meet, the funeral celebrant will give you an open floor to share your feelings and memories about the deceased. Funeral planning is undeniably a difficult process, but they will do everything they can to help you evoke happy, heartfelt stories; ones you may have even forgotten. During this conversation, they will gain a deep understanding and awareness of the type of person the departed was. They will use this knowledge to carefully personalise a funeral service that does their life justice.

Your celebrant will create a personalised funeral that suits your style and will honour the deceased through a celebration of their life. They will add any personal touches that either you would like to include or through the celebrant’s suggestions based on their knowledge and experience.

Many feel that this is a huge part of the grieving process, and it facilitates a more enriching way to come to terms with loss. It is all about taking the time to remember the departed, and work together to build a final farewell that celebrates the many different layers of their unique personality and life.

Can I personalise the funeral with a themed service?

One way in which you can personalise a celebrant-led funeral is by having a themed ceremony. Your theme could run through:

  • The colours you ask people to wear
  • The choice of flowers
  • The decor
  • Their faith or a symbolic act
  • The music that you play throughout the service

The options are endless, and it really is entirely up to the family (and, of course, the wishes of the deceased) on how you wish to interpret a theme.

How can I add a lasting legacy to the ceremony?

Could you personalise the funeral service by adding a moment into the ceremony where you create a legacy for your loved one?

This could be anything from planting a rose bush to revealing a plaque in a special place; anything that feels like a suitable way to remember them both on the day and far into the future.

Can I involve the guests in the funeral ceremony?

As there are no limitations for a celebrant-led funeral, you could involve important members of the departed’s family or circle in the service.

You could:

  • Ask a guest to read out a special passage
  • Have a loved one sing a meaningful song
  • Invite guests to share their favourite memories of the departed in a book
  • Create a slideshow of photographs of the deceased and all of their loved ones
  • Give guests the option to light candle in memory

This can be a wonderful way to turn a time of sadness into one of remembrance; an opportunity for everyone to be involved – even in the smallest way – in the final goodbye.

What readings or speeches can I add to a funeral ceremony?

The most obvious way to personalise a celebrant-led funeral is through the readings and speech itself.

Your funeral celebrant will write a speech from scratch, meaning no matter what the service will be personalised to you and your loved one.

However, you could also consider:

  • Sharing a favourite piece of poetry or one that means something to the family
  • Producing a book of their life
  • Asking an important friend or family member to write their own reading for the service
  • A hymn or prayer if the deceased was religious

There are no restrictions; the service will be full of memories, personality traits, and focus on how the person lived their life.

For example, you could:

  • Share stories from their childhood or funny memories
  • Talk about causes that were important to them (and perhaps have these as a donation rather than giving flowers to the family)
  • Show a slideshow of photographs of them
  • Read a piece that they had personally written
  • Share a timeline of their proudest achievements

The beauty is, the celebration is entirely on their terms: it should be as unique as the wonderful person it is paying homage to.

Photographer Credits: Bec Zacher, Roshini McCartin