Posts Tagged ‘Celebration of Life’
Beautiful Ways to Honour Loved Ones in a Wedding Ceremony
Your wedding day is a celebration of love that extends beyond just you and your partner. It’s a perfect opportunity to honour the special people who have shaped your journey – whether they can be present physically or only in spirit. From subtle touches to meaningful rituals, there are countless ways to include and honour loved ones in a wedding ceremony. Honouring Deceased Loved Ones When someone important cannot be there in person, there are many touching ways to ensure their presence is felt throughout your celebration. Physical Remembrances Symbolic Gestures Honouring Missing Parents at your wedding The role of parents in our lives is profound, and many couples want to recognise this special relationship during their wedding ceremony. Whether…
Read MoreWhat is a Green funeral?
With the increasing popularity of finding new ways we can care for our earth, environmentally friendly burials and funerals help preserve our planet when our loved ones pass on. These days we do everything in our power to recycle our plastics, eat locally sourced foods, cut down our carbon footprints whether that be with eco-friendly cars or getting out in the fresh air commuting by foot or bike. So why should that all come to an end when we make our final print on the planet? Essentially, a Green Funeral is all about having as little impact on the earth as possible. So how does that affect a burial? Here are a few ways you can make changes to the…
Read MoreWhat is a Natural Home Funeral?
Did you know you can have your loved one at home for their funeral service? There are natural and arguably more personal alternatives to a funeral home. Sarah Weller started Natural Home Funerals to educate, advocate and officiate home funerals. She’s here to discuss the concept of home funerals and give you insight into why it is a good option to consider for your loved one. Over to you Sarah! My grandmother used to lay out those who had died in her village, so perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that this is my work now. As well as being an alternative home funeral director, I am a Soul Midwife end of life companion, celebrant, sound therapist and shamanic practitioner. Culturally…
Read MoreWhat is a Celebration of Life ceremony?
WHAT IS A ‘CELEBRATION OF LIFE CEREMONY’? What does the phrase ‘Celebration of Life Ceremony’ mean exactly? Simply put, it’s a type of funeral ceremony which pays tribute to a loved one, acknowledges their death, but most importantly does what it says on the tin – it celebrates their life, their accomplishments, their achievements, their wins. What types of funeral are there? There are mainly three types of funeral services, which are usually officiated by a religious minister, a humanist, or a celebrant. A traditional funeral service is normally held in a church or religious building and is officiated by a religious minister. Some religious ceremonies apply the rules of their religion to the letter, whereas some may be a…
Read MoreDoes humour have a place in a modern funeral?
The simple answer here is that a funeral should reflect the family’s wishes, and people are increasingly looking for a service that fully represents the loved one they have lost. So, given that people have multi-faceted personalities, why not look to explore as many of these as we can when we decide ‘how’ we should say ‘goodbye’. Many families are opting for Celebrant-led funeral services as they want much more control over the content, but what’s appropriate and what’s not? If a key marker of that individual’s personality was their sense of humour, then it stands to reason that to fully honour them, the service might at least be light-hearted in tone. In fact, the steer that I am often…
Read MoreWhat happens at a funeral? A realistic account of what to expect
We don’t talk about death so it has become unfamiliar Funeral ceremonies can serve different purposes for those involved. One function of a ceremony is to contain (accept and help to manage) distress and insecurity, and to signal a change. But, who is the funeral for? The departed or those in mourning? Difficulties can be created when this becomes and either/or choice. In fact, funerals are for both the dead and for the living. Compromise can be key. If funerals are for the living as well as for the dead, what happens for the friends and family of the deceased at a funeral? In describing funerals, it is easy to airbrush out or to gloss over some of the difficulties that…
Read MoreSelecting the right Funeral Celebrant
The importance of selecting the right Funeral Celebrant for your loved one’s celebration of life cannot be underestimated. This is the one occasion when their life story is to be told, their memories honoured and their body put to rest. So, how do you go about finding the right Celebrant? When you approach your Funeral Directors with notification of their death, they will take on board your choice of service, and can assign you a Celebrant from their list of preferred Celebrants. However, the choice is entirely yours and it is your right to select your own Celebrant for your loved ones funeral service should you wish. You can do this by using the Celebrant Directory. This choice may come…
Read MoreWhen a loved one passes on, what do I do with their Social Media accounts?
Everyone tackles grief in different ways so there is no right or wrong answer to this as what feels right for one person will often not feel right for the next. But a common question we often get asked is what to do with a loved one’s social media accounts when they’ve passed on? Do you delete the account and move on like a wardrobe of clothes? Pack them up and say goodbye? Or do you keep the page alive serving as a memory as their life? A couple of our amazing Celebrants came forward with some useful advice… Ellen Bower a member of The Celebrant Directory brings to light that we have a real taboo in our culture about…
Read MoreHow to Plan Your Own Living Funeral
Living funerals are rewriting the rules of how we celebrate life’s journey. Whether you’re facing a terminal diagnosis, living with a progressive condition like Alzheimer’s, or simply wish to gather loved ones for a meaningful celebration, a living funeral offers the precious gift of being present for your own life celebration. It’s an opportunity to hear the stories usually saved for eulogies, to express gratitude in person, and to create lasting memories with those you cherish most. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about planning your own living funeral. From choosing the perfect timing and venue to creating a ceremony that truly reflects your personality, we’ll explore how to blend traditional elements with personal…
Read MoreHow funeral ‘celebrations’ allow the bereaved to tailor goodbyes
Mourn For Me, But Also Celebrate Up until the Nineties, relatives of a deceased person had to try to persuade a local church minister to lead the funeral service… because, well, the church’s way was The Way. But if family members weren’t serious churchgoers (such villainy!) the funeral ceremony was often bland and universal with, in fact, everything of value never quite being touched upon. Then something snapped. People who felt short-changed by previous churchy eulogies were quizzing funeral directors about alternatives. And those who had grown up amid the enlightened 1960s – now tasked with sorting out funerals for mums and dads – wanted something in keeping with their own happy momentum. It was from these demands that the…
Read MoreChoosing a Direct Cremation like trend setter David Bowie
The past 18 months have be challenging for every person in the funeral profession and mourners alike. The pandemic has pushed families to source alternative options for saying goodbye to their loved ones, moving away from traditional ones. Here’s where Celebrants come in. Celebrants are storytellers by trade and at The Celebrant Directory we have a wealth of advice and inspiration written by Celebrants creating ceremonies across the world. Directory member Helen Noble, Best National Celebrant for Funerals CDGA shares her insights into Direct Cremations and Memorials, first made popular by David Bowie. Since he passed, the demand for Direct Cremations have rocketed by 400% – a true trend setter in both life and death. What is a Direct Cremation?…
Read MoreChecklist for planning a funeral
Planning a funeral for a loved one can be even more stressful if you don’t know where to start. You are grieving, you are planning your last goodbye and you want it to be perfect. One experienced funeral celebrant has collated a step by step checklist to help guide you through this difficult time and support you to plan a funeral. How do I start planning a funeral? The daunting prospect of planning a funeral for a loved one at one of the most difficult times in your life breaks down into a simple checklist taking you through everything from selecting someone to officiate the memorial to choosing readings and considering transportation for the mourners. Before you start planning, read…
Read More10 steps to organising a funeral when your loved one left no instructions
1. Choose a Funeral Director or do it yourself There are so many Funeral Directors out there these days that finding the right one can seem daunting. Try and get some recommendations from friends and family, word of mouth is often the strongest marketing tool. With ready online reviews available, a quick search will also show some local firms who have gone above and beyond for other families. If in doubt, ask a few different companies for a quote, it is likely you will click with one of them from the off. If you would prefer to care for your loved one yourself, this is perfectly legal and manageable if you have the right help and advice. Some really helpful…
Read MoreNatural burials: an eco-friendly funeral option
Fancy being buried on a farm, in a forest, on a meadow or even perhaps in your own garden? A natural burial may just be what you are looking for. Read on if you would like to learn more about natural burials, what to consider when having one and how to have a ceremony that celebrates yours of someone else’s life in a eco-conscious and beautiful way. What is a natural burial? If you are looking for an eco-conscious funeral option, a natural burial is your best choice. A natural burial aims at having minimum impact on the environment. A body is placed directly into the earth, allowing it to decompose naturally. The way the grave and the body…
Read MoreHow to include young children in funerals
Involving young children in funerals is a crucial aspect of helping them understand and cope with the loss of a loved one. While it may seem counterintuitive to expose children to such a sombre event, research indicates that participation in funeral rituals can significantly aid in a child’s grieving process by providing a sense of closure and understanding of death. Ideas to include young children in Funerals When including children in funerals, it’s essential to consider age-appropriate activities that allow them to participate meaningfully. Here are some ways to involve young children: Other ways to include children in Funerals [Child touching a coffin. Photo by Anna Groot ] The importance of including children in funerals Whilst funerals can be sad…
Read MoreThe Celebrant and their Role in your Celebration
Times and attitudes to our celebrations are going through mass change around the world. Throughout this change the Celebrant was founded in Australia thanks to Lionel Murphy, in July 1973 when he appointed the first civil marriage Celebrant. The Celebrancy business has grown in strength since helping people decide on their wishes with their vows be they religious or non-religious, their script, music they want to add, readings, and symbolism. They can also decide their style, Celebrant, venue, day and time. So many options we never had in the past! People now have many more choices from the days when folk were married in a church or the local registry office. The wedding industry has gained vastly from this, especially…
Read MoreCreative ideas of how to make a loved one’s funeral special
Funerals tend to be services that are deeply rooted in tradition and heritage. Whilst following traditions can provide great comfort during times of grief, many families also like to recognise and pay tribute to the unique and special factors that made up an individual. Incorporating some creative funeral ideas into the service can be a lovely way to personalise the service and make it a more special and meaningful way to honour and remember your loved one. Here are some creative ideas of how to make a loved one’s funeral special. Add some colour It is becoming more and more common for families to forgo the traditional black mourning colours and instead invite the guests to attend wearing the…
Read More“I Want to Be There to See It”: How Netflix’s Love at First Sight Perfectly Captures the Beauty of Living Memorials
“I do hate it when people say nice things about me behind my back. I think it’s a tragic waste.” When Netflix’s “Love at First Sight” gave us Tessa Jones’ living memorial, it did more than just create a moving scene in a romantic film – it opened up a beautiful conversation about how we can choose to say goodbye differently. Through a Shakespeare-themed celebration filled with music, laughter, and heartfelt moments, the film showed us how these unique ceremonies can transform what is traditionally a somber occasion into something truly magical. In this article, we’ll explore how Tessa’s living memorial masterfully demonstrates how end-of-life celebrations can be transformed from somber occasions into joyful, theatrical celebrations that honour both the…
Read MoreWhat happens at a Celebrant-led funeral?
Here is a step-by-step guide to what happens at a Celebrant-led funeral. This is a typical funeral at a crematorium. There will be differences between venues and between burials and cremations but the underlying structures and patterns will be similar. This describes the most common version of the nuts and bolts of the event itself and is based on a cremation. Burials differ in that the committal and closing words happen at the graveside; the funeral party usually moves there after the tribute. In the lead-up to the funeral The Celebrant will have been engaged by the Funeral Director and met with the client (usually family but also possibly friends or a solicitor). The service will have been drafted and approved by…
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