Your loved one deserves a personal send-off, something that evokes memories and emotions and that radiates a true sense of them for all in attendance. Whether you have planned a funeral before or not, the process of trying to achieve this can feel daunting and overwhelming, a good celebrant will help to guide and support you throughout.
You may be introduced to a celebrant by your Funeral Director, or you can choose one yourself. It is important to find the right person for you; someone you trust to represent you and your loved one and to deliver a fitting and dignified funeral. Your celebrant will need to be able to hold the room and give everyone the right cues to allow them to grieve, to smile, to remember.
When someone dies, there is a requirement to dispose of their body in a legal and dignified manner. However, beyond this there are no rules surrounding the way in which you choose celebrate their life. So why not make it personal....
Content
Your celebrant will take time to get to know you, your family and your loved one. The memories that you share with them will then be crafted in to the ceremony they deliver on the day. This ensures that the ceremony is a moving and fitting tribute, personal to the deceased and their life.
The ceremony may trigger tears but hopefully it will also raise a smile and possibly even a laugh, but ultimately it will allow you to walk away from the event feeling that you did your loved one proud.
Format
Most people are used to the more traditional funeral services where the committal of the body and the coming together of mourners happen together.
Direct Cremations are becoming increasingly popular - where the cremation happens without any ceremonial aspect at the crematorium. This can avoid restrictive timings, the perhaps difficult sight of the coffin in the room or the sometimes dreaded ‘curtain moment’, and it can also be a more cost effective option. It also allows for more choice when planning the gathering of family and friends; this can be done on the same day or different and you can do things in whichever order you feel most comfortable with. You can set a tone that feels most appropriate – if they were usually the life and soul of the party then maybe a sombre occasion sitting in a crematorium looking at a coffin just isn’t what feels right.
Venue
It is not just the content of the ceremony which can help to create a really unique feel; let the venue tell part of the story too. Perhaps your loved one was a keen golfer or loved being by the sea; so why not select a setting that celebrates these passions. There are endless options when it comes to where to hold a funeral, especially if you are separating the committal procedures from the celebration of their life.
Cultural or religious elements
There may be elements of the deceased’s culture or faith that you would like to include in the funeral. Using an independent celebrant means all of this is possible; hymns, readings, blessings, rituals the possibilities are endless. I work with people of all faiths and none and will respect the choices of the deceased and their family to deliver a meaningful and appropriate send-off.
So if you find yourself with the challenge of arranging a funeral and you want to discuss your options to ensure you create a truly personal occasion, please do get in touch. Allow me the privilege of creating a ceremony that is perfect for your loved one and which you can feel proud of.
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