Funeral Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of Funeral Should I have?
When a loved one dies, it is always a very painful and distressing time. And, it is at this difficult time that family and close friends are often faced with dozens of decisions about the funeral.
Should it be a burial or cremation? What are the legal requirements? Who should conduct the ceremony? All these questions are obviously important but, at a time when emotional stress is high, it's easy to forget perhaps the most important question of all - what kind of funeral do you really want?
Every Family Is Different, how do I know what to have?
The truth is that every family is different, and not everyone wants the same type of funeral. Your choice may be influenced by religious and cultural traditions, or by cost and personal preferences, or by the express wishes of the deceased.
And whilst the majority of people in the UK still choose a 'traditional' religious funeral service, an increasing number are finding that their personal preferences are easily accommodated within a Civil Funeral Ceremony and therefore a more appropriate choice for them to make.
A Civil Funeral Ceremony can therefore provide an opportunity to create, with the help and support of a professional Civil Funeral Celebrant, the most appropriate and meaningful Ceremony for this final act of love and respect.
What does that mean?
Basically, everyone knows about the Clergy and Humanist ministers, and their related beliefs. We are here to honour YOUR beliefs and those of your departed loved one.
While religious or Humanist services have constraints of belief, we have no belief to impose. Our type of service honours the individual beliefs of the deceased and their family.
What do you do?
We ensure that a moving, fitting tribute is paid to the deceased, with an emphasis on the CELEBRATION of their life. We focus on making the service as personal, relevant and as beautiful as possible.
What do I do?
To be frank, you do ANYTHING you want. Unlike weddings, there are no legal constraints on what you do at a funeral service. You may have whatever songs, readings and tributes in whatever order you feel is most relevant.
How do we go about it?
Your funeral director will arrange to send us your details and we will arrange a meeting and spend as long as necessary gathering as much information as possible. I will then help you when it comes to choosing music, readings and what order the service will go in.
Who should speak?
Anyone who wants to! I can assist with writing your tributes, and if it proves to difficult on the day, I can read them for you.
What should I consider for the content of the service?
The best way to set about the task is to consider the following:
-Where the deceased was born and grew up
-Siblings and family members they grew up with
-School days and childhood stories
-Partners, children, grandchildren and other family members
-Closest friends
-Armed forces/National Service
-Career and places of work
-Groups and societies belonged to
-Interests and achievements
-Favourite memories
-Musical tastes
-Significant events
-Sayings and stories
-What will you most remember them for?
-Did the deceased make any personal requests about their own funeral?
-Will anybody else be speaking at/participating in the service?
The Tribute
The most valuable element of the Civil Funeral Ceremony is a carefully scripted tribute written about the character and life of the person by the Civil Funeral Celebrant with the help of family and friends.
This personal tribute is a celebration of the person's life, recounting their experiences, attributes and qualities. Every effort is made to capture the very essence of the deceased and their lasting spirit.
The tribute, which can be delivered by the Funeral Celebrant, a family member or friend, forms a part of the whole ceremony that the Celebrant creates in partnership with the family. Each ceremony is completely unique to the deceased and a copy of the whole text is provided so that the ceremony can be followed easily.
How Is the Ceremony Created?
The ceremony is an all-embracing framework providing the freedom to make a range of choices about the content and style of the ceremony. In short, a ceremony unique to the deceased is created: a tribute to, and a celebration of, their life.
Choices are made from the wide selection of poems and readings available. Additional pieces that hold special meaning and significance for the deceased can be included. The Funeral Celebrant will offer help and advice on all the options available and in deciding how the selections should be arranged and presented.
Family members and friends may also be included in the ceremony as well as any music that is appropriate. The funeral ceremony is designed and conducted in such a way as to reflect the express wishes of the deceased and that of the family.
Writing Your Own Speech
Writing a speech for a funeral is a very difficult task. It is hard to convey someone’s life time achievements and express how much they meant to everyone in a speech.
People often struggle with finding the right words or feeling as though they have done justice to the person. The one thing you must remember is that it doesn't have to be perfect or even serious it just has to be from the heart.
When a loved one dies, it is always a very painful and distressing time. And, it is at this difficult time that family and close friends are often faced with dozens of decisions about the funeral.
Should it be a burial or cremation? What are the legal requirements? Who should conduct the ceremony? All these questions are obviously important but, at a time when emotional stress is high, it's easy to forget perhaps the most important question of all - what kind of funeral do you really want?
Every Family Is Different, how do I know what to have?
The truth is that every family is different, and not everyone wants the same type of funeral. Your choice may be influenced by religious and cultural traditions, or by cost and personal preferences, or by the express wishes of the deceased.
And whilst the majority of people in the UK still choose a 'traditional' religious funeral service, an increasing number are finding that their personal preferences are easily accommodated within a Civil Funeral Ceremony and therefore a more appropriate choice for them to make.
A Civil Funeral Ceremony can therefore provide an opportunity to create, with the help and support of a professional Civil Funeral Celebrant, the most appropriate and meaningful Ceremony for this final act of love and respect.
What does that mean?
Basically, everyone knows about the Clergy and Humanist ministers, and their related beliefs. We are here to honour YOUR beliefs and those of your departed loved one.
While religious or Humanist services have constraints of belief, we have no belief to impose. Our type of service honours the individual beliefs of the deceased and their family.
What do you do?
We ensure that a moving, fitting tribute is paid to the deceased, with an emphasis on the CELEBRATION of their life. We focus on making the service as personal, relevant and as beautiful as possible.
What do I do?
To be frank, you do ANYTHING you want. Unlike weddings, there are no legal constraints on what you do at a funeral service. You may have whatever songs, readings and tributes in whatever order you feel is most relevant.
How do we go about it?
Your funeral director will arrange to send us your details and we will arrange a meeting and spend as long as necessary gathering as much information as possible. I will then help you when it comes to choosing music, readings and what order the service will go in.
Who should speak?
Anyone who wants to! I can assist with writing your tributes, and if it proves to difficult on the day, I can read them for you.
What should I consider for the content of the service?
The best way to set about the task is to consider the following:
-Where the deceased was born and grew up
-Siblings and family members they grew up with
-School days and childhood stories
-Partners, children, grandchildren and other family members
-Closest friends
-Armed forces/National Service
-Career and places of work
-Groups and societies belonged to
-Interests and achievements
-Favourite memories
-Musical tastes
-Significant events
-Sayings and stories
-What will you most remember them for?
-Did the deceased make any personal requests about their own funeral?
-Will anybody else be speaking at/participating in the service?
The Tribute
The most valuable element of the Civil Funeral Ceremony is a carefully scripted tribute written about the character and life of the person by the Civil Funeral Celebrant with the help of family and friends.
This personal tribute is a celebration of the person's life, recounting their experiences, attributes and qualities. Every effort is made to capture the very essence of the deceased and their lasting spirit.
The tribute, which can be delivered by the Funeral Celebrant, a family member or friend, forms a part of the whole ceremony that the Celebrant creates in partnership with the family. Each ceremony is completely unique to the deceased and a copy of the whole text is provided so that the ceremony can be followed easily.
How Is the Ceremony Created?
The ceremony is an all-embracing framework providing the freedom to make a range of choices about the content and style of the ceremony. In short, a ceremony unique to the deceased is created: a tribute to, and a celebration of, their life.
Choices are made from the wide selection of poems and readings available. Additional pieces that hold special meaning and significance for the deceased can be included. The Funeral Celebrant will offer help and advice on all the options available and in deciding how the selections should be arranged and presented.
Family members and friends may also be included in the ceremony as well as any music that is appropriate. The funeral ceremony is designed and conducted in such a way as to reflect the express wishes of the deceased and that of the family.
Writing Your Own Speech
Writing a speech for a funeral is a very difficult task. It is hard to convey someone’s life time achievements and express how much they meant to everyone in a speech.
People often struggle with finding the right words or feeling as though they have done justice to the person. The one thing you must remember is that it doesn't have to be perfect or even serious it just has to be from the heart.