Civil Funeral Ceremonies

A Civil Funeral Ceremony is what you make it

It is defined as a funeral which does not depend on the religious views or ideology of the celebrant delivering the funeral. Instead, the funeral’s content and delivery is shaped by the views and beliefs of the person who has died and their family. A Civil Funeral Celebrant meets with the family beforehand to discuss putting the ceremony together. In practice this means that a Civil Funeral Ceremony is very flexible, and can be personalised to capture what was truly important to your loved one.

My role is to support you in every aspect of the funeral ceremony

Planning a funeral can feel like an overwhelming task. I am here to support and guide you through the process. I will

  • Meet with you, and get to know your loved one. Your input will shape the ceremony and captures what was truly important to your loved one

  • Support you to find meaningful readings and music choices

  • Write a script for the entire ceremony, which you can make changes to. A presentation version will be provided for you to keep afterwards

Please read the detailed FAQs below for more about Civil Funeral Ceremonies and how I can support you.

FAQs

  • Typically, your Funeral Director will discuss the option of whether you would prefer a religious or civil service. If you opt for a civil service, they may talk to you about celebrants in the area and show you some local celebrants’ leaflets.

    If you decide you would like to meet me about the funeral you are organising, your Funeral Director will call me and pass on your details. I will call you within 24 hours of speaking to the Funeral Director. If you would like to go ahead, I will arrange to meet with you and start the process of writing the ceremony.

    You can contact me directly about leading your funeral ceremony. I will then contact the Funeral Director to inform them of my involvement.

  • I am based in the Broxtowe area of Nottinghamshire. I can travel up to 20 miles which covers all of Nottingham, up to Newark and Mansfield, as well as parts of Derbyshire and Leicestershire. Please contact me if you live further afield.

  • Civil Funeral Celebrant fees vary, depending on where you live in the UK. I agree my fee with the Funeral Director who can advise you of this. I will invoice the Funeral Director after the funeral, so there is no need for you to pay me directly.

  • Of course - Civil Funeral Ceremonies are flexible to your wishes; Civil Funeral Celebrants lead funerals at traditional cemeteries, natural burial sites and at crematoriums.

  • I endeavour to meet all people I work with face-to-face before the funeral. This is a key part of writing the ceremony: when we can have a chat and I can get to know about your loved one’s personality.

    Normally, this would be at your home, but we can meet somewhere else convenient for you too. Occasionally, it may be that someone lives too far to arrange a face-to-face meeting. In this instance, I would offer a meeting on video call instead.

  • You can be as big a part of delivering the funeral as you want to be. You, your family and friends can read of the poems, eulogies or tributes if you wish. I will facilitate this and offer tips on delivery, for those who haven’t done it before.

  • Yes you can. You can include religious content like hymns, prayers and readings if you would like to.

  • Ceremony lengths vary. Slots at crematoriums range can range from 25 – 60 minutes: I will be able to advise the specific length, depending on where the funeral will be held. A burial ceremony will not be as time-limited. If you know there will be lots of people at the ceremony, many contributions or several longer pieces of music, you might consider a double slot. You should make your Funeral Director aware of this when the crematorium is booked, to ensure there is a double slot available. PLease be aware, there is an extra charge for this.


    Whatever length of time available, it is my role to ensure that the ceremony includes as much content ,which reflects the person you love, as possible.

  • The entire ceremony will differ for each funeral as it will be tailored to your wishes. It may include an introduction, one or more readings or poems, a tribute or eulogy, the farewell, closing words and music. I will need to know everything that is taking place at the funeral ceremony to produce a script and ensure everything runs smoothly.


    Importantly, if you would like to read something you’ve written yourself, or other family and friends would like to read at the funeral, I will need a copy of what is said before the ceremony. The main reason for this is so I’m able to deliver the reading, if the person is unable to make it, or finds it too difficult to read on the day.

  • Yes you can. The ceremony will not be complete until you are happy with it. From our discussion, I will produce a draft script for the entire ceremony, which you can alter or make suggestions as you see fit. I will make the amendments and send you another draft. There can sometimes be more than one round of changes before it is right: I will work with you until you are happy.

  • A presentation script is a final written version of the entire funeral ceremony: including introduction, tributes, readings, farewell and music choices. It will be typed up, printed on quality paper, covered and bound and delivered to you after the funeral. This is part of the service I offer.

  • Scattering of Ashes Ceremonies are one of the services I offer. If you planning a Scattering of Ashes ceremony please visit Other Services.

  • Memorial Ceremonies are becoming increasingly popular, as an alternative to a traditional funeral: there are part of what I offer. If you’re planning a Memorial Ceremony, please visit Other Services.