One of the most important choices to make is to decide who will lead the ceremony on the day of the funeral. This person will become central to the proceedings, so it is vital that he or she is someone who you can rely on and trust to conduct the funeral to your entire satisfaction.

 

You may decide that you want to lead the funeral yourself, or ask someone who knew the deceased personally to take on this role. This is perfectly acceptable, and if this is the case, I can provide guidance to help you tailor the ceremony to your specific requirements.

 

Alternatively there are three organisations that train their officiants or celebrants to a very high standard, and I will advise you on the specific merits of each of these, to help you decide which route you wish to follow:

 

The British Humanist Association - whose nationwide team of accredited celebrants offer funerals for those who have chosen to live without religion.  Humanists “...recognise no after-life, but instead uniquely and affectionately celebrate the life of the person who has died.” Rather than hymns or prayers, a well-researched eulogy, together with readings, music and poetry will form the basis of their ceremonies.

 

The Institute of Civil Funerals - who believe that a funeral should be “...driven by the wishes, beliefs and values of the deceased and their family, not by the beliefs or ideology of the person conducting the funeral.” Their celebrants tailor ceremonies to include a personal eulogy, readings (either religious or secular), hymns if requested or other music.

 

The Church - the traditional, and the largest provider of funeral services. There is a set format to a Church of England funeral service: bible readings, hymns, a eulogy, prayers, commendation, committal and a blessing.

 

Having spent some time listening to and assessing your requirements, I can put you in touch

with a variety of leaders from any of these organisations, with complete confidence that they

will provide a service which will meet and exceed your expectations.

 

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