What is a funeral celebrant?

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A celebrant is a person who is trained and experienced in creating funeral services. You might choose a celebrant, rather than a religious minister, if you want a non-religious funeral — but many celebrants will happily include prayers, hymns or religious readings in the services they lead.

A humanist celebrant will lead a service that reflects a world view which celebrates positive human achievements and experiences

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How could a celebrant help me plan a funeral service?

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A celebrant will want to talk to you in detail about the person who has died. Celebrants can be fantastic at asking the right questions to really draw out the essence of a person. They'll want to know about their life, their personality and what made them tick. Together you’ll discuss how to create a funeral service that reflects that person and how you wish to remember them.

A good celebrant will help you set the tone that’s right for you, guided by your choices of music, poems, readings and words of farewell or by suggesting choices to you.

A celebrant can write and deliver the entire service, or they simply 'top and tail' it for you, assembling family contributions into a helpful running order and making sure everyone knows what they are doing on the day.

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What's the celebrant's role on the day of the funeral?

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At the crematorium, a celebrant will know how all the tech works. They can take responsibility for making sure everything is in place and that the right button gets pressed at the right time.

They'll encourage you to speak on the day, if that's what you want to do. They can also create ceremonial rituals that involve all attendees, add humour or bring a sense of solemnity.