When it comes to modern-day funerals and memorial services you have many options. In fact, you can design exactly the ceremony you or your loved one wants. The trouble is, the process of creating such an important celebration of someone’s life can be overwhelming–especially if you are planning the ceremony while you are grieving. To help, many people now turn to a funeral celebrant or clergy.
Funeral celebrants are professionals who work with families to design custom personalised funerals and memorial ceremonies. The celebrant’s role is to make sure that the ceremony reflects the deceased’s personality, culture, values, and wishes.
The funeral celebrant profession took hold in Australia in the mid-70s where it grew from the practice of using secular professionals to officiate at weddings. Today we find funeral celebrants practicing worldwide.
Celebrants are experienced in personalising ceremonies in accordance with the wishes of the families they work with. Even though we often associate funeral officiants with ceremonies that are secular, many are also trained in conducting spiritual and religious services. In fact, it is not uncommon to find funeral celebrants who are ordained ministers. We even find celebrants who are affiliated with traditional funeral homes. The main point is that a funeral celebrant or funeral officiant will work with you to create a ceremony that is highly personalised and reflects the wishes of the deceased and his or her family.
Why Should I Work With a Funeral Celebrant?
Families choose to work with a celebrant for any number of reasons. A key benefit is that having access to someone with a celebrant’s expertise can be a great comfort during a time of grief. These professionals have the training, knowledge, and skills to help you create a truly unique once in a lifetime ceremony, and you can rest easy knowing that you’ll have the ceremony you want within the timeframe and budget you set.
Celebrants work in collaboration with you since you are the one who knows your loved one best. They know the questions to ask, the issues that may arise, and how to work with people who are grieving.
Do I Need a Funeral Celebrant and a Funeral Director?
Celebrants and funeral directors often work together on funeral arrangements and the elements of a service. If you are working with a funeral home and are interested in using a celebrant, consult with your funeral director. If they do not have someone on staff who is a trained celebrant, they may be able to refer you to someone who is. Academy Funerals have a range of both female and male celebrants at their disposal. Academy funerals will always match the personalities of the family and the celebrant, this then ensures the perfect result and a meaningful ceremony.
When it comes to planning the ceremony, celebrants and funeral directors do many of the same things. However, these are two distinctly different professions.
- Funeral directors have the technical training to handle the care and preparation of the deceased, including embalming, the legalities of the funeral itself, booking cemeteries and crematoriums and all of the documentation. Celebrants are not trained to handle these aspects of a funeral.
- Celebrants focus specifically on personalising the funeral or memorial ceremonies. Their certification involves many hours of training to develop the skills to help families at a time of loss and to personalise services that reflect the lifestyle and individuality of the person being honoured.
- A funeral director may have celebrant training in addition to the training she or he received during their years as a funeral director.
How Do I Choose a Funeral Celebrant?
RELIGION OR NO-RELIGION?
Whether or not to have a religious ceremony is entirely up to you! Professional celebrants are expert in holding all types of ceremonies. Regardless of whether you would prefer a secular or non-secular service, you can find a celebrant who is trained to help design a ceremony that offers the perfect tribute.
In most instances the funeral arranger will choose a celebrant for you. They know the personalities and abilities of a range of male and female celebrants. Your funeral arranger will choose the celebrant that best suits your personality and particular requirements.
It is pointless using a celebrant with strong unshakable religious beliefs. When the family are not religions, or they want no religion at all. The celebrant MUST fit the family and Academy Funerals have an intimate knowledge of each celebrant on their books and will choose carefully for you. Be it religious or secular.
Nevertheless, choosing a funeral celebrant yourself is much like choosing any other professional. Each has his or her unique approach and style. Much of your decision will have to do with how compatible you think you are with the celebrant. There are questions you can ask and factors to consider that can help you narrow down your choices. Reputable celebrants are happy to answer questions and provide references. They want their clients to be fully informed and confident about their services.
Questions to Ask When Selecting a Funeral Celebrant / Funeral Officiant
- How much do you charge for your services?
(When using a celebrant through a funeral company the fees will be included and itemised within the funeral account)
- What is included in the price? (Most celebrants charge around the same and your funeral
company will handle this for you)
- What is your philosophy on collaboration?
- How much involvement would you like me to have?
- Can I speak with some of your previous clients?
- What would you like me to know about you?
- What kind of training have you had?
- How is the deceased’s faith included in the service?
What Qualifications Should I Look For In a Funeral Celebrant?
There are several training and certification programs available for celebrants. Ask about the training your celebrant received and about his or her experience. All of the celebrants used and recommended by Academy Funeral are very well trained and reliable. (The reputation of the funeral company can be shattered if a celebrant does not perform correctly). Nevertheless, there are celebrants who have had very little training who will put their hand up to do a memorial service for you. Families are also free to choose and supply their own celebrant. However, it is best to make sure that they have had specific Funeral Celebrant Training. Remember, you only have one chance at a funeral, and it has to be correct in every way.
How Much Does a Funeral Celebrant or Funeral Officiant Cost?
Engaging with a celebrant is a process much like making any other significant purchase of services. Prices can vary widely. Celebrants are usually independent contractors who set their fees based on their experience, market conditions, and other factors. Currently, in Queensland the average fee is around $550.00 for a service at one location and if the celebrant has to travel to a second location for the same service $600.00. (This will vary depending on the celebrant and circumstances)
What About Funeral Celebrants and Religion?
How much religion and spirituality to include in an end-of-life ceremony can be a complicated question. There is no right or wrong answer—only what is right for you and your loved ones. Using a celebrant or an officiant that is not affiliated with a particular church can be a good option for someone who would like to have a religious service but doesn’t belong to a church. If you would like to skip religion but add some spiritual aspects, a celebrant can help. The bottom line is, people have a wide variety of needs and desires when it comes to how they want to express religious views, if at all. Discuss your religious preferences with your celebrant to ensure that the ceremony reflects your wishes. An experienced Civil Celebrant will put religion in the ceremony for you or leave it out altogether, this is your choice
How Does a Funeral Celebrant Work?
A critical aspect of a celebrant’s services is to spend “family time” upfront gathering information about the deceased. They will want to know as much as possible since the goal is to create a ceremony that truly reflects the individual. Take full advantage of this time, be open and sharing.
Each funeral celebrant and officiant have his or her own unique way of working with their clients. Once they have gathered information regarding the deceased, some celebrants prefer to work on their own and check-in periodically with their clients. Others prefer to work hand in hand with the family. Every professional celebrant will email a copy of the service to the family member in charge of proceedings for checking and accuracy.
Most reputable funeral companies will recommend celebrants for you.
The funeral company will ask if you would like: –
- A female or male celebrant
- A religious or non-religions celebrant
- Someone who is willing to combine religion if required
- A young or mature celebrant
Keep in mind that a funeral company will not recommend a celebrant unless they trust that the celebrant will do an excellent job for you. The company reputation is on the line with the recommendation.
Adapted from an article published by Funeralwise
This blog has been written or reproduced to assist those people who hold Funerals in Brisbane, as well as the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.
