FUNERALS AND MEMORIALS
THE BASICS
The death of someone we know and love is often shocking and painful, even if it is expected.
Humanist funerals and memorial services offer a personal and fitting way to say goodbye to those who have lived without religion. Many thousands are conducted by our celebrants each year.
Humanist funerals bring people together to express sadness at the loss but also to celebrate the life lived. They focus sincerely and affectionately on the person who has died, paying tribute to the connections they made and left behind and the way they lived their life.
Practicalities
While a funeral director is the professional most likely to deal with the practical arrangements of a funeral, what type of ceremony you choose is entirely up to you. And since funerals themselves have no legal status, humanist funerals—like all others—can be held in a variety of places, although in practice most are held in crematoria, cemeteries or woodland burial sites.
Working with a Celebrant
Humanist funeral celebrants are sensitive people, empathetic to the experience of grief but focused on providing a funeral ceremony that will be most fitting for the circumstances. I am familiar with cremation and burial procedures and will guide you through the whole process of arranging a funeral ceremony. Also, I will:
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Meet with the family or friends most closely connected with the person who has died to learn more about that person and ensure that the funeral justly captures their life and personality.
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Advise on practical matters, such as options for the committal, for example, or the amount of time available for the ceremony at the crematorium.
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Listen to your ideas on music or readings and provide their suggestions if needed
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Share their thoughts and draw on their experience when appropriate.
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Collaborating with those involved in the ceremony, for example, anyone who will be reading a tribute or a poem/piece of prose
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Write a unique service that is fitting for the person who has died and the circumstances.
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Offer a calm presence on the day, leading the ceremony with warmth and dignity.
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Include a personalized memorial booklet of the funeral ceremony.
Click here to download our funerals leaflet or for more information, see our Frequently Asked Questions. You can also see a sample structure of a funeral ceremony.