A humanist ceremony is most appropriate when the person who has died had no religious belief, though they may not have called themselves a humanist. It gives family and friends the opportunity to share their grief and acknowledge the loss of someone they loved. It is a chance to remember someone with affection, sincerity and respect, capturing their life and their personality in a ceremony that is personal and appropriate.

If you would like me to conduct a funeral you are arranging, ideally contact me to see if I’m available before deciding the date and time. Or you can tell the funeral director/arragner you would like a humanist ceremony for your loved one and ask them to contact me. (If I’m not available one of my colleagues locally might be.)

What happens next?

I’ll arrange to meet up with you, perhaps together with other family members or friends, to talk about the ceremony. We’ll talk about the person who has died, what sort of ceremony you would like, who might speak and so on, and we may choose music or poetry. We’ll also discuss the practical details such as whether it’s a cremation or a burial and where it’s taking place.

Once I have all the information I need I’ll take it away and write it up. We may need further phone calls or emails if there’s anything to clarify – and of course you’ll have the chance to read the script before the ceremony to make sure it’s perfect. After conducting the ceremony on the day I’ll give you a presentation copy of the script to keep.

Memorials and interment of ashes

I can also conduct memorial ceremonies and short ceremonies for the scattering or interment of ashes.

Thinking about  your own funeral

More and more people are realising that it can be a good idea to think about their own funeral in advance so that their wishes are carried out after their death. You might simply want to make your wishes known to your family or put them explicitly in your will. Or you might want to talk to someone in person about your funeral, for example if you are facing a terminal illness. If you are in this situation, do get in touch.

The Celebrant Accord

I’ve adopted the Funeral Celebrancy Council’s Celebrant Accord.