A Funeral Celebrant is a qualified non-clergy professional who works with a family to plan and conduct funeral ceremonies tailored to the beliefs, values, and desires of a deceased individual and his/her immediate family. Funeral celebrants conduct non-religious, semi-religious, and spiritual funeral services that are not closely linked to a particular religion or to belief in an after-life. Many celebrants aim for the funeral service to be a “celebration of life” that honors the person’s memory.
Funeral services arranged by a funeral director or clergy member are typically religious and/or standardized in nature. This makes a Funeral Celebrant a good choice for the growing percentage of the population who defines itself as non-religious or who wants to reflect the uniqueness of the individual it is intended to honor. The celebrant movement is not exclusively secular, however. The services created and conducted by certified funeral celebrants can still be spiritual in nature—even to the point of incorporating aspects of traditional funeral and burial rites. The tone and content of the eventual service, however, is determined by the beliefs, convictions, and attitudes of the surviving family members.
A Certified Celebrant will meet with the family to offer guidance and opportunity for sharing of stories or memories, and can also work directly with a funeral director or clergy. This, along with a wide library of resources for readings, music and other special ceremonies, allows the Celebrant to help the family design a personalized service that honors the life and reflects the beliefs of the loved one.
For a more detailed look at what Funeral Celebrants do, go to https://www.loveliveson.com/funeral-celebrants/.