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A Funeral or a Celebration of Life
Whether your loved one will be farewelled with a traditional style funeral service or with a more creative, flexible and relaxed event such as a memorial service or scattering of ashes, with good support from a funeral celebrant you can create a ceremony which is dignified, personally meaningful and which will help commemorate your loved one and also aid in the grieving process. I've been a ceremony maker for 14 years, servicing the Yeppoon, Rockhampton and Capricorn Coast areas in Central Queensland. I would be honoured to work with you to plan a service which meets your every need.
What is the role of a Funeral Celebrant?
They will usually be the one who writes and leads the service, which carries with it the responsibility to ensure the funeral, and your loved one, is remembered well. They will likely have the largest speaking role on the day.
They will work to create and deliver a service which reflects the life, the personality, and the character of the deceased, a service that connects with those who attend, and gives everyone an opportunity to say goodbye.
The celebrant will work closely with family members and friends of the deceased person. This usually includes meeting with family members and sometimes with friends to understand who the deceased was and what details about their life should be shared during the funeral service. The celebrant will write a service which is accurate, meaningful, respectful and they may, in some cases, prepare and deliver the eulogy. They may also help to select poems or readings. There is plenty of opportunity to be flexible in the order of service and for creative ideas and personal choices to be included.
I am a professionally trained civil funeral celebrant, and I work with the Funeral Director and with the client family. I perform civil funeral ceremonies for those who do not wish to have a religious funeral ceremony. A civil funeral ceremony will focus more on the story of a life than on following any expected or traditional format, but it does frequently follow a similar order to a traditional funeral. I also assist people who have religious beliefs but who do not wish the funeral service to be held at a church. Even when choosing a civil funeral service, it is not uncommon for families to request that a prayer be incorporated into the ceremony. There are no “right” or “wrong” ways to celebrate a life, there’s only your way.
They will work to create and deliver a service which reflects the life, the personality, and the character of the deceased, a service that connects with those who attend, and gives everyone an opportunity to say goodbye.
The celebrant will work closely with family members and friends of the deceased person. This usually includes meeting with family members and sometimes with friends to understand who the deceased was and what details about their life should be shared during the funeral service. The celebrant will write a service which is accurate, meaningful, respectful and they may, in some cases, prepare and deliver the eulogy. They may also help to select poems or readings. There is plenty of opportunity to be flexible in the order of service and for creative ideas and personal choices to be included.
I am a professionally trained civil funeral celebrant, and I work with the Funeral Director and with the client family. I perform civil funeral ceremonies for those who do not wish to have a religious funeral ceremony. A civil funeral ceremony will focus more on the story of a life than on following any expected or traditional format, but it does frequently follow a similar order to a traditional funeral. I also assist people who have religious beliefs but who do not wish the funeral service to be held at a church. Even when choosing a civil funeral service, it is not uncommon for families to request that a prayer be incorporated into the ceremony. There are no “right” or “wrong” ways to celebrate a life, there’s only your way.
A Funeral
A Traditional Funeral is often composed of 3 separate sections- the viewing, the funeral service, and the committal service. First, the viewing, which usually takes place on the day before, but sometimes on the day of the funeral, is a time for paying respects to the deceased person and involves stepping up to the casket to view the body, often in the company of family members. Then, the traditional funeral service is usually held in a chapel or at a funeral home and follows a predictable order of service including music, readings, prayers, eulogy or words of tribute, and is led by a funeral celebrant. The funeral service can also take place at the graveside. Finally, the committal service takes place, either at the conclusion of the funeral when the physical remains are to be cared for through cremation, or as the casket is lowered into the ground when the physical remains are to be cared for through burial.
A Celebration of Life
A Celebration of Life focuses more on telling the story of your loved one’s life than following any expected or traditional format, but frequently follows a similar order to a traditional funeral. The music will often reflect the deceased’s personal tastes, rather than traditional funeral tunes. There is plenty of opportunity to be flexible in the order of the service, and for creative ideas and personal choices to be included. There really are no rules and you can work with your celebrant to create a ceremony which is just the way you want it to be. This style of ceremony will often be in the form of a memorial service so it can also be held after the individual's physical remains have been cared for through burial or cremation. This means you have more time available to plan, and this definitely allows you to make better decisions about how you'd like to celebrate the life of someone you dearly loved.
If you are not from a family of regular church goers, or if the deceased did not attend a church regularly then a civil, or non-religious funeral may help you to reflect on the life and achievements of your loved one, without the added stress of being in an unfamiliar environment. It also provides the opportunity to celebrate the life of a loved one with a more personal and meaningful ceremony. If you are undecided about the most suitable funeral choice, you can talk to me anytime. I’ve been a funeral celebrant for 13 years and I’ve lots of experience in listening, brainstorming and advising families. I will take all the time you need to explore funeral service options available. There are no “right” or “wrong” ways to grieve for a loved one- only what feels appropriate for you and your family.
If you are not from a family of regular church goers, or if the deceased did not attend a church regularly then a civil, or non-religious funeral may help you to reflect on the life and achievements of your loved one, without the added stress of being in an unfamiliar environment. It also provides the opportunity to celebrate the life of a loved one with a more personal and meaningful ceremony. If you are undecided about the most suitable funeral choice, you can talk to me anytime. I’ve been a funeral celebrant for 13 years and I’ve lots of experience in listening, brainstorming and advising families. I will take all the time you need to explore funeral service options available. There are no “right” or “wrong” ways to grieve for a loved one- only what feels appropriate for you and your family.
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