Saying goodbye to someone you love is tough and having to organise a funeral while you are still processing your loss can be very difficult. As a humanist funeral celebrant, my job is to work closely with you to help craft a truly personal and fitting ceremony.
Although death brings sadness, a good funeral can bring some comfort to the grieving process. What is a 'good' funeral? I believe funerals allow you to begin to accept your loss. A good funeral is a ceremony that allows you to say goodbye in a way that doesn’t just honour the life of the deceased but importantly celebrates their life and reflects their personality. And you might be surprised to hear that when it comes to planning a funeral you have lots of options.
Many people choose a cremation and opt for funeral ceremonies at crematorium chapels. While these ceremonies can sometimes be limited in terms of time allowed, they don't have to be limited in terms of content. As well as reflecting your person's musical tastes, you can include heartfelt tributes, and even bring objects that symbolise your special person.
Humanist funerals are non-religious and allow you to include unique and personal touches that can be truly meaningful. At one of my ceremonies two daughters celebrated their dad's love of punk music by placing his guitar on his coffin. At another, a beloved dog joined in with an acapella rendition of 'Days' by The Kinks. Another family celebrated a much-loved lollipop lady by having her hat and 'lollipop' on the coffin.
Increasingly, families are opting for direct cremation and then having a more relaxed memorial ceremony in a place of their choosing – this can be the family house or garden, a woodland, a function room in a hotel or pub. Having more time means families can include more memories and more music as well as more personal content.
Even burials don't have to follow traditional patterns if you don't want them to. Whether you opt for a traditional or natural burial, you still have choices. One memorable burial ceremony I conducted included a cellist playing Beethoven at the graveside. And many of my ashes interment ceremonies have included mourners placing sprigs of rosemary in the plot to symbolise remembrance.
Whatever type of funeral you have in mind for your loved one, I will listen carefully and guide you through the process.
