Civil Funeral Ceremonies
What is a civil funeral ceremony?
A civil funeral ceremony reflects the wishes and desires of the deceased and their family and not those of the celebrant or other officiant.
The ceremony quite often takes place in a crematorium, but the venue is up to you. Be it indoors or outdoors, a public space or your own home. It is up to you.
A civil funeral ceremony might be described as a Celebration of Life or a non-religious funeral.However hymns, prayers and readings can be and often are included. It really is your choice.
What will happen?
Shortly after I receive your details (either direct from you or from your funeral arranger), we can arrange to meet.
If you are ready to discuss poems, hymns, songs or other elements this can be done at the meeting. Or at a later date.
The meeting, is informal and usually lasts 2/3 hours. The family discuss their wishes, the wishes of their loved one and their life. This is often found to be cathartic. During the meeting I will take notes so that I can write a funeral script and tribute/eulogy.
Two to three days after the family meeting a draft script will be emailed to the family for their approval and for any amendments to be made, ahead of the service.
On The Day of the Service
I will meet you at the crematorium or other meeting place ahead of the service. This gives me the opportunity to put faces to the names of those mentionioned in the tribute and to reassure the family that everything is in order to ensure their loved one a memorable ceremony.
Will I have a copy of the funeral ceremony?
A presentation copy of the final script will be sent to the family a week after the service.
Crematorium
Crematoria slots are at, thirty, forty to forty-five minute intervals. However as this time includes attendees arrival and departure the actual time left for the ceremony may be as short as twenty minutes.
If you need longer than this, a double slot can be arranged. make your funeral arranger aware of this as soon as possible so that this can be accommodated.
In many crematoria, there are video streaming facilities available. This enables family and friends who cannot attend in person to take part in the service
Graveside
A graveside ceremony may follows a funeral ceremony or conducted as a stand-alone ceremony.
The ceremony will be held at the graveside, or at the place where the body or cremated remains will be interred.
Graveside ceremonies tend to be shorter, but delivered with the same dignity as a full sevice.
Natural Burial Ground
A natural burial attempts to return a body to the earth in as natural a way as possible.
Services held at Natural Burial Grounds (NBG) are often without the necessary time constraint imposed by crematoria.
Burials at NBG are becoming more popular and are seen as a real alternative to cremations and traditional burials.
Scattering or Interment of Ashes
Interment of ashes is the process of placing cremation remains in a permanent resting place. These range from dedicated family plots and cemeteries to private gardens and woodlands.
You may choose to have the cremation remains scattered in a garden of remembrance at the crematorium either by staff or by family with a brief ceremony. Or you can collect the ashes, and thendecide later what to do with them.
Celebration of Life Ceremony
A celebration of life is a ceremony that is held usually 2-3 weeks after a traditional funeral service, or instead of a funeral service as a stand-alone event.
A Celebration of Life may follow a direct cremation, for example. Where family and friends have the opportunity to pay tribute to a loved one who has recently died, in a venue or location that is special to the family or to the deceased.
