Celebrating a Life

What if you were to celebrate a loved one’s life instead of mourning their passing? That is what funeral celebrants are trying to impress upon those who have lost a loved one. The time a person has spent with us is precious and it is so important to remember that and appreciate that, even during our time of loss.

A funeral celebrant is a person who creates a unique and special ceremony for someone who has passed. Typically the ceremony is not religious and, as the name suggests, the ceremony looks at the positive side of the person’s life, rather than the negative side of their death.

Clergy or people who are connected with a church generally have been the person in charge of a funeral. They would be a pastor or a father and would say a prayer at the ceremony. The president of the National Funeral Directors Association said up to 50% of American’s are not part of a church. So why would someone without connection to a church want a religious ceremony at their funeral? Many people don’t’ see the value in a religious funeral ceremony and would rather have a gathering with a different approach. One that is not connected with religion, but more with the people they knew and loved. Over time this is becoming synonymous with funeral celebrants: a non religious funeral ceremony.

A funeral celebrant is someone that can work at the funeral home or can be an independent provider. Many funeral homes today are seeing the need for a funeral celebrant so it is a good idea to ask if they have one staff. The job of a funeral celebrant is to connect with the family and deceased and provide something meaningful and something that helps represent their life.

You will find that funeral celebrants come from all walks of life, often saying that the reason they become a celebrant is because of the people. If you are interested in becoming a funeral celebrant you should have a connection with people, be able to handle the environment of people mourning around you and be comfortable with public speaking. Funeral Director’s Chat had a discussion with Glenda Stansbury where she talked about her celebrant training institute and what it’s like to help families celebrate a life. Another trainer of funeral celebrants is Life Appreciation training, where Bill Bates provides on site training to those interested in becoming a celebrant.

This has been a guest blog post by Tyler Fraser