What must the Celebrant do?
I will meet the families as arrangements are made, providing comfort, support and guidance where needed.
A funeral celebrant will typically have the following duties;
- Support the family through the funeral planning
- Ensure specific funeral wishes are carried out
- Provide ideas for ways to create personal touches, including a visual tribute
- Offer support, guidance and advice where needed
- Help the family to plan and arrange the order of service, including music, readings and poems
- Assist in eulogy for the funeral alongside the family
- Host and officiate the funeral service on the day
- Offer support to the family on the day of the funeral
What questions will I be asked during our initial meeting?
During our initial meeting, we will discuss your loved one, and all that is important to you and was important to them. To allow the service to reflect their personality and funeral wishes (if known).
Some sample questions will include:
- Date & place of birth
- Passed and surviving family members
- Their pets / friends
- Habits and personal characteristics
- Favourtie places to visit
- Clubs they were associated with
The funeral arrangements will also be discussed including the company name of the funeral director, the location of the funeral and if a cremation / burial will be taking place.
Finally, the order of service will be discussed.
The order of service is the service that takes place prior to the wake, cremation / burial—with friends and family, to have an opportunity to reflect and say goodbye.
Preparations for the order of service will include questions surrounding the type of service to be conducted, if a poem, reading, eulogy or slide show will be included, as well as the duration.
How to create a meaningful service
Traditions / Rituals
Funeral traditions / rituals does more than acknowledge the death of someone loved. It helps provide you with the support of caring people.
Examples of tradition /ritual can be:
- Viewing the body prior to, during or after the service,
- Offering a moments silence during the service for everyone to have a moment of reflection, or
- Inviting everyone to lay flowers on the coffin.
Funeral service planning
While you may find comfort and meaning in traditional funeral ceremonies, you may want to create a ceremony that reflects the unique personality of your family and the person who has passed away.
Do not be afraid to add personal touches to even traditional funerals.
For many, funerals are most meaningful when they involve a variety of people who loved the person who died. You might ask others to give a reading, deliver the eulogy, play music or even help plan the funeral.
If faith is a part of your life, the funeral is an ideal time for you to uphold and find comfort in that faith. Those with more secular spiritual orientations also have the freedom to plan a ceremony that meets their needs.
Additonal Information
Apart from the funeral notices and immediate notification that generally takes place, there are some government departments and associations that may need to be advised about the passing of your loved one.
The following is a list of organisations that may need to be notified.
- Australian Tax Office
- Department of Veterans Affairs (if applicable)
- Electoral Commission
- Electricity/Gas supplier (if deceased is the account holder)
- Medicare
- Phone provider (for mobiles or if deceased is the account holder)
- Transport department (driver license plus vehicle registration if applicable)
- Memberships/subscriptions
