Like a shadow in the moonlight Like the whisper of the seas Like the echoes of a melody Just beyond our reach In the shadow of our sorrow Past the whisper of goodbye Love shines through eternity A heartbeat from our eye.

As your funeral celebrant, it is my duty to ensure you are supported in your time of need, while assisting with all funeral preparations, creating your service and conducting the service.

Using a funeral celebrant grants you the freedom to incorporate a service which reflects your loved ones personality, values and wishes to develop an intimate and unique service.

This can include, but is not limited to:

• Incorporating your guests (family, friends and pets)
• Music
• Service style (informal / formal, religious / non-religious)
• Incorporating funeral traditions (Minute of silence, placing flowers on the coffin)
• Use of script (favourite poem, readings, or passages)

Celebrants are involved in planning the order of service, music, assist in writing the eulogy and creating a meaningful service for your loved one. 

Celebrants aim to create an Order of Services that celebrates a person’s life, as well as providing an opportunity for family and friends to say goodbye. 

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 / slide show will be included, as well as the duration. 

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

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.

An example of a traditional ceremony order of service is shown below.

1. Introduction & welcoming words—Thank you to people attending the service, and acknowledge if livestreamed. Introduce myself as celebrant.

2. The Life— Description of persons life, including birthplace and date, surviving and passed family members. Person’s interests / hobbies, associations they were affiliated with and story of their life.

3. Reading or prayer—Chosen by you, can be read by the celebrant or someone attending the service who was dear to the person.

4. Eulogy or life tribute—Often written and read by family / friend close to the person. Can be read by the celebrant if needed.

5. Moment of Silence— If slide show is being shown—it will be here. Otherwise a minute of silence can be performed.

6. Family / Friend tribute / Tradition—Optional, can be a friend with additional words prepared or laying flowers at the coffin.

7. The Committal—Poem / reading read by the celebrant.

8. Thank you and acknowledgements—Thank everyone for coming, inform everyone in attendance where the wake is going to be held.

9. Service Ending—If cremation—the blinds will be drawn if a burial, the celebrant will advise where to go to view the burial (can be closed to family only).

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