Can I choose my own Minister/Priest or funeral celebrant?

In this blog, I am going to explain about your choices when it comes to a member of the clergy or a celebrant when planning a funeral.

When someone dies, a funeral director must be engaged. The funeral director has a huge role in ensuring your loved one is taken into their care, the necessary legal paperwork is completed and everything is in order for the funeral service. However, not everyone has a funeral service - some people choose to have a memorial. This decision is made by the family ( who may have been given instructions from their loved one in some cases).

On choosing your funeral director, and if having a funeral service, one of the questions that you will be asked is if you would like a member of the clergy to conduct the service, or if you would like a celebrant.

In the majority of cases, celebrants are sole traders, they have their own businesses, and as such work for many funeral directors, just as florists and stationers do. There are some funeral directors who employ celebrants, but it is not the norm.

When you are asked this question, if you have a Minister, Priest or Celebrant in mind, all you need to do is let the funeral director know.

I have written posts on this subject a few times, mainly because in my day to day life when people ask what I do and I tell them I am a celebrant, they are not aware that they have a choice. People in general are of the understanding that each funeral home has their "own" celebrant or if they have seen a celebrant at a location, they think that celebrant is only affiliated with that particular chapel.

And the same goes for funeral directors. Both directors and celebrants service many areas, not just the ones that they are local to.

As is stated in the bulk of my posts, it is ALL about choices.