The death care industry is rapidly evolving. There are completely new services that take a dramatically different approach as well as older practices that are reemerging. Celebrants are a little bit of both. It’s a modern take on a role that’s been around since the beginning of funeral practices.
If you’ve never heard of celebrants before, consider this a good starting point for understanding the role they play in funeral services and whether you might want to hire one.
What Are Celebrants?
A celebrant is someone who is trained to lead meaningful ceremonies, usually ones connected to huge life events, including death. A celebrant serves several key roles:
Consultant – They are a consultant for the family of the deceased that can guide them through the process of honoring their loved one in a special way. The celebrant will listen to the family’s concerns, needs and preferences while also learning about the deceased in order to make personalized suggestions and provide guidance. They can also help explain legalities and special considerations that may be involved with the ceremonies they are conducting.
Event Planners – Once they have consulted with the family, the celebrant will plan out the event in detail and coordinate everything to make it happen. This usually requires working closely with other funeral professionals. Celebrants are essentially event planners that take a lot of the responsibility off the plate of the family members and make the ceremony reflect exactly what the family envisioned. They’ll even create scripts, special prayers and select readings that are shared throughout the ceremony.
Officiants – The celebrant also acts as the officiant of the ceremonies they arrange. In this role they serve as spiritual leaders that can oversee rites and rituals while helping loved ones cope with the loss.
Types of Celebrants For Funeral Services
There are many types of celebrants in terms of the kinds of celebrations they specialize in arranging. For instance, there are wedding celebrants, naming day celebrants and funeral celebrants.
Within the funeral industry there are two primary types of celebrants:
Humanist Celebrants – As the name suggests, a humanist celebrant focuses on human nature, connection and values. They are non-theistic and are non-denominational.
Independent Celebrants – These celebrants may be called independent, but they could be connected to a certain religion or church. An independent celebrant can also incorporate religious aspects in general, such as leading a prayer at the beginning of the ceremony.
The type of celebrant that is right for the ceremony often comes down to whether the family or deceased wished to incorporate religious elements in the funeral services. When that is the case, it can help to have a celebrant that is already familiar with the religion or ritual.
Special Training For Celebrants
Thousands of years ago the people who served as celebrants were primarily priests, shamans and other religious leaders who had years of training or even a whole lifetime. The celebrants of today usually aren’t a formal religious leader, but they can have special training.
Many celebrants are certified professionals that have taken specialized courses to prepare them for the role. Celebrant courses commonly include training for:
- Active listening
- Effective communication
- Conducting family meetings
- Project management
- Presentation skills
- Writing
- Understanding the funeral process
The top goal is making sure the celebrant can connect with the family and effectively articulate the value of funeral services in helping to honor a person’s life. In that way, it’s much like the role of a funeral director. Qualities that make someone well-suited for being a celebrant include:
- Good listener
- Creative
- Comfortable with public speaking
- Ceremonial speech writing experience
- Empathic nature
- Ability to handle difficult emotional situations
- Desire to help people
All of these qualities help a celebrant understand how to create a personalized ceremony that truly embodies the lifestyle, personality and values of the deceased.
It’s common for celebrants to have experience working in the death care industry or a related field. Certified celebrants are often:
- Funeral directors
- Pre-need and aftercare specialists
- Hospice workers
- Clergy
- Chaplains
Becoming a celebrant gives these professionals another set of skills that can be offered to grieving families. Funeral homes will often have at least one person on staff who can act in the capacity of a celebrant for this reason.
Why Families Hire Celebrants After a Cremation
One of the reasons some people prefer direct cremation is because they can host a memorial or celebration of life after the disposition instead of rushing to do funeral services beforehand. Families can take their time planning out a post-cremation service, allowing them to find a celebrant that can help make it happen.
People hire a celebrant for a lot of different reasons. Below are some of the most common reasons people decide to enlist the help of a celebrant.
No religious affiliation but wants a formal, spiritual remembrance. Using a celebrant is common when the deceased didn’t have a religious affiliation, but the family wants to have someone official conduct the ceremony. A celebrant acting as the officiant is an ideal solution for many that want a spiritual ceremony that isn’t necessarily religious in nature and doesn’t involve clergy members.
The family wants to host a special event that’s highly personalized. More people want funeral services that are personalized. When personalization is a priority, a celebrant can offer great advice and plan an event where every detail tells the personal story of the deceased.
The family wants to have a memorial, but doesn’t have time or the ability to arrange it themselves. Planning out a celebration of life can take time out of your already busy schedule. Some people find that they need someone to coordinate everything, which is exactly what a celebrant does.
Cremation.Green coordinates with all types of death care professionals, including celebrants that are arranging post-cremation memorial services. Our goal is to make the process as smooth and stress-free for the family as possible. If you or your celebrant would like more information about our death care services, processes and timelines we’re happy to answer your questions any hour of the day.
