Elements of The Funeral Ceremony!

The Funeral Ceremony can take place at nearly any venue that you choose. Most Funeral Ceremonies take place at the Cemetery Chapel, the Funeral Director's Chapel, the Gravesite or the Family Home. Any other venue may require the permission of the Local Council or other property owners.

It is very important to understand that where a Funeral Ceremony is conducted at a Chapel, there are strict time restraints as there may well be another Funeral straight after. Generally a Funeral Ceremony will take around 30 minutes to conclude.

Most Funeral Ceremonies consist of the following:

• Gathering: Selected music is played while the mourners gather at the venue.
• Introduction: Ron welcomes the mourners in the name of the family and says a few words of condolence. I will also normally give a short reading that will help set the mood of the Funeral Ceremony to match what the family has requested.
• Eulogy: The eulogy can be written by anyone but it is usual for the Celebrant to write the eulogy as it can be very upsetting for the family in the short time since the loss of their loved one to have to write about the deceased's life. It is also the norm today for the Celebrant to read the eulogy so that mourners can sit back and remember the deceased through the words of the eulogy. i will always show the eulogy to the family before the Funeral Ceremony for their approval and suggestions.
• Readings and prayers: There may be family members or close friends who wish to say a few words. I will supply you with a selection of readings and poems that are suitable for a Funeral Ceremony but you may wish to make up your own readings, poems or tributes to the deceased. readings should not be longer than 3 minutes each and there should be just one or two such readings. Although the deceased and/or family may not have been particularly religious, it is often the case that there is a spirituality about people that needs to be reflected at this time. It is normal for a short prayer or psalm to be read.
• Reflection: This is the time when we all take a break for a few quiet moments to reflect on the life of the deceased. There will be suitable music softly playing in the background. This music can be a piece particularly loved by the deceased or with some special meaning for the family.
• Committal: Here is where we say our final farewells to the earthly remains of the deceased. This can be done in a number of ways depending on the type of Funeral (burial or cremation) and whether the family want to witness the lowering of the coffin into the grave or the vault for cremation. It is not necessary to have either of the above. It is quite acceptable for there to be a "non-committal" where the final farewells are said and only after everyone has left the funeral venue is the coffin taken care of by either the Funeral Director's or the Cemetery's staff. Similarly where the Funeral Ceremony is held in a chapel and the coffin is then to be moved to the grave site, it is quite acceptable to either have the committal delayed till the cortege arrives at the grave site, or to have a "non-committal" at the chapel.