Frequently Asked Questions of a Funeral Celebrant!

Continued from previous page!

What about the use of symbols or items relevant to the life of the deceased?

More and more Funeral Ceremonies today include such items and symbols. We can use sporting memorabilia, war service items or any other artifact(s) that represent the deceased's life, vocation or hobbies.

The deceased was a member of Rotary.

Where the deceased was a member of any community organisation such as Rotary, Freemasons, Lodge, etc it is usual for the Chapter where the deceased was a member to place the appropriate symbol on the coffin.

The deceased was a member of the RSL.

Members of the RSL are entitled to a special ritual where the Last Post and Reveille is played together with the appropriate words being said. This is included in the Funeral ceremony.

Can we show a DVD of the deceased's life?

Many Funeral Ceremonies do include a DVD presentation of the life of the deceased. It will be necessary, however, to have that DVD ready in plenty of time so that the technical aspects run smoothly. The DVD presentation is usually shown during the Reflection period of the Ceremony.

We don't want to watch the coffin disappear. What can we do?

It is often the case that a "non-committal" is done wherby the Funeral Ceremony concludes and only after everyone has left is the coffin respectfully taken care of by the Funeral Director or Cemetery staff.

Previous