When someone dies, family or close friends are often faced with difficult decisions about the funeral at a distressing time for them. Perhaps the most important consideration is choosing the appropriate kind of funeral.
The Council's registration service offers you the option of a civil funeral to celebrate the life of a family member or friend.
A civil funeral is a dignified and formal ceremony, predominantly (but not exclusively) non-religious, suitable for cremations and burials alike. It is an appropriate and meaningful ceremony that celebrates the life of the deceased.
A civil funeral differs from a Humanist funeral in that Humanist funerals do not typically contain any religious elements - while a civil funeral may include hymns or bible readings if the family wishes.
About civil funerals
A civil funeral can take place at any suitable venue, in agreement with the celebrant – for example a crematorium or non-religious burial ground.
Ceremonies are conducted by a member of the Council's registration service. However, for the purposes of a civil funeral, that person will be acting as your funeral celebrant, not as a registrar.
How to arrange a civil funeral
You can make arrangements for a civil funeral by contacting your local register office, or your funeral director.
A celebrant will then arrange an appointment to meet with you, usually at your local register office or at the offices of your funeral director. When meeting the bereaved family, the celebrant will explain what is involved and what options are available. During this discussion the family will be asked for as much information as possible about the deceased.
Family members or friends who may wish to participate in the ceremony are encouraged to do so by choosing special pieces of music or by reading a piece of poetry or prose.
The celebrant will help you to decide how to arrange and present your choices to create a ceremony which reflects the personality of the deceased and the wishes of the family. This will include a tribute to the deceased (produced from the information you have provided), which recounts and celebrates their life and personality.
View details of fees for civil funerals.
If you have made the decision to have a civil funeral it is important to let your relatives/next of kin know your wishes. If you have made a will your wishes should be clearly stated for your executor's information.
