What happens when you meet a funeral celebrant?

14 September 2026

Meeting a funeral celebrant probably isn’t something you’ve had much reason to think about before. And when you suddenly need to do it, you may have absolutely no idea what to expect.

The good news is: there’s nothing to prepare for and no test at the end.

When I meet a family, my job is mostly to listen.

We’ll talk about the person who has died: their life, family, work, friendships, interests and the things that mattered to them. But I’m just as interested in the smaller details. What made them laugh? What drove them mad? What would they always say? What would they definitely not want said about them?

Those are often the things that make a funeral feel like it belongs to a real person rather than somebody whose life might be summed up with a generic “much loved and sadly missed”.

We’ll also talk about the ceremony itself, if you have any ideas already: music, readings, who might like to speak, whether there should be any religious elements, and anything else you would (or very definitely wouldn’t) like included.

You don’t need to arrive with all the answers. Families will usually remember things as we talk, they might disagree about dates, suddenly recall a story halfway through another one and occasionally disappear to find an old photograph. That’s all perfectly normal.

Afterwards, I take everything we’ve discussed and turn it into a ceremony and tribute that tells their story. You’ll have the opportunity to check the details and make changes before the day.

A good funeral shouldn’t follow a template. It can be warm, funny, traditional, unconventional, religious, non-religious, or a mixture of all of those things.

It just needs to feel like them.

I lead funerals and celebrations of life across Essex and beyond. Get in touch.