Q: Can an Independent Celebrant offer non-religious Service?
A; Yes, I can offer a non-religious service but equally I can incorporate any reglious aspect, like a prayer, reading or hymn.
Q: What is a Unity?
A: A Unity is a symbolic Ceremony to celebrate your Union - for example you may have heard of Handfasting - Tying the Knot - Blessing the Stones - Jumping the Broom - Circle of Love. A Unity in some cultures is passed down through time and become a tradition. Choosing a Untiy can add something beautiful to your special day and your Celebrant will get to know you and suggest a Unity that would best suit your celebration and family. There are so many to choose from.
Q: Can an Independent Celebrant legally marry you?
A: Not at present, currently only a Registrar or some Religious Leaders can conduct a marriage. The Wedding Reform is going through Parliament to look at changing the law. If successful it will mean that people can choose to be legally married by a Celebrant.
What you can do is have your legal Marriage paperwork completed at your local Registry Office with or without the service and hold your Wedding Day at a location of your choice.
Q: Why would I choose to do this option?
A: A Registry Office Wedding is around 20 minutes long and can be limited to how many guests you can have. Having a Celebrant deliver your Wedding Day Service means you can have a location of your choice with no time limit, a larger number of guests, a personal and beautiful scripted service that truly reflects who you both are.
Q: What is the difference between a Natural Burial and a Graveside Burial?
A: A Natural Burial is set in a peaceful location of fields and trees where the land has permission to conduct natural burials. You can pick a location where you would love to be layed to rest. The body cannot be embalmed and you have to use a wicker coffin as everything must be able to return back into the earth and nature. Find out more about Natural Burial here.
Q: What is Direct Cremation?
A: Direct Cremation is where a person chooses to not have any attendees at the crematorium, the ashes can still be collected by the family and a memorial or ashes internment service can still be held. There a few reasons why people are choosing a Direct Cremation. it could be financial, it could be that in remote locations the crematorium could be over an hours journey, so the service could be held prior to the cremation in the Funeral Directors Chapel of Rest or any other venue. Some people may wish to have the service in a location that is special to them rather than a crematorium where there are also no time constraints.
Q: Can I keep my loved one at home until the day of the funeral?
A: Yes you can and in the past this was often the preferred choice. BUT if you choose to do this it would be wise to take advice from your Funeral Director as to the best pratice on how to keep a body at home. There are specalist cold beds you can hire that will maintain the body until the funeral instead of embalming - some Funeral Directors are moving away from this pratice. You also have to consider the practicalities of the location in the house. I am not an expect in this area but I do know it is possible and your Funeral Director should be able to advice you of any services they offer for this to be possible or of services known to them they can refer you.
The death of baby weather reaching full-term or not is unimagiable to any parent, but sadly this does happen. There are companies and charities that can provide you with the emotional support and give you advice on equiment available to be able to spend time with your baby before the funeral, such as a cuddlecot or cuddle blanket. Some Hospitals have specialised Units that have staff that are highly trained in the bereavement of a baby.
Please find some links that may be helpful to you:
Sands | Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.
A death of a child is also unimagiable to any parent and leaves us not knowing where to turn for help and advice especially with the cost of a funeral. There are charities that can support you through this difficult time, please find a link below that may be helpful to you:
Contact – Child Funeral Charity
Q:Where can I find Bereavement Support for adults?
A:There are many Bereavement support organisations for you to access, below there is a link to the Gov.uk site that lists support. Alternatively in your search engine look for local groups near you. It really is a personal choice what works for you, some people require support after losing a loved one and others do not feel the need. Grief is personal to you, there is no right or wrong way to grieve.
What to do after someone dies: Bereavement help and support - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
