The Funeral You Didn’t Know You Were Allowed to Have

(No dreary curtains. No hymns you hated. No sad beige sandwiches… unless you like those.)

Let’s be honest — most of us picture a funeral and think of the same thing:
A chapel. A tight 30-minute slot. A veneered box with fake brass handles. That one hymn no one really sings. And a funeral director dressed like something out of Dickens.

But what if we told you that’s not your only option?

You’re allowed a funeral that feels like you

Because here’s the thing:
There are no rules.
No legal requirement to do things a certain way.
No official checklist of what a “real funeral” must include.

You don’t even need to use a funeral director (though most are brilliant).
You don’t need to have it at a crematorium.
You don’t need to have it in a black suit with sad sandwiches at the pub.

You’re allowed a funeral in a garden, a village hall, a barn, a field, a forest.
You’re allowed music you actually like.
You’re allowed to laugh, cry, wear colour — or have a singalong if that’s your thing.

Celebrants make that possible

This is where celebrants come in.
We help people create funerals that feel personal, honest, and true to the person who has died — and to the people they leave behind.

We’ve helped families plan ceremonies in village halls and family gardens.
We’ve stood next to home-decorated cardboard coffins and beautiful wicker creations with flowers from the garden.
We’ve heard funeral playlists that included ABBA, Slipknot, and someone’s own karaoke recording.

We’ve had curry feasts and Guiness toasts.

We’ve had dogs in attendance. Kids doing readings. Friends all in stripey shirts — because that’s what George always wore.

It’s not about being “quirky” for the sake of it. It’s about doing what feels right.

But not everyone knows it’s allowed

We hear it all the time:
“Oh, I didn’t know you could do that.”
“I thought you had to go through a funeral director.”
“I didn’t know you could have a celebrant do it there.”
“I wish we’d done that for Dad.”

That’s why funeral celebrants matter.
And that’s why Funeral celebrant training matters — because the more brilliant, well-trained celebrants out there doing this work, the more people will learn that they have choices.

We need more people like you

If reading this made something flutter in your tummy — a little voice that says “this is what I want to do” — then maybe funeral celebrancy is for you.

Especially if:
– You want to help people mark death in a way that feels human, not formulaic
– You believe funerals can be about love, not just loss
– You’re ready to hold space for people at their most vulnerable — and help them make something beautiful

This job isn’t about parroting poems or copying templates.
It’s about listening deeply, writing beautifully, and standing up for what matters — even if that means explaining, “Yes, you really can have the funeral in your own back garden.”

Want to find out how you could help people have the funeral they actually want?
Join our free info webinar and let’s talk about what this job really looks like.