Humanist Funerals : Guidance from Perry & Phillips Bridgnorth

A Humanist funeral is increasingly common. It’s simply more appropriate for those who neither lived according to religious principles, nor accepted religious views of life or death.  A Humanist Funeral or memorial ceremony recognises no ‘after-life’, but instead uniquely and affectionately celebrates the life of the person who has died. Proper tribute is paid to them, to the life they lived, the connections they made and have left behind.

A typical ceremony will usually include:  

• Favourite or appropriate music (of any kind)   
• A welcome and a brief explanation of the ceremony
• Poetry or prose readings
• A 'tribute' to the deceased, mainly biographical, often with short contributions from family, friends and colleagues
• A time of reflection for silent meditation or private prayer    
• The Committal or words of farewell
• A brief close, which can include thanks and announcements
• Prior to the funeral, a Humanist officiant will normally visit a family to map-out the ceremony and to form a rounded picture of the subject. At this stage it may also be important for families to freely discuss various options in relation to procedure during the ceremony.
• Detailed preparation prevents reliance on a standard text or format, and in the days leading up to the ceremony time and care is devoted to writing and compiling a tribute both factually accurate and with the appropriate tone. By this process, each ceremony can be developed afresh with families who welcome the opportunity for choice and personal input. A printed copy of the ceremony is always provided for the family, to send to absent relatives or friends and kept as a memento.
• Humanist funeral ceremonies may be conducted at crematoria, cemeteries, woodland burial grounds, and other burial grounds (subject to restriction).
• Memorial ceremonies are more usually conducted elsewhere and after some time has elapsed following the funeral. However in some circumstances, for example where there is no body or a body has been accepted for medical research, a memorial ceremony may take the place of a funeral.
• All Humanist officiants are non-judgemental, empathic and have wide life-experience; many have professional backgrounds.

They are accredited by the
British Humanist Association,