What is a Funeral celebrant?
A celebrant is a modern ceremony specialist, someone who will create a funeral that truly reflects the person being honoured.
Certified Life-Cycle Celebrants® are trained in the art of ceremony. Our training draws on anthropology, mythology, storytelling, and ritual creation, enabling us to create a ceremony that emerges from and is inspired by the most important elements of the life of the person being celebrated.
A celebrant ceremony can be secular, or non-secular. It can be spiritual but not religious, or it can incorporate elements of religious traditions that are appropriate for you, your family, and the person who has died. We can embrace traditions that have been part of your family for generations, or we can create new traditions together - or both!
It can be somber, silly, irreverent, traditional, joyful, sorrowful, or healing. It can take place in a funeral home, in your home, in your backyard, in a park, on the shores of a lake, or at your favourite restaurant. The only essential component is that it embody your needs, values, and wishes.
How it works
Working with a celebrant is a bit different than working with a funeral director, clergy member, or other type of officiant. Rather than follow a prescribed template or order of service, we will be creating a bespoke ceremony from scratch. Here is some of what you can expect if you choose to work with me:
A no-obligation consultation, so that together we can decide if I might be the right fit for you, your family, and your ceremony.
A meeting, in person or over Zoom, in which you’ll have an opportunity to tell me about your loved one. This is a chance for us to explore what might be important to include in their ceremony, as we talk about their life, their loved ones, what was most important to them, and your favourite stories about them.
A complete, from-scratch, individually written ceremony that may incorporate ritual, readings, music, and the story of your loved one’s life, all reflecting what was most important to them and to you. You have final approval over the ceremony, and you will see the final script in full before the event takes place. You are entitled to an unlimited number of revisions to ensure that you are completely happy with every aspect of the ceremony.
On the day of the event, I will perform the ceremony with compassion and professionalism. My role is to make sure that you, your family, and your community have the opportunity to honour your loved one, celebrate their life, mourn their death, and begin to integrate the great transition of loss. It’s my honour to facilitate this through leading the ceremony, including making sure all rituals and transitions go smoothly.
Fees
funerals and memorials
Full funeral and memorial ceremonies begin at $500 CAD. This includes our interview, unlimited drafts of the written ceremony, and performing the ceremony.Other costs such as travel or live musicians will be determined on a case-by-case basis. I will offer you a quote during our initial no-obligation conversation so you can decide if my services fit your budget.
other ceremonies
Fees for other types of ceremonies, such as graveside committal ceremonies, living funerals, or ceremonies to honour someone seeking MAID, will be determined based on the type and complexity of the ceremony requested.
music
I am a working professional singer in the Toronto area and am very lucky to work with some wonderful musicians. If it’s right for you and your ceremony, I can connect with a variety of singers and instrumentalists who can bring the beautiful element of live music to your event - or I can sing myself! Fees for musicians are usually in the ballpark of $150 per singer or player.
sliding scale
Because I believe that every life deserves to be honoured, I offer a sliding-scale payment option to ensure that you can give your loved one the ceremony they deserve. Please let me know during our no-obligation consultation if you are interested in the sliding-scale option, and together we can discuss a fee and ceremony that will work for you.