How to choose a funeral celebrant

Start by getting clear on what you need and what you'd like: the date and place, how much religious content, if any, and how involved your family wants to be. Then call a few celebrants who cover your area and ask whether they can help. The right one is the person who can give you the ceremony you want, whatever their type or membership.

Start with the kind of ceremony

For a full religious service, a minister or faith leader is usually the right choice. Humanist celebrants lead entirely non-religious funerals. Independent celebrants lead non-religious and part-religious ones, and interfaith ministers work across faiths and none. Read more about the types of funeral celebrant.

Decide how involved you want to be

A good celebrant can write and lead the whole ceremony, do part of it, or help your family do it yourselves while they hold the day together. The same goes for the eulogy: you can write and read it, the celebrant can write it from your conversations, or a mix of both.

Where to find names

Your funeral director will usually offer to arrange a celebrant and can give you a list of ones they recommend, but you are free to choose your own. Searching this site shows who covers your area. We don't recommend individual celebrants: we list them so you can compare.

Your funeral director's preferred celebrants

Many funeral directors work with a few celebrants they know, and some can book one on the spot. That is quick and often works well, but it is a short list. You are free to ask for other names, or to look at who else covers your area, before you decide.

Choosing ahead of time

You don't have to wait until someone has died. If you are planning your own funeral, or someone close to you is seriously ill, you can choose a celebrant now. Celebrants often find it helpful to meet the person while they are alive: they hear the stories first-hand, learn what music and words matter, and can write a ceremony that sounds like them. It also means your family won't have to make the choice in a hurry. Write down who you have chosen and tell your family, so they can let the funeral director know when the time comes.

Standards to look for

Funeral celebrancy isn't regulated in the UK, so anyone can call themselves a celebrant. These are the signs of someone who has committed to a standard:

The Funeral Celebrant Accord, a set of standards published in 2019 by the Funeral Celebrancy Council. Ask whether a celebrant works to it.
A code of conduct. Many celebrant organisations publish a code of conduct or charter that their members commit to, and some celebrants follow one independently. Ask which one they work to, and whether you can see it.
Insurance. Ask whether they have public liability insurance. It isn't a legal requirement, but many celebrants carry it.
A DBS check. No law requires one for funeral celebrants, but bereaved families are vulnerable, so it's reasonable to ask whether they have had a DBS check, and when.

Listings on this site show a celebrant's memberships and, separately, the standards and causes they support. Celebrants add these themselves and we don't verify them, so if membership matters to you, check with the organisation.

Questions to ask

Are you free on our date and time, at our venue?
Will the ceremony include any religious content, none, or a mix? Can we choose?
How do you gather the person's story? Do we meet in person?
Will we see the full ceremony before the day, and can we change it?
Can family or friends speak, and will you help them prepare?
What is your fee, and what does it include?
Do you belong to a celebrant organisation, and what training have you done?
Can we have a copy of the ceremony afterwards?
Can we do some of the ceremony ourselves, with you holding it together?
Do you work to the Funeral Celebrant Accord, or another code of conduct or charter?
Have you had a DBS check, and do you have public liability insurance?

Signs of a good fit

They listen more than they talk in the first conversation.
They ask about the person, not just the logistics.
They are clear about fees and timings.

Using this site

Search by town or postcode to see the nearest celebrants, with the area each one covers, the memberships they declare and, where given, a typical fee. Celebrants write their own listings and we don't verify memberships. We don't recommend individual celebrants. Premium listings are a paid promotion: they can show up in searches further from the celebrant's base, but being premium says nothing about quality. You can save favourites and send an enquiry straight to the celebrant. We don't take bookings, act for celebrants or handle payments.

Frequently asked questions

How soon should I contact a celebrant?

Contact a celebrant as soon as you have a provisional date, because they can be busy.

Does it matter which organisation a celebrant belongs to?

Membership can show training and a code of conduct, but about 37% of celebrants listed here declare no organisation membership. Ask each celebrant about their training and experience.

Can I talk to the celebrant before deciding?

Yes, you can ask a celebrant for a short conversation before you decide. Ask whether there's a charge when you get in touch.

Can I choose a celebrant for my own funeral?

Yes, you can choose a celebrant for your own funeral in advance. Many celebrants are happy to meet you to talk through what you'd like. Make sure your family knows who you have chosen, and name a second choice in case your celebrant isn't available on the day.