Day in, day out here at Australian Funerals & Cremations we are asked many questions and rightly so, we are happy to answer any and all questions. Today we want to address a question that is always asked and there is often no real comprehensive answer to. The question: "Who should speak at the funeral" The Answer: "it depends." Everyone is different and everyone requires different things when it comes to the funerals. We will delve into each option and we will give our opinion on each and when we think it is best to use them.
Celebrants
We find that the majority of other funeral companies push the use of celebrants, this could be for one of two reasons; 1: they are in-house celebrants, so the fee that they charge is kept completely by the funeral director, or 2: The funeral director is given a commission of the celebrant's fees. This may seem morbid but is true sadly. There are funeral directors out there that are honest and don't want to rip you off, we at Australian Funerals & Cremations 100% transparent so we are glad to say there are others in the industry that are as honest as us.
That being said we do use celebrants from time to time, we offer a list of names to our clients and suggest they try to find their own because each celebrant is different and have their own way of speaking.
Celebrants lack a personal touch but are level-headed when family and friends can be a little overwhelmed by emotion. Celebrants can convey families messages and stories clearly and mostly without faltering.
Religious Figures
Sometimes we find that if you're a member of a religious congregation the best person to talk at your or your loved ones funeral is a Religious figure if you have been attending their congregation for some time they may know you. We have found that they are the best of both worlds most of the time. The give a more personal touch whilst at the same time giving you a clear and professional service. Like celebrants some religious figures may charge a service fee, in some cases this may be a donation to the church/religion, on the plus side, this can be deducted on tax.
Family & Friends
family and friends may seem like the easy choice and the most logical one, but it takes a certain person to speak at a funeral. They need to able to maintain composure and be compelling in speech. Family and Friends really have that personal and beautiful touch at times. At the same time, if you have a family member that isn't confident in speaking and doesn't feel comfortable, it can be a bit uncomfortable and detract from a beautiful service.
Whichever way you choose to go, be confident in your choices, feel free to ask us for our opinion.
Contact Us
Phone: (03) 9540 9555
Email: Director@afcfunerals.com.au