In the UK, we have a tremendous mix of religions and beliefs that have informed how funerals have been held. However, over the past few years, more people have chosen to move away from traditional religious funeral services and move towards more informal services that don't include prayer readings, hymns or religious prayers. In fact, according to a recent study by SunLife, non-religious funerals now make up half of all funeral services.
What is a non-religious funeral?
Non-religious funerals are also known as celebrations of life or humanist funerals. There are no set traditions or customs to follow but they do typically follow the same format as religious funeral services. They have become a popular choice of service as they provide a great amount of flexibility to allow personalisation of the funeral especially if the person that has passed away was not religious and left instructions to follow about their funeral in their Will.
How to choose a non-religious or religious funeral
If your loved one did not leave any instructions about their funeral or have any religious beliefs that you need to follow, then making a decision about the type of funeral to have Will come down to what you think they would have wanted. You should also discuss potential funeral options with other family members of the deceased as they may be able to offer some guidance and advice about what they would have wanted.
It is worth knowing that no matter what type of funeral service you choose to have you Will need to decide whether the person that has passed Will be buried or cremated.
How to arrange a non-religious funeral?
If your loved one had a prepaid funeral plan in place then they may have left some instructions about how and where they would like their funeral to be held. Usually, if a prepaid funeral plan has been purchased then a funeral director Will have been chosen and they Will be able to help you with arranging the funeral along with organising someone to officiate the funeral.
Anyone can conduct a non-religious funeral service so you could opt to undertake this task yourself, be led by family/friends or you could choose to arrange a non-religious celebrant.
Where can you hold a non-religious funeral?
A non-religious funeral can take place anywhere. The ceremony itself can take place at venues such as a crematorium, cemetery chapel, natural burial site, hotel or even your own home.
Funeral wakes are usually held after the main service in venues such as community halls, pubs, social clubs or the family home.
Non-religious funeral dress code
When attending a non-religious funeral the dress code is more relaxed compared to the traditional black funeral attire. You could request that people wear casual or bright clothing or even an item of clothing that was the favourite colour of the person that has passed away.
Non-religious funeral music
By focusing upon the life of the person that has sadly passed away and not singing religious hyms you are able to personalise the service with songs that the person loved to listen to or are suitable for the service. Below we've listed some popular songs that are played in non-religious funerals:
- Wind beneath my wings - Bette Midler
- My way - Frank Sinatra
- Candle in the wind - Elton John
- Over the rainbow - Eva Cassidy
- Make you feel my love - Adele
- Smile - Nat King Cole
- Albatross - Fleetwood Mac
What can you do to help plan your non-religious funeral in advance?
One of the easiest steps you can take is to write a Will and include funeral instructions. Although these are not legally binding like other elements of your Will, they Will provide some helpful guidance during a difficult time for your loved ones.
Don’t leave it any longer, it takes less time than you think and with Wills Services you can rest assured that a qualified professional has reviewed your requests and wishes before its made final.
