If, like many couples, you already have little ones before tying the knot, you might be thinking about how to include them in your wedding ceremony.

Of course, they will likely want to be a bridesmaid or pageboy, flower girl or ring bearer, but some couples also like to have their little boy as best man. So sweet!

Whether you have one or more children with your partner or will be becoming a step parent, a lovely idea is to include them in your vows which, with a celebrant led ceremony, is very easily done and makes for a beautiful moment in the service.

Why not include them in a sand ceremony, gifting them the finished jar as a memento of the day? Or, you could all light a unity candle, a lovely idea for indoor ceremonies.

Your child might be a talented singer or instrumentalist, having them sing or play you down the aisle would definitely bring a tear!

Handing out orders of service as people enter or giving people confetti cones are also great ways to involve your children, no matter what their age.

©Ellie Lomas 2020

What to expect from a good Funeral Celebrant

• A Funeral Celebrant will help you to create a funeral service that is totally reflective of your wishes, guiding you when necessary with any arrangements for the ceremony itself.

 

• A Celebrant can create an entirely non religious ceremony or a semi- religious ceremony including elements of your chosen faith, we believe that the wishes of your loved one and the family should be respected, regardless of our own beliefs, and will be guided by you as to religious content.

 

• Once the Celebrant has met with you, they should put together a draft of the service for you and send any Order Of Service details (if required) to the Funeral Director on your behalf so the Funeral Directors can put together the Order Of Service Booklet. If a member of the family/friend is making the Order Of Service for you then the Celebrant can send a template to that person if necessary via email.

 

• Once you have received the draft of the ceremony, you can make any changes that are necessary until you are completely comfortable that all information is correct and that the choice of readings and wording meets your requirements. If you do not wish to make the changes to the document yourself then you can email/phone the Celebrant with your changes and they should make these for you and send over another draft if necessary, until a final draft is approved.

 

• Whether you have lots of ideas and wishes for the ceremony or whether you are a bit lost as to where to start, the Celebrant should help you to create something fitting and unique for your loved one.

 

• The Celebrant should guide you as to any time restrictions at your chosen venue and should be able to adapt their words so as to put any tributes or readings from the family as the priority, providing they are known about in advance.

 
Ellie Lomas  ©2020  (Member of the Institute of Civil Funerals)

Please click on the link below to see my blog over on The Celebrant Directory

​https://www.thecelebrantdirectory.com/blog/10-steps-to-organising-a-funeral-when-your-loved-one-left-no-instructions/

​Your child’s Naming Ceremony can be anything you want it to be. It can be held at home, in your garden, in a community centre, a hotel or anywhere else that grabs your imagination.
 
Naming Days are a great opportunity to get creative and make the special day truly unique, involving friends and family and making memories to be treasured forever. Once you have your venue secured and the date is fast approaching, what can you do to make the day as successful as possible?
 
If you are using a Celebrant to lead your Naming Ceremony then choosing the right one for you is so important. They will need to be the right fit for your family and they will be happy to have a chat with you over the phone or in person so you can get to know a little about them and make sure they are for you.
 
Once you are happy that you have made the right choice, your Celebrant will have lots of ideas to share, being led by your wishes throughout the process. Here are a few things that can be included to make your celebration extra special;
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