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Non-Religious Funerals

A non-religious funeral puts the person at the centre of the ceremony, sharing with us their story, the relationships they had, their sense of humour and the things that were really important to them.

For more information on how to begin planning an eco funeral or a green funeral, feel free to call on 0151 638 4444. You can also read below for more information on how Kenna & Turner Funeral directors can assist you in planning a natural burial for your loved one.

Enquire About Non-Religious Funerals

At Kenna and Turner, we create bespoke humanist funerals, civil funerals and celebration of life services for families who live on the Wirral and are looking for a send-off that’s personal to their loved one. Whether your family member had no religion, belonged to another way of life or just wanted something a bit more laid back and unique, we’ll work alongside you to create a service and ceremony that is a perfect fit.

non-religious funerals, a group holding sparklers

What Is a Non-Religious Funeral?

A non-religious funeral is any funeral service that doesn’t follow the format of a religious service – no prayers, no religious readings and no clergy. They can still be held in any of the same locations as a traditional funeral – crematorium, cemetery chapel, a function room, a garden or woodland burial ground – and the family decides how formal or informal it should be.

Humanist Funerals

A humanist funeral is led by an accredited humanist celebrant, and it’s a non-religious take on life – the idea being that this life is it and it should be celebrated in its own right. Humanist services focus on the person and their values, what they achieved, their relationships, their character, which is told through personal stories and favourite music and readings rather than reading from a religious text.

The celebrant will meet with the family beforehand to discuss the person’s life, then write and deliver a service that’s entirely unique to that person. Every humanist funeral is different because every life is different.

Read about humanist funerals.

Civil Funerals

A civil funeral is similar to a humanist service but it’s led by a civil celebrant. And it doesn’t need to be completely free of any religious content which makes it a good option for families who want a personal and non religious-led ceremony but might still want to include a hymn or a prayer or a moment of reflection for family members who do hold faith.

Celebration of life service

A celebration of life service focuses on remembering and joy. These forms of services are likely to include photo displays, favourite music, shared memories from people attending, and a more relaxed order of service. A celebration of life can happen instead of a funeral service or also after at a separate time and place.

How Does This Differ From a Traditional or Direct Funeral?

A traditional funeral service may follow a religious structure, which can be led by clergy with set readings and hymns.
Direct burial (or direct cremation) is simple and private. The person is buried or cremated, and any sort of remembrance event the family wants to hold will be organised separately.
A non-religious humanist or civil funeral is somewhere in between. It’s a full-on ceremony with people who’ve come to pay their respects, a celebrant to lead the service, but it is not based on any specific religious belief.

Whatever feels right to you, we can arrange.

Our Non-Religious Funeral Services in Wirral

We arrange humanist, civil and celebration-of-life funerals throughout Wirral and the surrounding areas, working with local celebrants who take the time to get to know each and every family they’re working with.

If you do arrange a non-religious funeral with us, we take care of every big and small practical and personal detail, including:

Bringing your loved one into our care
Arranging a humanist or civil celebrant to lead the service
Organising the venue (whether that’s a crematorium, a cemetery, or a place of your choosing).
Helping you gather stories, photos, music and readings for the celebrant to include
Coffin and the transport arrangements
Support with paperwork and making sure you get everything you need legally
Offering guidance on flowers, order of service, and any other personal touches you might want to include

Because the services are shaped by the family, there is no simple template to follow. We will sit down with you and build a ceremony around your wishes.

non-religious funerals, a grave with flowers

Is a Non-Religious Funeral the Right Option?

A humanist, civil or celebration-of-life service, arranged by us, might be the way forward if:

Your loved one didn’t hold with any particular faith, or had a totally different spiritual practice.
If you’d like the service to concentrate on the story of their life
You’re looking for the flexibility to choose the venue, structure, music and content yourself

Most people haven’t planned a funeral before, so if you need advice or support during this time, call us on 0151 638 4444 and talk to our team.

Talk Through Your Non-Religious Funeral Options Today

For advice and support, please call us today 0151 638 4444 or get in touch through our contact page and we will reach out at a time that suits you.

We also offer pre-paid funeral plans if you’d like to plan and cover the cost of a non-religious service in advance and take some weight off your mind.

Non-Religious Funerals FAQs

Arranging a funeral is a stressful time and when doing it for the first time you will surely have a lot of questons to ask, we’re here to help make this as easy as possible.

What’s a humanist funeral?

A humanist funeral is a non-religious ceremony led by a celebrant who’s been accredited in humanism. It is built around the person who’s passed, getting to know their life, values and just who they were without any religious aspects. There are no prayers, hymns or scripture readings.

What’s the difference between humanist and civil funerals?

A humanist funeral has no religious aspects whereas a civil funeral is led by a non-religious celebrant, but the family can include a hymn or prayer if they choose to.

What’s a celebration of life service?

A celebration of life service is focused on remembering and celebrating the person who’s gone. It may be less formal, with photos, music, and memories.

Where can a non-religious funeral be held?

The choice is the same as for a traditional funeral. A crematorium, cemetery chapel, function room or an outdoor spot in a garden or woodland area.

How much does a humanist or civil funeral cost?

The cost will depend on where you hold it, the celebrant and any additional touches you want to add along the way.

How do you start planning a non-religious funeral?

Call us today on 0151 638 4444 to go over all your options.