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Written by Adam McIlroy.
14 minute read
If you are planning an attended funeral ceremony, whether in the immediate future for a loved one, or for yourself further down the line, you might be wondering, “How much does a funeral celebrant cost?”. It’s a question whose answer could determine the kind of funeral you may go on to organise. In this article, we will answer that question as well as other connected questions.
Key takeaways:
The cost of a funeral celebrant is connected to the wider question of how much a funeral costs. It could depend on a variety of different factors, such as the level of expertise the celebrant has, and where they are based or where you require their services.
A funeral celebrant is a self-employed officiator of an attended funeral ceremony. It might be helpful to think of a celebrant as the secular equivalent of a religious minister, although some celebrants may also be willing and able to officiate at religious funerals. With the decline of religion in the UK, religious funerals occur less and less, which has in turn sparked an increase in demand for the services of funeral celebrants.
The real advantage of using a celebrant to officiate a funeral service is that they are able to be far more personal than a traditional celebrant, helping the family to customise the funeral service exactly how they want to. The celebrant can help the family to select all of the most special music, poetry, readings, and anecdotes, ensuring that the designed ceremony reflects the character and personality of the person who has died as far as possible.
In the UK, the average cost of a funeral celebrant typically ranges between £180 and £300. This fee is for the celebrant’s professional services and is separate from other funeral costs such as cremation or burial fees, venue hire, funeral director services, or catering. When researching celebrant pricing, it’s helpful to understand what is included in the quoted fee and whether travel or additional meetings are covered.
Fees can vary depending on the region of the country, the celebrant’s experience, and the level of personalisation requested. Celebrants based in larger cities may charge towards the higher end of the range, while those in more rural areas may charge less. Similarly, highly experienced celebrants with specialist training may command higher fees.
The final celebrant price will depend on location, experience, and how personalised the service is. Understanding that this is one standalone component of the overall funeral cost can help families budget clearly and avoid confusion.
The amount charged by a celebrant is likely to be impacted by the type and complexity of the service which you are hiring them for, and how far they will need to travel in order to officiate.
While most funerals have fairly common elements, whether or not they are religious (songs, poetry, words, etc.), a celebrant can help the bereaved family to go into far more specificity and detail than may otherwise be possible. The level of customisation – over which the family has complete control when hiring a celebrant – will impact the final price. If the celebrant is simply helping the family to select from a series of pre-written eulogies, the price will be lower than if the celebrant is writing a eulogy which is customised for the occasion. Similarly, if the celebrant is incorporating unique elements into the service, such as short videos, or music, which have been built around a theme, this can also add cost.
The price of a celebrant’s services will vary based on the location in which the funeral is to be held, and, possibly, from where the celebrant themselves is travelling. In general, in the UK, funerals within heavily urbanised areas are more expensive than in rural areas. For instance, a cremation and a burial in Greater London would cost ~£5,000 and ~£8,800 respectively, according to Legal & General; according to the same data, however, cremation and burial in Wales cost ~£3,900 and ~£5,000 respectively. The variance between these two locations, as you can see, is rather large, and funeral expenses such as celebrant’s fees are a part of why that figure can be so different.
In most cases, celebrants are transparent about their fees, but there can occasionally be additional costs depending on the circumstances.
These may include:
Travel expenses beyond a certain distance
Additional meetings beyond what is normally included
Attendance at multiple services (for example, a church service and graveside committal)
Complex multimedia or highly customised elements
Reputable celebrants will discuss any potential additional costs upfront, so families are not faced with unexpected charges. It is always appropriate to ask for a clear breakdown before confirming a booking.
How much does a funeral celebrant cost when compared with a religious officiant, or a humanist officiant?
While both celebrants and religious ministers officiate funeral services, there are differences in structure, tone, and sometimes cost. The difference in cost between a celebrant and a religious officiant is not typically too high, but, in accordance with the different beliefs on death and funerals in religion, it could vary depending on the religion. With Christianity, certain churches, like the Catholic church, don’t charge a specific fee for the time of the minister; it will instead be absorbed in the overall cost of the funeral itself. Other churches, like the Church of England, are more or less expensive depending on whether the funeral occurs graveside, in the church itself, or on the same day as the church service. The average minister’s fees are £169.
The average cost of a celebrant is between £180 and £300, depending on the location of the funeral and the level of customisation sought by the family organising the funeral. Whilst it may seem more expensive on the face of things than a religious minister, if you are arranging a funeral which focuses on the cremation process, such as a direct cremation, the operational costs will be streamlined, meaning that celebrant fees can be absorbed much more comfortably.
It’s also helpful to understand that in the UK, there’s no legal restriction on who can conduct a funeral. Whether it’s a religious leader, civil celebrant, humanist officiant, or even a family member or friend, the choice is yours. The right fit will often depend on your values, the tone you want to set, and the level of personalisation you’d like for the ceremony.
If you’re comparing a humanist or celebrant for an upcoming funeral, you’ll find that the cost difference between them is usually small. The more important difference lies in the type of service they offer. Humanist officiants focus exclusively on non-religious funerals, while civil celebrants can incorporate spiritual or religious elements if requested. This can make civil celebrants a more flexible option depending on the preferences of the person who has died and their family.
A celebrant’s fee is just one component of the total funeral budget. It sits alongside funeral director services, cremation or burial fees, venue hire, transportation, and optional elements such as flowers or catering.
For families choosing direct cremation without a ceremony, a celebrant is not required. However, for attended services or personalised memorials, the celebrant becomes part of the ceremony cost rather than the practical disposal cost.
Understanding this distinction can help families prioritise spending based on what matters most to them.
In order to decide on the right celebrant for you, you will need to think about the kind of funeral you are organising, as well as your budget.
Much like with any other funeral expenses, you will need to figure out what your budget is, and do a bit of research to see what you can get for your money. Starting a funeral checklist can be a useful way of keeping your research organised, helping you to compare costs for individual celebrants, as well as other important data, like any certifications they might have, as well as their rating on customer-review websites like Trustpilot.
Funerals, unfortunately, can be expensive, and celebrant fees, along with those of the funeral director, are part of what can contribute to increased costs. In certain cases, it may be possible to claim funeral costs back from the UK government, which has a couple of different schemes offering support to eligible, low-income families. These schemes are the Funeral Expenses Payment and the Bereavement Support Payment. It may be possible to cover celebrant fees with these payments, or else to cover burial or cremation costs leaving you to focus on paying the celebrant.
You may also be able to raise funds for a funeral by turning to crowdfunding websites like JustGiving or GoFundMe. These websites allow you to post requests for funding for specific goals, letting you tell a story. You can easily share links to these funding requests via social media, for instance when you are announcing a death to friends and family across your social media networks.
In order to understand whether the services of a funeral celebrant are worth the cost to you, you will need to weigh up the benefits against the costs.
Today, we are more focused than ever on personalising our funerals than ever, even spending time and money thinking about end-of-life celebration ideas for after the funeral itself, and even on cremation ashes ideas for what to do with our remains. Hiring a celebrant can allow you to make sure that the ceremony being held for the person who has died truly reflects who they were, and helps those who attend to bid farewell to them properly. A customised and well-officiated funeral ceremony can last a lifetime in the memory, helping us to remember a loved one in that moment and forever thereafter on exactly the terms they would have wanted.
Consider the level of customisation that you will require and the level of experience you’d like your celebrant to have in order to meet your request. By balancing your needs against your budget, you can make an informed choice about which celebrant to select. You may also wish to interview several candidates to get a sense of how well they would work with you. Certain celebrants will prefer different kinds of ceremony (profound / musical / comical / formal), so bear that in mind too.
While cost is an important consideration, many families find that a skilled celebrant helps create a deeply meaningful and memorable service. When balanced thoughtfully within the overall funeral budget, the celebrant’s role can bring structure, reassurance, and personal warmth to the ceremony without overwhelming finances.
Aura is here to help support you during the sometimes challenging and disorientating times of loss and planning. Whether you’re looking to purchase a prepaid plan or need to begin arranging a funeral now, we’re only a phone call away.
Our people-centred, compassionate approach is what makes us truly unique. Paul Jameson founded Aura after his own personal experience confronting mortality following his motor-neurone-disease diagnosis. Understanding the challenges people face, he created Aura with genuine care and compassion at its root. We deliver quality service, as this is exactly what he would want for his own families.
Aura partners with the Association of Independent Celebrants (AOIC) – a national trade organisation for celebrants practising across the UK. They provide a support network for newly trained celebrants, as well as professional resources to help their members deliver the best possible services. We work with them in order to connect you with the best and highest quality celebrants in your area, most appropriate for your preferences.
A funeral celebrant is a non-religious (or sometimes semi-religious) professional who leads and personalises funeral ceremonies. Unlike a religious officiant, a celebrant can help craft a bespoke service that reflects the unique personality, values, and life story of the person who has died.
A funeral celebrant officiates and leads the funeral ceremony. They work closely with the family to design a personalised service that reflects the character, values, and life of the person who has died.
This can include:
Helping to select music, readings, and poems
Writing or delivering a customised eulogy
Incorporating personal anecdotes and meaningful stories
Structuring the order of service
Officiating on the day and guiding attendees through the ceremony
In the UK, celebrants typically charge between £180 and £300, depending on:
Level of personalisation required
Location and travel distance
Experience and availability
Yes. Celebrant costs may be higher in cities like London and lower in more rural areas. Travel costs, local demand, and cost of living can influence the price.
Religious officiants (e.g. vicars or imams): Fees are often fixed (~£169) or included in the church’s services.
Celebrants: Offer greater flexibility and personalisation.
Humanist officiants: Focus exclusively on non-religious services, similar in price to celebrants.
The cost may increase if the celebrant:
Writes a fully customised eulogy
Helps source unique music, readings, or themes
Travels long distances
Spends extra time preparing or meeting with family
Determine your budget and ceremony style
Compare celebrants using ratings, experience, and Trustpilot reviews
Ask about their approach (e.g. warm, spiritual, humorous, formal)
Interview more than one if possible
Yes. If you’re eligible, you may be able to use the:
Funeral Expenses Payment
Bereavement Support Payment
to help cover costs (including celebrant fees).
You can also consider crowdfunding platforms like JustGiving or GoFundMe.
For many, yes. A celebrant helps create a memorable, personal, and comforting service. The right celebrant can capture the personality of the person who has died and make the ceremony truly meaningful.
In the UK, there is no legal restriction on who can conduct a funeral. This means that, technically, anyone can act as a funeral celebrant — including a family member or friend.
However, professional funeral celebrants are usually trained, self-employed officiants who specialise in designing and leading personalised funeral ceremonies. Many belong to professional bodies, such as the Association of Independent Celebrants (AOIC), which provide training and ongoing support.
Ultimately, the right choice depends on the tone you want to set and how much experience and guidance you would like for the ceremony.