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Written by Adam McIlroy.
16 minute read
A non-religious funeral can be conducted by a humanist celebrant, an independent or civil celebrant, or even a family member or friend. Who you choose depends on the kind of service you want, including whether you would prefer a fully non-religious ceremony or one that allows some spiritual or religious elements.
With modern alternatives to traditional funerals becoming more common across the UK, you may have questions about how non-religious funerals work and who can lead the service. In this article, we’ll explain the different options and help you understand which might feel right for you and your family.
Key takeaways:
A non-religious funeral can be led by a humanist celebrant, an independent or civil celebrant, or a family member or friend. Each offers a different approach, depending on how personal you would like the service to be and whether you want to include any religious or spiritual elements.
There is no requirement to have a religious leader conduct a funeral, so you can choose someone who feels right for the person who has died and your family.
Here’s how the different types of non-religious funeral officiant compare:
| Type of officiant | Who they are | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Humanist celebrant | A trained celebrant who leads personalised, non-religious ceremonies | £180-£300* |
| Independent or civil celebrant | A professional who creates and leads personalised funeral services | £180-£300* |
| Family member or friend | Someone close to the person who has died who leads the ceremony | Usually no officiant fee |
*Figures taken from Humanist UK
A humanist celebrant leads a funeral that focuses on the life, personality and memories of the person who has died, without including religious worship.
They work closely with family and friends to create a personal ceremony, which might include music, readings, memories and tributes. Humanist funerals are particularly suited to people who did not follow a religion or who wanted a fully non-religious farewell.
An independent or civil celebrant offers more flexibility when it comes to the content of a funeral service. Like a humanist celebrant, they can help families create a ceremony centred around the person who has died.
However, independent and civil celebrants may also include religious or spiritual elements, such as a prayer, hymn or reading, if the family wishes. This can be a comforting option for families with different beliefs who want to come together for a personal farewell without following a traditional religious service.
You don’t have to hire a professional celebrant to lead a non-religious funeral. A family member or close friend can also conduct a funeral, giving the ceremony a particularly personal feel.
Someone who knew the person well may feel comfortable sharing memories, introducing music and readings, or inviting others to say a few words.
Leading a funeral can be an emotional responsibility, though, so it’s important that whoever takes on the role feels comfortable doing so. Family members can also share different parts of the ceremony rather than leaving everything to one person.
Ultimately, there is no single right way to hold a non-religious funeral. What matters most is choosing an approach that reflects the person who has died and feels meaningful to those remembering them.
The cost of a funeral celebrant in the UK is typically between £180 and £300. The exact price can vary depending on the celebrant’s experience, location and the type of ceremony you choose.
This fee usually covers meeting with the family, preparing a personalised ceremony and leading the funeral service. Some celebrants may charge extra for travel or additional arrangements, so it’s worth asking for a full quote beforehand.
Humanist celebrant fees are paid separately from Aura’s funeral plans, so you’ll need to factor this into your overall funeral costs if you choose to have a celebrant-led service.
A non-religious funeral usually follows a gentle and flexible structure, shaped around the person who has died and what feels meaningful to their family.
There is no fixed structure. The ceremony is designed around the person who has died, not a religious tradition. Your celebrant or family will work with you to create the right order and tone.
There aren’t any qualifications as such which a non-religious funeral officiant is required to have, but there are organisations out there which aim to guarantee quality among the ranks of secular celebrants and humanist officiants. Groups like the Association of Independent Celebrants (AOIC) is a professional body which acts as a focal point for independent, self-employed celebrants. It gives them a place to position themselves in a certain way, by sharing their personalities, beliefs and interests, therefore allowing families who are looking for the services of such a celebrant to find one that works for them.
The AOIC aims to hold its members to a high standard of ethics and conduct, as well as offering training courses to newer celebrants in order to help them get started. Aura works closely with the AOIC, and, if you are planning your own funeral, or that of someone else, and you would like to use the services of a celebrant, we can help to link you with the right one for you through the AOIC.
Training for funeral celebrants focuses on public speaking, as well as active listening. Ultimately, a good celebrant needs to be a good listener, and a good storyteller. They will work closely with you and your family to design a service that reflects who your lost loved one was in life. To do this effectively, they will need to have an instinct for detail, and the ability to get the best out of people.
Non-religious funerals have risen by 18% in recent years in the UK, according to the SunLife Cost of Dying Report. As more people explore these options, it is natural to wonder how they fit within traditional settings such as churches.
There are many different beliefs on death and funerals in religion, so it’s not possible to comment on what every faith would allow. However, the Church of England, in a statement about funeral choices, have said that religious funerals at their churches are “available to everyone”. This means that, even if you have never been a practising Christian, you will still be able to arrange a Christian funeral with the Church of England if you wish. It’s important to bear in mind that this level of flexibility will differ from faith to faith more broadly, and even from branch to branch of Christianity more specifically.
If you are not able to have a funeral in the religious facilities you’d like, there are a whole host of alternatives available to you. If you are not attached to religious architecture for your funeral, then, you can instead opt for a funeral which simply focuses on the funeral process, i.e., the practical matter of burying or cremating your remains.
Non-religious funerals can take place in many different settings, depending on what feels right:
Once this has been seen to, your family can arrange a celebration of life that can be held in any location that meant something to you: a football stadium, a cherished national park, by a favourite river, or even at a favourite venue, such as a pub or a restaurant. A funeral celebrant can be hired to officiate at such a ceremony, or your family can do it themselves.
There are many things to consider when hiring a celebrant, from cost, to personal fit, and whether or not an alternative might be better. When you are hiring a celebrant, much as you would with a death doula, you might find it productive to interview a few candidates. This way, you can find out whether your personalities are a match for each other, and whether you have both understood the capabilities and needs of the other party.
Much as you would if you were comparing Aura funeral plans with other leading providers, it can be useful to do a bit of research on what options are out there. Compare different celebrants on price, customer satisfaction, training and length of experience. You may find it useful to start a funeral checklist in order to keep your reflections organised in one place.
As an alternative to hiring someone to conduct the funeral ceremony of a loved one, it may be possible to find someone within the family to officiate matters. This approach can make for a uniquely meaningful way of remembering a loved one, as there are few people better placed to share treasured anecdotes and to advise on how best to personalise proceedings than our nearest and dearest.
With that being said, knowing how to say goodbye whilst we are probably at the very height and freshness of our grief can be an incredibly challenging thing to do. One of the main reasons we tend to outsource the task of officiating the funeral of a loved one is that coping with our grief can be hard enough without having to make it so very public as it would be whilst we are trying to lead a ceremony about its cause. Of course, writing a eulogy and delivering it is a common part of a funeral ceremony, carried out by family members, but taking responsibility for all the logistics and the day as a whole is another thing altogether.
If selecting a member of the family to act as the celebrant, they will need to be well organised, confident and comfortable speaking in front of people, and all while potentially being emotionally vulnerable too.
If you’d like to personalise the funeral of a loved one, but aren’t sure where to begin, there are a few things you can do. The words at a ceremony might focus on the achievements and career development, for instance, of the person, or on their hobbies and passions. If you are unsure of what these were, then speak with other family members who might be able to help. In this way, you can avoid making decisions that you are unsure whether or not the person who has died would agree with.
We hope this article has helped you to understand more clearly who conducts a non-religious funeral, and other related matters. If you are planning your own funeral, and are beginning to think about how you’d like it to be, Aura can help you to get the ball rolling.
We are the top-rated national provider of ‘Cremation Services’ on Trustpilot, with a score of 4.9/5 stars, and we proudly offer our funeral services to those seeking a direct cremation in the immediate future for a loved one, for themselves in the future with one of our prepaid funeral plans.
If you’d like to talk things through or ask any questions, you can contact us at any time. You can also download our funeral plan brochure to explore how Aura could support you and your family.
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A non-religious funeral can be led by:
A funeral celebrant (humanist or civil)
A friend or family member
An end-of-life professional, such as a death doula
You don’t need a religious leader to officiate. The aim is to create a ceremony that reflects the personality, beliefs, and wishes of the person who has died.
A non-religious funeral can be described in a few different ways, depending on what it involves and who leads it.
A humanist funeral is led by a humanist celebrant and is fully secular, focusing on shared human values. A secular or civil funeral is similar, but may include gentle spiritual elements if that feels right. A celebration of life is a broader term for a service that focuses on the person’s life, memories, and personality rather than religious tradition.
These terms are often used in similar ways, with small differences between them. If you’re unsure which feels right, speaking with a celebrant or with Aura’s team can help you decide.
Humanist celebrants avoid any religious content. Their ceremonies are entirely secular.
Civil (or secular) celebrants can include spiritual or religious elements, such as hymns or readings, if requested by the family.
Both options are suitable for non-religious funerals—it depends on your preferences for tone, content, and flexibility.
The cost of a humanist funeral depends on two things: the celebrant’s fee and the cost of the funeral itself. Celebrant fees: A humanist celebrant may charge between £180-£300 for a single time slot at a crematorium. Longer, more complex ceremonies, ash ceremonies or memorial services may be more.
The funeral: Costs vary widely. A direct cremation with Aura starts from £1,295. An Intimate Attended Farewell, which includes a short chapel service for up to 15 people, starts from £2,295.
Yes. Many families now choose to have a close friend or family member lead the ceremony. This can feel especially personal and heartfelt, though it can also be emotionally demanding. If you’re considering this route, make sure the person is confident speaking publicly and is comfortable guiding the structure of the event.
No formal qualifications are legally required, but many celebrants belong to professional organisations like the Association of Independent Celebrants (AOIC). These groups offer:
Ethical standards
Training in public speaking and ceremony design
Listings to help families find celebrants that match their needs
Aura works closely with the AOIC to connect families with experienced, compassionate celebrants.
A celebrant can:
Meet with your family to learn about the person who has died
Help write a eulogy and select music or readings
Design a personalised ceremony
Officiate the funeral on the day
Their goal is to create a respectful and meaningful service that reflects the life and wishes of the person being remembered.
Usually, no. But there are exceptions:
Church of England churches sometimes allow funerals for people who weren’t practising Christians.
Other denominations and faiths vary.
If a religious building isn’t an option, you can hold the service at:
A crematorium chapel
A family home
A garden, pub, or park
Any meaningful venue, with or without an officiant
You can:
Interview celebrants to see who feels like the best fit
Look at their style, experience, and reviews
Ask for examples of ceremonies they’ve led
Check whether they belong to a professional body like the AOIC
A good celebrant will listen well, help you feel comfortable, and design a service that truly honours your loved one.
That’s absolutely fine. Many families:
Write and deliver the eulogy themselves
Share memories informally
Use music, poems, or silence to reflect the person’s life
It’s your choice. A non-religious funeral is about doing what feels meaningful and appropriate—there is no required format.
You can include:
Favourite music (modern or classical)
Personal readings, letters, or poems
A eulogy written by loved ones
Visual displays or photo slideshows
Rituals that have personal meaning
It’s about celebrating the life lived, not following a rigid structure.
Aura offers:
Direct cremation (unattended or attended)
Intimate Farewell services for small groups
Prepaid funeral plans that let you plan ahead on your own terms
Access to trusted celebrants through our partnership with the AOIC
We support you in creating a funeral that reflects your wishes—without pressure, and with complete transparency.