Tips For Choosing Someone To Conduct A Funeral Service

When a loved one passes away, the details of planning a funeral service may seem surreal in some ways. You may not have imagined yourself in such a position only days or hours ago. However, if you find yourself needing to choose an officiant to conduct the funeral, here are some practical tips to consider as you make this decision.

Tip #1: Look at Leaders in the Church Your Lost Loved One Attended

If you are having the funeral service at a church, the leaders there will likely conduct the funeral. Otherwise, look within the church, temple, or other religious place where your loved one worshiped to see if there are clergy who would be the best fit to conduct the funeral. Otherwise, you may hire a leader in the same religion as your loved one even if there is no other personal connection.

Tip #2: Consider What the Funeral Conductor Will Do

Before further considering who should conduct the funeral, think long and hard about what the responsibilities of a funeral officiant are. A funeral conductor must be willing and able to:

• Eulogize the deceased person.
• Lead the service, including introducing other speakers.
• Leading prayers throughout the service, if desired.
• Invite mourners to other events that are held in memory of the deceased person.
• Lead the overall service.
• Provide comforting words to mourners at the funeral.

You can customize the funeral officiant's job to match the needs of the memorial service. Not every funeral has prayers as part of the service. It's entirely up to you.

Tip #3: Contemplate Whether You Want to Do It

Sometimes a mourner who was closest to the deceased person chooses to be the funeral officiant. If you would like to do so, consider whether you will be emotionally able to handle that level of responsibility on a tough day. By choosing to be the celebrant, you will be placing yourself in a leadership position, but you may prefer to be comforted on the day of the funeral instead of having to do the comforting because of your role as officiant.

Finally, keep in mind that any decision you make will be okay. In fact, you may find that making the decision isn't as trying when you take a step back and assess the situation logically. Simply make the best choice you can from the information you have about what your loved one would have wanted. From there, trust yourself and focus on remember the life of your loved one at the funeral. You can also check with a few local funeral homes for more information.