Celebrate in Lincolnshire Celebrate in Lincolnshire, civil wedding ceremony | Page 38

FUNERAL & MEMORIAL CEREMONIES CIVIL FUNERAL CEREMONY, WOODLAND BURIAL, INTERMENT & PRE-PLANNED ‘SCRIPT ONLY’ FUNERAL SERVICE A civil funeral ceremony celebrates the life of the deceased and can reflect their beliefs and values, the way they lived and the legacy they left behind. Your choice could be influenced by religious and cultural traditions, cost or personal preferences or by the expressed wishes of the deceased. A civil funeral can be held almost anywhere, except in churches or religious buildings, and is appropriate for a cremation or burial at any non-religious burial ground. The ceremony is both a dignified tribute and highly personal memoir created by a celebrant in consultation with the family or executor for this final act of love and respect. It is created using a comprehensive framework that allows you the freedom to make a range of choices regarding the content and style for the ceremony. Family members and friends may wish to recite a reading or add their own words of tribute. A hymn, prayer and a moment’s reflective silence can also be included if you wish. A woodland or ‘green’ burial offers a ‘return to nature’ for those who wish to be buried among trees, birds and wild flowers. It is a way of introducing a greater choice for the bereaved. Green burials are where non-embalmed bodies in a simple woollen or cotton shroud are buried in a coffin made from non-rainforest wood. Biodegradable materials such as wicker, bamboo and cardboard are used. 37 Graves can be marked by planting a small tree, wild flowers or a bird box can be hung. The ceremony is created by our celebrant in consultation with the family. An interment ceremony is a short formal occasion, usually following a cremation. In many cases ashes are interred in a place that holds special significance or happy memories for the deceased and their family. The ceremony is created by our celebrant in consultation with the family. A pre-planned ‘script only’ funeral service will assist you with preparation of the text/wording for your own funeral ceremony. Before we die, many of us like to have everything organised for the loved ones who are left behind. How many of us consider the content of our funeral ceremony? Preparing a eulogy can be complicated, as there is often no-one left after we die who can recall our early life, so our professional celebrant will meet with you to discuss and prepare a detailed tribute that will capture your life, personality, achievements and the legacy you will leave behind. Readings, poems, music, hymns, prayers or moments of reflective silence can also be included if you wish. For further details or if you would like to book a ceremony, please telephone the Customer Service Centre on 01522 782244. Email: [email protected] www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/registrars