Deathcare in your community: what’s the difference between a Funeral Celebrant and Funeral Director?

They’re often confused (or combined if you’re someone like me who does both) but there are important differences to note…

Funeral Director and Funeral Celebrant are two very important, but very different roles. Your Funeral Director organises everything before and after a funeral, whereas your funeral celebrant organises what happens and what is said during a funeral. 

When someone dies, your first point of contact will often be your funeral director (*cough* me). Because I am supported by Picaluna, I can provide everything a funeral home provides – transfer of the deceased, mortuary care, all required paperwork – everything. Better still, I can provide it from the comfort of your home. 

But how does a funeral celebrant differ from a funeral director? Someone made the analogy that on the day of the ceremony the celebrant is the actor in the scene and the funeral director is… well, the director. I think this is a good way to think about it, and in addition remembering that the funeral director is also the producer that made the day possible. 

Photo by Aimee Catt

So to be REALLY clear, what are their roles and what should you expect?

A Funeral Director:

• Transfers the deceased from their place of death to the mortuary 

• Organises mortuary preparation 

• Supplies all legal paperwork 

• Books the venue and all vendors for the funeral - celebrant, florist, videography or livestream

• Organises the design and printing of order of service booklets 

• Orders the coffin 

• Organises cremation or burial and completes all required paperwork 

• May book the venue for the wake and catering 

• Provides opportunities for the family to personalise the funeral e.g. decorate the coffin ahead of time 

• Applies for the death certificate with Births, Deaths, and Marriages (this happens after the funeral takes place) 

• If cremated, collects ashes and returns to the family 

A Funeral Celebrant:

• Creates the ceremony from start to finish 

• Helps select the music 

• Creates meaningful rituals e.g a flower tribute or writing on the coffin 

• Writes the eulogy (if family requires them to) 

• Supports the family on the day of the ceremony

When Do They Work Together?

Your Funeral Director and Celebrant will work together to:

• Confirm time and place of the ceremony. This is often decided between the family and funeral director, but the celebrant may have suggestions 

• Create an order of service or other print-out for the funeral. Your celebrant will help you decide on each of the events within the ceremony, then the funeral director will commonly organise the design and print of this booklet.  

Do you work with other funeral homes?

Yes. I write and perform funeral ceremonies alongside any funeral director/funeral home. So if your family engages a funeral home such as K.M Smith or Bare Cremations, you will be assigned a funeral director. They would offer you a celebrant from their list of trusted vendors, or ask if you know one you would like to engage (that’s there I can also come in).

Which one does Jordan do?

I do both. Anyone can act as a celebrant for a funeral (yes, even you) and I am supported by Picaluna Funerals to work as a funeral director. Training with Picaluna has educated and empowered me to provide accessible, approachable death care in my community and beyond. This means I can be your first point of contact, and your only point of contact if you choose to engage me as your celebrant also.

If you’re interested to learn more about my work with Picaluna you can download the below PDF or reach out anytime!

Photo by Picaluna, pictured with Christine White (Northern Rivers & SEQ) and Megan Murphy (Toowoomba)