Chicago Funeral Officiant.com
Chicago Funeral Celebrant.com
About
I'm Antonia Carey, your dedicated ally in honoring life's most meaningful passages. As a Chicago Funeral Celebrant, Certified Funeral Officiant and Non-Denominational Ordained Minister, I collaborate with families, funeral homes, and crematoria to create deeply personal ceremonies that truly reflect the spirit of your loved one. Whether it's a full memorial service, a simple graveside committal, or an on-location ash-scattering ceremony, I bring warmth, flexibility, and reverence to every moment.
With experience working on over 500 funeral livestreams across diverse faiths, languages, and traditions at some of the nation's most renowned cemeteries, I offer insight and sensitivity few can match. Together we'll craft a one-of-a-kind farewell -- free from constraint, rich with meaning and perfectly attuned to the life being remembered.
Our Services
Discover a range of compassionate funeral services designed to honor your loved ones. I offer personalized ceremonies, gravesite interments, ash scatterings, memorials, anniversary grave blessings, protective rituals and professional expertise in creating a ceremony as unique as your loved one.
Fully Customized Funeral Service
$600
A fully personalized 30-45 minute funeral service crafted with care from start to finish (including an additional gravesite interment service, at no additional cost).
This full-service offering provides complete support in creating and officiating a uniquely personal funeral. It includes;
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an initial 30 minute consultation and date reservation
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a one hour Zoom planning session with decision-making family/friends
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customized eulogy
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order of service
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suggested reading selections
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suggested musical selections
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suggested rituals (optional) ie unity candle lighting, etc.
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my travel within the designated service area
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my liasing with your funeral home
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unlimited communication throughout the process
Note: the full service price also includes an additional gravesite interment ceremony at no additional cost.
Personalized Gravesite Interment
$350
A meaningful 15-25 minute tribute and interment at the final resting place.
Sometimes a briefer service is more appropriate. The Peronalized Gravesite Interment service includes
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an initial 20 minute consultation and date reservation
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a shorter Zoom planning session with decision-making family/friends
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personalized mini eulogy
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order of service
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suggested reading selection
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suggested musical selection
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suggested ritual (optional)
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my travel within the designated service area
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my liasing with your funeral home or cemetery
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unlimited communication through the process
Gravesite Anniversary Service
$400
A meaningful 15-25 minute tribute, gravesite blessing/energy clearing at the final resting place.
Many families wish to celebrate and remember the life of their loved one on the anniversaries of their transition as an expression of their ongoing grief or as part of a healing ritual.
This Anniversary service allows for even greater creative expression and may include some of the following;
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a mini tribute
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the reading of letters to the deceased on the anniversary of their passing
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music, songs, prayers, poems, readings
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energy clearing/cleansing rituals
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protective prayers
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a flower ceremony
This service can be as unique as the loved one and is only limited by your imagination.
It All Starts With Your Call!
Simply call to schedule your Free Service Planning Introductory Discussion and begin planning with clarity and confidence!
During this no-obligation call, we’ll review your needs, answer your questions, confirm date availability (with a 24-hour courtesy hold if needed), and determine if we’re a good fit.
We’ll also gather basic information about your loved one and schedule the full family Zoom session where all details for the custom ceremony are thoughtfully created.
Call Now!
“Antonia has an extraordinary gift for creating memorial services that are both compassionate and deeply personal. Her eulogies are beautifully written -- emotional, respectful, and filled with admiration -- while her creative rituals bring mourners together in ways that highlight what made each life so special. From meaningful symbolic farewells to carefully chosen music and readings, every element feels relevant and heartfelt.”
Michael C.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Funeral Officiant/Funeral Celebrant?
A funeral officiant (or celebrant) is a trained and certified professional who serves families during their time of loss by creating and leading personalized funeral, memorial, or tribute ceremonies that reflect the life, personality, and beliefs of the deceased.
Why would someone choose an Officiant?
Families choose a funeral officiant or celebrant because they receive a fully personalized service that honors the unique life, beliefs, and story of their loved one -- without being limited to a single religious tradition. A celebrant focuses entirely on the family’s wishes, creating a meaningful, inclusive ceremony that truly reflects who the person was and what mattered most to them.
Are you Clergy or a Minister?
I am a Certified Life Celebrant, Funeral Officiant, and Wedding Officiant as well as a practicing ordained Non-Denominational Minister with over eight years of experience. This means I am fully authorized to perform legal ceremonies while also being professionally trained to create personalized, compassionate services that honor individuals and families of all faith -- or no faith at all.
How would you create a custom service for my loved one?
We begin with a Zoom meeting with the decision-making family members, where we talk about your loved one’s life, personality, and what made them unique -- an important first step in both planning the service and supporting the grieving process. After coordinating with the family and funeral home/crematorium, I design a fully personalized ceremony and provide thoughtfully curated options for readings, prayers, poems, and music -- religious or non-religious -- to honor your loved one in a heartfelt and authentic way.
Who should attend the family zoom conference?
The family Zoom conference should include key family members/close friends who are responsible for making decisions about the funeral and interment service. Their input helps ensure the ceremony truly reflects your loved one's life, values, and the wishes of those closest to them.