Beautiful and heartfelt ceremonies to celebrate your loved one's life.
...a meaningful tribute to their journey through life.
When a loved one dies there are, inevitably, decisions to be taken about the funeral arrangements, perhaps most importantly, what kind of funeral do you actually want? Not everyone wishes to have the same kind of funeral, because not all families are the same. As your funeral celebrant I will help you to create a ceremony that reflects your loved one's beliefs about life and death. One that pays a fitting, dignified and meaningful tribute to their journey through life. Readings, poems, hymns, prayers and music are all welcome, therefore making the service unique and personal - a celebration of life. The choice is yours.
A celebration of life
Funeral ceremonies can be traced back to the beginning of mankind, with every society having some form of observance for the dead. Many of these rituals have a religious context and vary greatly from region to region and from one culture to another. A funeral ceremony or celebration of life, is a vital part of the grieving process. It allows family and friends to sensitively acknowledge their deep sense of sadness and loss of a loved one at a very difficult time. It allows them to remember, pay respect to and commemorate a life that was important.
My Package
You may wish to include religious elements of a particular faith; symbolism, hymns, prayers and music are all ways to make the service more personal. Alternatively, you may prefer to have no religious content at all.
An Independent Celebrant-led funeral is not driven by the beliefs and ideologies of the person conducting the service. I will encourage and welcome family and friends to participate in the service, by giving their own tributes if they wish. I will be happy to assist in selecting music, poetry or readings, in order for you to say your own personal farewell in a way that has meaning and significance to you and your loved one. There is no right or wrong way to hold a funeral service, the choice is yours.
“What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply, becomes part of us.” Helen Keller
How does a funeral celebrant work?
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You may contact me directly if you would like me to be your celebrant or I am appointed by your chosen Funeral Director.
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I will call you to arrange a meeting where we will discuss the plan for the service. If appropriate, it can be helpful to involve other close family members or friends in the planning. We will talk about the structure of the service, the music, hymns, poems and readings and who would like to contribute. We will decide on the contents for the Order of Service sheets, if required. You can provide these yourselves or order them from the Funeral Directors. I will ask you for details for the Eulogy (your loved one’s life story). Although it may feel you will not be able to remember everything at such a difficult time, with careful questioning I will help you to recall and talk about precious moments, proud achievements, interesting hobbies and pastimes. I will ask you to describe their character, their influence, what they will be remembered and missed for. A lot of families find this to be a very cathartic experience. You might want to write and deliver the Eulogy yourself or I can do this on your behalf.
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I will liaise closely with the Funeral Director and/or the venue to ensure everyone is aware of the arrangements for the service.
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Once I have completed the draft service, I will share it with you for checking. It is important that the information is accurate and feels right for you and your loved one. On the day, I will arrive at the venue early to make sure everything is in place, meet you when you and your guests arrive, lead you through the service and leave you with a commemorative copy of the ceremony.