Welcome to my Humanists UK profile. My name is Alex and I trained as a funeral celebrant in 2019, as a wedding celebrant in 2020, and in 2022 as a naming celebrant. Previously, my background was in community work, especially the area of food poverty and food justice.
I guess I've always been a humanist, but only really started to put a name to what I believe after attending my sister's wedding. Then, in 2011, our father died suddenly and we found ourselves faced with the task of arranging a farewell for him. What I loved most about the humanist service we went for was how personal it was. How much it was about him and the wonderful dad and friend he was. And, as we stood on that Welsh hillside, the Rolling Stones blasting out across the field... it just felt right. Now, my passion is about helping others have the same experience that we had.
Whenever I work with a family, I try and think back to how I felt at that awful, difficult time and treat people with the same compassion that my sisters and I needed then. My job as a celebrant is to help families work their way through the jumble of ideas and help them design the ceremony that works for them. Most of all, my job as a celebrant is to listen.
A friend asked me recently what made me want to become a celebrant. It’s very simple really – I love to tell stories. Being able to sit with someone’s family and friends, to hear all about the life they’ve lived, about how two people met and fell in love, or about their hopes for the future of their family – it is such a huge privilege. I learn something from every story I tell, and each ceremony is different. I've conducted funerals for people aged 0 to 101, people who've supported Spurs... and others who've supported their arch-rivals, Arsenal. I've talked about people from all walks of life - from Tommy Cooper impersonators and dinner ladies to oil rig workers and toolmakers. Every life has a story to tell.
Five Star Reviews
”When I lost my beautiful son, I knew that I wanted his funeral to be a joyful celebration of life. Alex gave us the perfect ceremony that remembered our son as the personality that we all knew and loved. Nothing was missed out. She made us laugh and cry. Days afterwards people remarked to me that they had dreaded the funeral but it had been so uplifting that they were glad they had come. Alex made what could have been a sad day wonderful and memorable.” ~ from W’s mum
