Hi, I'm Fiona

Image of Fiona Loader

I'm Fiona, an experienced and accredited celebrant for funerals, memorials and celebrations of life, so you and your ceremony would be be safe in my hands.

I love to travel, walk with my partner and dog, am a keen gardener, sea swimmer and enjoy all sorts of music, theatre and gatherings with friends.

What can you expect from a Humanist ceremony?

It’s a personal, unique celebration of someone’s life; a tribute to the life they led and a chance to remember the people and events that were important to them and you.

There won’t be an act of worship but there can be music, poetry and readings.  If you need any help choosing, I’d be happy to assist. The ceremony is inclusive of those with a religious faith too with space included for quiet contemplation.

Best of all will be the stories and memories. You or other family or friends may wish to speak or I can prepare and read a tribute on your behalf. It’s great when we have live music or singing too!

You’ll find a humanist ceremony rewarding and satisfying. It can be celebratory, with humour or a solemn commemoration, but above all, it will hold the person who’s died at the heart of the ceremony, reflecting their and your wishes.

After the ceremony you will receive a presentation copy of the tributes, poems and readings we’ve used.

Pre-planning a ceremony 

I can work with you to plan a ceremony in advance of your death or the death of someone close to you so that your wishes can be shared, recorded and honoured.

Following the death of your family member or friend  

Together we can create a personal ceremony based on your loved one's life experiences and relationships, interests, personality and quirks!

I know how vital it is to say goodbye in your own way. I am here to help. I have experience of working with people dying in a wide range of circumstances and can help you through that period of loss as we prepare to honour a life.

How it works 

I am happy to meet up with family or friends either directly or we can Skype, Zoom or email people who don’t live nearby.

 The funeral setting is up to you and I have led cremations, and burials in cemeteries, woodlands and people's own gardens.

Celebrations of life and memorials

If you choose to have a funeral or cremation separately, we can work together on holding a celebration of a person's life, often in a more informal setting.

There can still be music, poems and stories but the format can be more imaginative and you might find it easier to contribute directly.

Good morning Fiona, 

Hope you are well.

On behalf of our entire family, I want to extend our deepest and most heartfelt thanks for the incredible ceremony you led for Kevin's celebration of life.

From the moment we first spoke, you showed such warmth, compassion, and understanding. You took the time to truly learn about Kevin – not just the facts, but the essence of the man he was: his quirks, his humour, his love of a smoke, and his deep role in our lives as a son, brother, uncle, and friend. You listened so attentively to our stories, and then somehow managed to craft a ceremony that reflected him with astonishing clarity and tenderness.

Your words struck a perfect balance of dignity, authenticity, and lightness – it was exactly the kind of send-off Kevin would have wanted. Many of our friends and relatives told us afterwards that it was one of the most touching and personal services they had ever attended. You gave us space to laugh, cry, reflect, and remember him honestly and beautifully.

Losing Kevin so suddenly at 68 left a huge hole in our hearts, but your presence and guidance helped carry us through a very painful time. You didn’t just conduct a ceremony – you gave us comfort, helped us say goodbye, and created a moment that we will carry with us forever.

Thank you for doing what you do – and for doing it with such grace. We will always be grateful for how you honoured Kevin’s life and helped us celebrate it in such a meaningful way.

— Paul

We were most impressed with your presentation and several people mentioned how you felt to be part of the family . 

Thank you so much .

— Alan

Thank you so much for your valued contribution. You helped to make it everything I wanted it to be. Nothing could have been improvred.

— Paul

We all felt a deep sense of peace after the burial, due in large part to your sensitive and warm management of the service

— Ann

“Thank you for all your support and help today. Your words were lovely and summed Dad up very well. Even though you never met him, you managed to capture .. his personality.”

“Thank you for all your help and support over the past couple of weeks and especially at mum’s very personal funeral. I can’t believe you even made us laugh! It was a very real picture of her life, interests and oddities.”

“I have received many comments, all complimentary, of the warmth and fun you verbally portrayed in my husband’s life.”

“We all felt that the funeral was very fitting and what our mum would have wanted. You were exactly in tune with us and gave a sensitivity and understanding to the day that everyone remarked on.”

“Fiona was instrumental in making our dad’s funeral exactly the celebration we wanted. Her warm, calm, friendly and experienced approach enabled all of us to work together to create something really special. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending her as a celebrant”. Andy.

I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for guiding us through the preparations and the beautiful service yesterday. Everyone who saw it on the video-link felt very included and commented on how brilliant it was. You helped us through one of the hardest things we have ever had to do in a loving and gentle way. You really were the perfect choice.

Thank you so much for Dad’s ceremony. You have done a wonderful job capturing the essence of him.

Thank you so much for all you did to organise the service. Everything went very smoothly which was due to all the preparation you put in beforehand. It was a fitting tribute to my husband.

How beautifully you presented our ceremony yesterday. Friends and family said they had never been as touched by such a deep, meaningful ceremony but also celebrated with such a ‘light touch’. We couldn’t have had a better person to lead it for us.

That was such a superb ceremony you conducted yesterday. Thank you for every thought, word, settling us and creating an atmosphere of celebration and recognition. Even in sadness, I enjoyed it all and was able not to be worried how it would all go. Thank you for your skilled work and personal input.

—

I just wanted to say thankyou for the sevice for Mum yesterday, it was just right and delivered wonderfully.

Best Regards

M 🌼

— M G

Image of Fiona Loader

Fiona Loader

Where I work

I conduct funerals and memorials in Ipswich, East Suffolk, Woodbridge, Framlingham, Stowmarket, Felixstowe, Hadleigh, North, West and South Suffolk, Colchester, North and mid- Essex. I often lead ceremonies at the green burial sites of Oakfield Wood, Wrabness, Greenwood Burials, Saxmundham and Culford Wood, Bury St Edmunds plus Seven Hills, Ipswich, Colchester, Weeley and West Suffolk crematoria. Happy to discuss travelling further.

Fees from...

£240-300 for single and double slot funerals and cremations followed by interment of ashes. No charges for babies and children.

How to contact me
Email

fionaloadercelebrant@gmail.com

Phone

07903 522296

Website

humanist.org.uk/fionaloader

HUMANIST CEREMONIES™ is the network of more than 550 celebrants, trained by national charity Humanists UK to a gold standard to provide memorable and meaningful humanist ceremonies to non-religious people. Operating throughout England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, we deliver authentic, tailor-made and heartfelt ceremonies for life’s key moments. They are always inclusive and welcoming, regardless of the beliefs of those attending.

You can trust Humanist Ceremonies celebrants: We are DBS-checked, fully insured, and regularly peer reviewed for quality assurance. We are committed to a code of conduct, and have a transparent and robust complaints process in the rare case of a problem. We all pay a monthly fee to Humanists UK to further support the work of the charity, and are part of a regional network for like-minded celebrants for support and learning.

Humanist funerals

Humanist funerals, memorials and ash ceremonies are a fitting way to honour a unique life with warmth, sensitivity and meaning, but without reference to religion or an afterlife. They put the story of the person who has died at the heart of the ceremony, paying tribute to them and the legacy they leave, and provide an opportunity to bring people together, not just to share sadness but to celebrate a life lived.