Hi, I'm Kate

Image of Kate Domaille

A funeral celebrant for more than 10 years I have conducted a vast range of funerals for the relatives of elderly people who might have reached the end of their natural life to complex cases including early deaths, suicides and accidental deaths. I am experienced in supporting those going through grief and shock. My approach is to work closely with the bereaved to help build a ceremony that truly reflects the feelings of those left behind. I am able to advise on music and readings but often families have very good ideas of their own. I also work to help give confidence to those who say they wish to say a few words but can't quite find those words.

I have worked in education all my adult life - firstly as a secondary English teacher and so have a broad range of knowledge about literature as well as being confident in speaking and writing. In the past 20 years I have worked as a lecturer in film studies to visiting overseas students. I have a vast amount of experience of working with people from different backgrounds and of working with families who've fallen out! I approach every funeral with an open mind and have been commended on my sensitive listening skills and ability to bring together divergent views in a coherent way.

I wish to write this testimonial on behalf of myself and my brother John. Sadly, on the 8th July, our beloved mum passed away. This had been a particularly traumatic time although it was expected. We really felt lost and weren’t sure what to do next. We contacted Hinton Woodland Burial Park and they kindly put us in touch with Kate. We were blown away by how caring and understanding she was, explaining what to expect and the different options on how she could help us to carry out the service bespoke to us. We explained we needed help to draft a speech for the funeral. With this in mind Kate took some details and kindly wrote a eulogy on our behalf. In order to draft the speech, we spoke to Kate about our mum, her family background, hobbies and interests. From this she produced an outline of a speech that both myself and brother were happy with. Kate was truly a lifeline in very uncharted waters. Due to living over 2 hours away this was all done via meetings over the internet. This didn’t hinder the personal touch at all and in fact many of the congregation after the ceremony thought Kate was actually a friend of mums. Her delivery was so moving, sensitive, respectful and with an element of humour (which John and I had requested). We wish to thank you for all that you did that day and the days running up to it. When you are facing such turmoil, everyone needs a Kate in their life to hold their hand and walk them through the difficult time of writing a eulogy for a beloved family member. Mum would have loved your speech and we will be forever grateful we got to meet you, so we wanted to leave a review to reflect that. Thank you Kate.

— Lynn

Image of Kate Domaille

Kate Domaille

Where I work

I work in and around Southampton, Hampshire and Dorset

Fees from...

£285:00-£350:00 depending on the complexity of the funeral

How to contact me
Email

kate.domaille@humanistceremonies.org.uk

Phone

07792 821550

Website

humanist.org.uk/katedomaille

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.