Calm. Compassionate. Understanding.
Capturing the essence of the life lived and getting the ceremony right.
As a celebrant, I help you to create the ceremony you want, expressing your values and beliefs, sharing life stories and creating the right atmosphere. I am a celebrant who includes everyone, judges no one and has a positive outlook on life and death.
Soon after, I was asked to do a funeral of a partner of a friend which made me realise I was ready to train as a funeral celebrant with Humanists UK.
A funeral or celebration of life is to mark the life they lived, to remember and say goodbye. We come together with friends and families to share stories and our feelings of loss and love. A humanist funeral is an open book – there are many ways to say goodbye to the person who has died. Grandchildren throwing sweets onto the coffin, decorating a room with a lady's killer heels, reading out the thank - yous written by the guests for the woman who was a great listener, shouting "f*ck cancer!" or a moment of silence to listen to birdsong for a nature lover.
What makes a funeral ceremony feel absolutely right, is how you do this, what stories you tell and how you reflect on the life that has been lived.
A few years ago, I went to a humanist celebration of life of a young woman. It was very powerful. I was struck by of how the celebrant talked about her life and her death and held the space, so that the family and friends could express their thoughts in full. There was tremendous sadness and moments of joy. There was a sense that her life, though short, was a complete one and had been full. Her life was completely honoured.
I am a good listener, and can draw out the important things, because I love hearing people's stories. This gets to the essence of the person and gives me the material to write their life story and a tailored ceremony. On the day, I hold the space, I lead the ceremony and I am there for you and your family to celebrate and mourn.
