Hi, I'm Tamiko

Image of Tamiko O'Brien

I’m an accredited Humanists UK celebrant, and I lead non-religious funerals in cemeteries and crematoria throughout London. I also conduct celebrations of life, memorial services, and ash-scattering ceremonies, sometimes in less conventional settings. You can read about my experience of leading memorial ceremonies following a direct cremation here

Supporting families to create a fitting and meaningful farewell is one of the greatest privileges of my work. I am committed to crafting a ceremony that truly reflects and celebrates the unique personality, values, and life story of your loved one, with a tone that is warm, inclusive, and authentic. Please click here to read more about how I work.

Thirty years working in higher education and the arts provided me with many of the skills and insights that I now bring to the role of celebrant. Over the years I organised countless events and enjoyed writing, presenting talks, and speaking in public. However, the qualities I have come to value most highly are those that are often overlooked: listening carefully, being fully present, and creating space for people to tell their stories. Please click here to read about my background.

Please feel free to contact me directly with any enquiries. More information is available at https://humanist.org.uk/tamikoobrien/

“This was a wonderful experience for us. Thank you, Tamiko. We feel so lucky to have had you as our celebrant and would wholeheartedly recommend you to anyone.. We also had so much positive feedback from guests. ‘Where did you find your celebrant? She was perfect.” I have run out of superlatives – it was utterly flawless!” G.S

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“Thank you so much for making A’s funeral service everything we hoped it would be. You are a credit to your profession. The script was superb and more importantly, everyone who was there agreed that it was “Just A. Just right”.” M.P

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“Tamiko was everything you could wish for in a celebrant — compassionate, careful, and creative. She guided us through the process with such care, sensibility, and kindness. We couldn’t recommend her more highly.”  I.W and L.L

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‘ …the ceremony you created was so full of warmth. You pulled together the whole messy, lovely and peculiar stuff that was S and told her story with such grace… we knew we would be too choked to speak on the day, so your suggestion of the candle lighting was a beautiful way we could contribute, which meant a great deal to us. We are so relieved and so grateful.‘ J.P

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"Thank you so, so, much for all of your help and support. I can't tell you how grateful I am that you were our celebrant. It was a little miracle finding you. You were just perfect! We wanted to honour C's life and it did just that..  Many of those present had never been to that type of celebration of life before, and they were bowled over by it. It meant so much to us" C.W and R.W

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“we wanted to say how much we appreciated your organisation and sensitive delivery of T’s memorial… I think everyone present felt the warmth and sense of community that you managed to convey as well as the admirable summary of T’s life and work.” MB and MTB“

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“You listened and interpreted so well achieving a balanced and accurate picture of O’s life. The script reflected the atmosphere we were after – genuine, warm, with thoughtful reflection as well as some humour and lightness. Your presentation on the day was just what we hoped for and we had so many positive responses…” O.L

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Image of Tamiko O'Brien

Tamiko O'Brien

Where I work

I work across London and Greater London but can also lead ceremonies outside London where circumstances allow.

Fees from...

My standard fee for a 30-minute funeral is 280, which includes meetings, script writing, ongoing communications, delivery on the day, and a presentation copy of the final script. Discounts are available for NHS workers, carers, and full-time students.

How to contact me
Email

tamiko.obrien@humanistceremonies.org.uk

Phone

07791 173607

Website

humanist.org.uk/tamikoobrien

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.