Funeral Celebrant in Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire
Making Remembrance Personal
I’m so sorry you’re here.
When someone dies, the people left behind are asked to make a great many decisions very quickly, and one of the most important is who will stand up and speak about the person you’ve lost.
My job is to make sure that whoever does the speaking, the words are true. Not a generic service with a name slotted in, but an hour that sounds like them, that makes people nod in recognition and probably laugh at least once. Dignity and celebration sit perfectly well together, and I’ll help your family hold both.
You Can Choose Your Own Celebrant
A lot of families don’t realise this. Your funeral director will usually suggest someone, and that person may well be excellent, but you are under no obligation to accept. You can ask for me by name, at any point, and your funeral director will arrange it.
If you’ve already booked and you’d rather work with someone else, it’s a straightforward conversation and it happens more often than you’d think.
What Happens When We Work Together
I’ll come to you, or we’ll talk by video call if that’s easier. Then I listen.
I’ll ask about the person you’ve lost, and I’ll keep asking, because the details that make a ceremony land are almost never the ones people think to volunteer first. The terrible jokes. The thing they always said. The job they hated and the garden they loved.
From there I write the ceremony, share the draft with you, and we shape it until it’s right. On the day I’ll arrive early, take charge of the running order and be the calm person in the room so your family can simply be there.
I’ll liaise with your funeral director throughout so you’re not carrying messages between people.
Belief, Faith and Everything In Between
I can include anything, and I can leave anything out.
A hymn and the Lord’s Prayer. A poem and nothing else. Two faiths in one family that need to sit side by side without either being watered down. My own beliefs are diverse, so nothing you ask for will surprise me and nothing will be judged.
Woodland and Natural Burials
This is where my heart is pulling me.
I’ve loved leading natural burials. It is relaxed, unhurried, held in a peaceful outdoor space, and the ceremony built in true collaboration with the family. Being honest with you, I’m still new to it and it’s a direction I’m actively growing into rather than something I’ve done a hundred times.
If a woodland or natural burial is what you want for someone, I’d be honoured to be part of it.
What a Ceremony Costs
£250
For a simple crematorium service or burial.
- Meeting with the family
- Liaising with your funeral director
- Writing the ceremony
- Leading the ceremony
- Supporting the family on the day
- Expenses up to 25 miles
A double slot at the crematorium is £300.
£450
For a complex or fully bespoke ceremony. Everything above, plus:
- Help choosing readings and music
- Working closely with the family to create and plan a truly personal experience
- Liaising with multiple people, for example musicians, readers and venue staff
- Advising on and organising special elements, such as scattering flowers, planting seeds or a personal faith based element
- Expenses up to 25 miles
What Families Have Said
Thank you really doesn’t express how grateful we are that you were the celebrant for Mary’s funeral. Your support, gentle guidance and understanding were much appreciated by all the family. The service was lovely and a beautiful tribute to Mary.
I recently attended a funeral in which Jane officiated. Jane delivered the service beautifully, and without fault. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her.
Questions Families Often Ask
How quickly can you take this on?
Get in touch as soon as you can and I’ll tell you honestly whether I’m free on the date. If I’m not, I’ll say so straight away rather than leave you waiting.
Can you read a tribute on our behalf?
Yes, always. Plenty of people want to write something but know they won’t get through it on the day. Write it, hand it to me, and I’ll deliver it as though it were mine.
Can family and friends take part?
Absolutely, and I’d encourage it. Readers, musicians, grandchildren with something small to say. I’ll rehearse with them and I’ll be standing right there if anyone falters.
What training do you have?
I’m accredited with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy for funeral celebrancy, and I bring thirty years of leading rooms, holding space and handling the unexpected from my corporate career.
I’m Here When You’re Ready
There’s no rush and no pressure. If you’d like to talk it through, or you just want to know whether I’m available, do get in touch.