Feedback
Here is just a sample of some of the feedback I have received recently. The comments come via the Humanists UK website feedback form and are used with the permission of those who have left them. Naturally, they are anonymised:
“at such a difficult time Dave was brilliant from start to finish…”
Anon, May 2023, South Ealing Cemetery
Rating 5 out of 5
“I just wanted to express our heartfelt thank you to Dave for making such a difficult day that much easier. It was a fantastic send off and you expressed our words and thoughts perfectly, it felt like you knew him!”
Anon, May 2023, Breakspear Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was extremely accommodating, professional at all times, respectful, has a fantastic character and calm presence. We felt truly taken care of at a highly emotional time. His guidance and flexibility enabled us to create a very special service in honour of our mother. Just brilliant.”
Anon, February 2024, West London Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was amazing. For a short time he got to know *****’s personality and presented it so well. Some of the guests commented on how well he led the service”
Anon, February 2024, West London Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was such an approachable, friendly and professional gentleman, who really helped us arrange a beautiful service . An error /glitch on the day meant that the slideshow I had prepared could not be uploaded-but Dave tried his very best to sort this out and then used his own tablet to hold up and try to show them on – and calmly carried on and incorporated a last minute request to say a few words from one of the mourners without an issue. We were very happy and would highly recommend him”
Anon, February 2024, West London Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was extremely open and sensitive to the needs of the family and conducted the service beautifully. We are all extremely grateful.”
Anon, February 2024, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“The minute my sister-in-law and I met Dave we knew that he was perfect for Richard’s Ceremony. He was always considerate, understanding, and approachable. So many of the guests mentioned him and found it hard to believe that he had never met Richard, because of the way he talked about him. Dave is a wonderful Celebrant.”
Anon, January, 2024, Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park
Rating 5 out of 5
“It was a pleasure to work with Dave from start to finish on the service for my late father. He is such a lovely and professional man. He made us all feel at ease at the most difficult time of our lives and delivered our words perfectly at the funeral. The day went so smoothly all thanks to Dave”
Anon, December 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave did the best celebration of my husband. He listened and learned from us and I trusted his guidance during this incredibly difficult time. Would recommend him highly.”
Anon, December 2023, Breakspear Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was absolutely bloody brilliant. Amazing, really just the best. I cannot recommend him enough.”
Anon, December 2023, Breakspear Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“The ceremony for my mother was absolutely perfect in every way. It was exactly what I was hoping for and more. Dave listened, guided and responded at every step of the way with a calm and reassuring manner. He was beyond magnificent and many people told me afterwards that it was the best and most meaningful funeral they had ever been to.”
Anon, December 2023, Putney Vale Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to conduct my mum’s funeral. Dave was warm kind and professional and took the time to get to know what my mum was like and what we wanted as a family”
Anon, November 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was nothing short of brilliant, a very talented speaker with warmth and the ability to fit in.”
Anon, November 2023, Breakspear Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was excellent, right from the first meeting all the way through to the service itself.”
Anon, November 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was absolutely wonderful – the ceremony turned out to be exactly as we hoped, it couldn’t have been better organised or conducted and that was because Dave guided us through each stage with such kindness and understanding, helping us to create an order of service that we were completely happy with. Always responding promptly to emails and texts he made a difficult process so much easier than we anticipated. As our celebrant on the day of the funeral Dave conducted the ceremony with grace and professionalism, at the wake afterwards many friends commented on how lucky we were to have such a great celebrant. Thank you Dave,”
Anon, October 2023, Putney Vale Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was so wonderful at the funeral and all elements beforehand. He communicated really well even though he was on holiday! There was a true feeling of care and attention from Dave and we really appreciated all his efforts in this difficult time.”
Anon, August 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was kind and supportive and listened to us closely to help us design a service that matched our needs and really reflected our beautiful mum. He was responsive to emails and generous with useful feedback. On the day he was calm and delivered a beautiful celebration of mum and we felt very cared for by him. He was very professional and other family and friends remarked on how good he was. Thank you!”
Anon, July 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was really superb. He was very reassuring, knowledgeable and helped us through the whole process, giving us guidance when needed. He took the time to get to know us and our father and we would highly recommend him”
Anon, June 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“To say that Dave did his job well would be an understatement. He is, without doubt, the best celebrant I have ever worked with and I am so profoundly grateful to have been introduced to him through the funeral director we used. His communications skills are impeccable, he is wonderfully collaborative and his delivery style is amazing. He made a stressful time so much easier to deal with – and it felt like we were dealing with a close family friend not a complete stranger.”
Anon, May 2023, West London Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave met and exceeded all my expectations, which admittedly were very high. The manner in which we were able to prepare for the ceremony well in advance was very much down to Dave’s exceptional responsiveness and ability to pre-empt our needs mainly based on a single meeting and a few emails is particularly notable, and highly commendable. His delivery of the ceremony was second to none, again exceeding our expectations. He was able to emote sentiment exactly how I had envisaged, and we received so much praise from the entire congregation on this. Overall, I would like to emphasize that Dave is an absolute credit to the team and, whilst I mean no disrespect to other members of the team, I personally find it hard to envisage another member possessing the combination of skills Dave possesses, namely efficiently, promptness, eloquence, and empathy. Both my mother and I feel really blessed and fortunate to have had Dave as our celebrant – he is clearly a great ambassador for your organization.”
Anon, May 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was very thorough in supporting us in pulling the ceremony together for the day, provided some good ideas to consider and ensured the service went smoothly and how we would have wanted it to go. His calm approach was appreciated. We would recommend Dave to anyone seeking a celebrant in that area.”
Anon, April 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was sensitive, kind and helped deliver a beautiful farewell ceremony for a much loved family member who passed away . He was organised, professional and provided the perfect role as celebrant, balancing respect required for a sad occasion with a warm and friendly celebration of life.”
Anon, April 2023, Breakspear Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave Gordon-Shute was a pleasure to work with on my father’s funeral. He was reassuring, communicative and flexible, took my ideas on board and made good suggestions (for example on music) when I asked for them. His sensitive approach and beautiful delivery at the ceremony hit the spot perfectly. I thoroughly recommend him.”
Anon, March 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Brilliant celebrant, incredibly intuitive, good listener and great speaker. Can’t thank him enough”
Anon, March 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave’s sincerity and commitment to understanding our dad and our family was incredible. Such a devastating sad time made more bearable by his approach -everything undertaken with the utmost sensitivity. Dave’s knowledge and love of music – something that was so important to our dad and commitment to the music and service “feeling right” cannot be put into words. As a result of his guidance and input, we feel that the service really reflected our dad and our family and for that we are truly grateful.”
Anon, March 2023, Chilterns Greenacres Natural Burial site
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was exceptionally good. We have experienced other Humanist celebrants and Dave stands head and shoulders above. He communicates promptly and effectively throughout the preparation time and has a professional manner, at the same time he is warm and empathetic. He certainly grasped the ‘essence’ of Pete, our husband/father and between us, a wonderful tribute was produced and beautifully spoken by Dave on our behalf. So many guests have contacted us to express their admiration of the whole service and of the way Dave made them feel relaxed and in safe hands with the way he took control of proceedings. Would definitely recommend and ask of his services in the future.”
Anon, February 2023, Breakspear Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Very happy with Dave he was very kind and sensitive to our situation.”
Anon, February 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Kind considerate and understanding person. Beautiful clear voice.”
Anon, February 2023, South West Middlesex Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave did everything we wanted and much more”
Anon, February 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was fantastic, both in conducting the ceremony but also in supporting me and Eleanor’s family through the difficult process of putting together the service. Dave made a very difficult day so much easier with his warmth, compassion and skill. Countless guests specifically mentioned how Dave made the service a celebration.”
Anon, January 2023, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave’s input was invaluable. His direction was a the ‘soft touch’ I wanted. I wanted the ceremony to be very family orientated with very little input from third parties – yet I needed the direction. Dave was able to subtly guide me before and during the ceremony. A friend of my wife asked her after the ceremony whether Dave was a family member – I don’t think there can be a bigger compliment to how Dave judged his input and the few words he said about my father. Thank you for making a tough day so much easier”
Anon, December 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“We were so pleased that Dave Gordon-Shute was our celebrant. He took great trouble to meet us (husband and sister) before the funeral to find out more about the person, her wishes and her family. He communicated well with us throughout the whole process. He was sensitive to the fact though she wanted a non-religious funeral, many of her family and husband’s family are religious and he was able to be a celebrant for the funeral that everyone felt was inclusive and that celebrated her life. His background as a musician was particularly helpful in understanding the choice of music which had been particularly meaningful to my sister and her husband. His words introducing, during, and ending the ceremony were reassuring and he conveyed warmth throughout. Funerals are sad occasions but Dave Gordon-Shute as celebrant did much to ensure that family and close friends were comforted by the conduct of this funeral.”
Anon, December 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“We felt very calm in Dave’s expert hands.”
Anon, December 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was “spot on”, he was so understanding of our requirements, even last minute additions! very empathetic, and a perfect person to give my mother the right send off. I would recommend Dave, without question, Thank you Dave.”
Anon, November 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave delivered the service as everything I wanted it to be for my father. He has a calm compelling voice and was a pleasure to deal with. He even provided a keepsake as a recording of the service so I could listen in future years and share with family and friends who could not make the service.”
Anon, November 2022, Breakspear Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“The service was perfect and relaxed, just how I hoped it would be.”
Anon, October 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“I can really recommend Dave. He understood the spirit of the occasion and delivered the eulogy exactly as we wanted. The numerous guests thought he was a friend of the family which really says it all.”
Anon, October 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“As a family we are hugely appreciative to Dave. He led a beautiful send off for our mother and everything was exactly as she would have wanted it. His responsiveness and guidance and support over a challenging period of time was invaluable and very much appreciated by all of us.”
Anon, September 2022, South West Middlesex Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“A sincere man with great empathy from the start. Dave felt like the right fit for the ceremony from the first conversation on. He listened and managed the initial conversations to get the best understanding of my husband and how we wanted to portray him. He coordinated the other speakers, kept me involved at all times. Allowed me to amend parts I didn’t feel were right. A big support preservice. At the crematorium he kept things moving but we didn’t feel rushed. He spoke with sincerity as if he had known my husband, and completely with the right tone that we wanted to convey as a celebration of life. At no time did he push his own thoughts or beliefs our way and I had every confidence from the very start we had chosen the right celebrant. I would highly recommend”
Anon, September 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“David delivered with respect and compassion, he made a difficult day bearable and for that I thank him”
Anon, September 2022, South West Middlesex Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave Gordon-shute was absolutely fantastic from the first day we met him all the way through to the ceremony. Thank you so much for making the day so personal.”
Anon, September 2022, South West Middlesex Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was absolutely perfect for what we wanted and was very sensitive and attentive”
Anon, September 2022, Streatham Vale (South London) Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“It was beautifully done- considerate, compassionate and easy.”
Anon, August 2022, New Southgate Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“David was kind, supportive and very thorough, helping us with all aspects of the service, from the Eulogies to the music preparation. We will be forever grateful for his input.”
Anon, August 2022, Putney Vale Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave showed understanding and empathy and was very professional in his approach. He gave feedback when asked and facilitated my choices without imposing in any way. It felt reassuring at such a difficult time to have him conduct the ceremony”
Anon, August 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave Gordon-Shute was so professional, sincere and compassionate. He conducted our brothers funeral with heartfelt feeling!”
Anon, August 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“The service was just the right tone, and Dave met with us beforehand, and we had several emails with feedback, which he used to craft a warm, personalized, and professional service. He recommended music for the beginning and reflection, which worked well. Everyone mentioned that it was a special occasion, and that our celebrant was very good. I wholeheartedly agree.”
Anon, July 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Throughout what was a very challenging and emotional period for the family, Dave could not have been more considerate and caring in assistant and organising all that was required, he was very sympathetic to the families needs, regularly in contact, and ensured that the contributions which were been given by the family were only complimented and enhanced by his own. On the actual day of the cremation Dave introduced himself to the family, in a calm and very appropriate manner assisting and guiding us all during what was a very emotional service, I genuinely cannot speak highly enough of his professional and caring manner, Nothing was too much for him…..and the family were very grateful that he helped us give Dad a lovely send off.”
Anon, June 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“My family is spread around the the country. Dave organised a zoom call so we could all participate in a discussion to decide what we wanted included in the eulogy and how we wanted the ceremony to be conducted. Dave always showed the utmost patience and professionalism while he guided us through the process. He delivered the address in exactly the tone and manner that we wanted. We were very glad to have Dave Gordon-Shute as our celebrant.”
Anon, June 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Could not have asked for a better tribute and funeral overall. Dave is such a lovely man who was so helpful and did the absolute best.”
Anon, June 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“I could not have asked for better guidance and help from a celebrant. In a difficult time Dave provided calm, thoughtful and practical advice. Dave’s contributions helped to make the ceremony a most beautiful experience and a fitting tribute to my mother. I would thoroughly recommend a Humanist ceremony.”
Anon, May 2022, Breakspear Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave Gordon-Shute was the Humanist celebrant for our mum\’s cremation service. Before the service Dave was always available and relaxed, helping to guide me through something I had not done before. He offered suggestions when we needed them but at the same time did not place any constraints upon us and made it clear that he was happy to go with whatever was the best fit for us. He was a very calming and professional presence at the service, joining it all together. The service went beautifully and everyone commented how wonderful it was and a fitting tribute and send off for my mum. A humanist service was a perfect fit for our family as we are not religious and I would have no hesitation in recommending Dave to anyone else who feels this kind of service would work for them. From all our family, thank you Dave”
Anon, May 2022, Breakspear Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“We were led but always felt in control”
Anon, May 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
Anon, April 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was utterly professional and personal at such a challenging time for us. Dave provided the support, guidance and reflection we needed. All the guests commented on how well the service was conducted. Thank you”
Anon, March 2022, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“We feel very fortunate to have found Dave for our son’s funeral. Dave’s experience and professionalism were very apparent as he helped us prepare the service in an organised and conscientious way. Yet he had a kind, sensitive manner and was easy to talk to. He made us feel that nothing was too much trouble. When writing the service Dave struck the right balance between incorporating what we had told him, and drawing on his own experience to improve it. He wrote a tribute that gave a real sense of who our son was. Dave’s words and delivery were very thoughtful and were perfectly pitched for what were tragic circumstances. A number of guests commented on how brilliant Dave was. Our daughter who sung at the service was initially quite nervous, but Dave’s support and empathy immediately made her feel at ease. Dave guided and supported us throughout the entire process. We always felt we were in very capable hands.”
Anon, February 2022, Putney Vale Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was brilliant from start to finish, I can’t thank him enough. We worked together with ease and were able to create a service that was so personal. We hope we made our father proud.”
Anon, December 2021, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave conducted a really touching and moving service.”
Anon, December 2021, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Went above and beyond. 20 out of 10! My thanks to Dave. his help made the passing of my father a lot easier than I thought it would be. Thanks to him from all my family.”
Anon, October 2021, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was extremely kind and understanding, even when we hesitated for so long about whether or not my brother or I would want to write a tribute for our father ourselves. His own tribute was truly lovely, he really listened to us when we met in person and incorporated as many of our anecdotes and details as he could. He helped create a really wonderful service, and we are very grateful to him.”
Anon, September 2021, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“I’d recommend Dave without hesitation , We were totally happy with the funeral . He was very easy to work with and a great help in planning the service . He helped make a very difficult situation as smooth as it could possibly be in the circumstances.”
Anon, August 2021, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave prepared us for the ceremony in an exemplary way. He helped us to plan it, responding to our wishes as they emerged over time, guiding our thinking where necessary, and directing us gently on a timetable, to avoid any last-minute difficulties. On the day, he ensured that everything went smoothly, and was very well prepared. He directed the ceremony itself with respect, calmness and a light touch. We could not have asked for a more thoughtful, kind and capable celebrant.”
Anon, July 2021, Memorial Ceremony, Linden House, Hammersmith then Committal, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was amazing throughout the whole process. He made it so much easier for me having lost my mum. He was amazing.”
Anon, June 2021, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“A comforting and reassuring presence from the start till end. The ceremony went as planned and exceeded expectations.”
Anon, April 2021, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was extremely supportive, helpful, clear thinking and kind from the first contact and throughout the whole process of putting together the service for my Mum\’s funeral – made more complicated and difficult because of coronavirus restrictions as well as a complex family situation. Dave was very sensitive and encouraging and gave me space and time to discuss the service with him and put together something that we all felt did justice to Mum and included many aspects of her life.”
Anon, January 2021, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was very kind guiding us through our options regards the service it all felt very personal. The family commented afterwards that it felt like he knew my sister the way he spoke about her.”
Anon, November 2020, Breakspear Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave exceeded our expectations. Perfect”
Anon, September 2020, West London Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“From the first time meeting Dave, it was smooth sailing. During a very stressful time, Dave made everything seem so easy and stress-free. Perfect. And couldn’t have asked for a nicer person. 100%”
Anon July 2020, South West Middx Crematorium
Rating 5 out 5
“This was a very sensitive situation and Dave handled it with great care. His personal approach allowed us to create a ceremony that was thoughtful, genuine and fitting to the circumstances.”
Anon March 2020, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“From the moment that we first met with Dave, we were reassured by a confidence that he would pull together a beautiful service that would do justice to Alan. He struck a perfect balance between approachable warmth and professionalism, and was careful to check in with us regularly to make sure that we were happy with the tone of the pieces that he was writing, as well as the content. He listened carefully to all of the information we gave him, always presented us with options so that we could have input and help to shape the service, and gently supported us at an especially trying time. After the funeral, many of our friends and family members commented on the quiet, calm and positive way in which he led the service, and the uplifting feeling that they came away with afterwards. We are so grateful to have found Dave, and for everything that he did for us”
Anon February 2020, Mortlake Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“It was a massive relief to have found someone like Dave to guide me through the unfamiliar process of putting together a funeral service for my mother. He was kind, patient, professional and understanding throughout. He really made an effort to understand the person my mother was and it was clearly important to him that he captured her properly. His communication was faultless and his delivery on the day pitched perfectly. I could not have hoped for more. My mother really did have the very best send off possible.”
Anon Jan 2020, Putney Vale Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Dave was absolutely brilliant – so much so , a relative joked he wanted to book him for his service! Respectful, thoughtful, – went above and beyond to ensure everybody was perfect. Many thanks.”
Anon Jan 2020, Putney Vale Crematorium
Rating 5 out 5
“Dave gathered in loads of memories from a very large family and delivered a wonderful tribute to our dad. Everyone commented afterwards how fitting the service was for dad and sent him off perfectly. We were all so pleased to have Dave guide us through.”
Anon September 2019, Putney Vale Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“Very helpful, considerate, understanding, and a gentleman”
Anon June 2019, New Southgate Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
“A truly lovely man who conducted the perfect ceremony for my father”
Anon May 2019, West London Crematorium
Rating 5 out of 5
Dave Gordon-Shute
