My ceremonies, whether they are funerals, burials, scatterings, interments or memorials, can bring comfort and closure for those left behind. Let me help you to craft a ceremony that is entirely fitting for your circumstances and your loved one. A ceremony may be a conventional funeral – the convention has its comforts in its protocols and etiquettes – but a ceremony can still be unique and personal.  Or you may be looking for an event that is more bespoke and informal.

My goal is to sound as though I knew the person I am talking about by capturing the essence of their personality and reflecting the impact they have had. I do not have a formula for my ceremonies but choose instead to create an event that has meaning for you.

There might be the constraints of crematorium time-slots or the complications of people attending online; you may want to include children in the proceedings or you may want have a display of key memorabilia or have live music. You may want to ditch convention altogether and have a get-together in the village hall with the coffin driven off to the crematorium with everyone waving goodbye. You might want to take the ashes on a favourite hike and gather people together for a picnic and a shared scattering. Or you may be planning ahead for your memorial event  or ‘leaving do’ that combines with an exhibition or concert. There are many options and variations, and lots of decisions to make when you are feeling vulnerable or distressed. But I can guide you through and deliver a ceremony that fits with your wishes.

My Humanist beliefs directly inform my ceremonies where I emphasise the humanity and individual qualities of the person who has died, concentrating on their meaning and legacy to their families, friends and humankind. Although it is unlikely that I will include references to supernatural forces or life after death in a ceremony, I am happy to acknowledge and include the range of faiths present – death should unite, not divide us in a shared appreciation of the value of life and our common human experience.