CREATING A ‘FUNERAL’ ‘MEMORIAL’ ‘ASHES’ ‘CELEBRATION OF LIFE’ CEREMONY

Bluebells in Ancient Woodland, North Yorkshire

Get in Touch – Contact me by email, phone or text or ask your funeral director to contact me. Please get in touch as soon as possible to give us all as much time as possible to plan the ceremony.

FREE Consultation – Ask anything you need to know. If you are thinking ahead about your own funeral or a ceremony for a loved one who is ill. Please get in touch at any time. I’m happy to answer any questions and give information and advice with no obligation to book me.

FREE Initial Meeting –  Before you decide to book me you are welcome to come and meet me in York and tell me about your hopes, plans and ideas. I can answer your questions and discuss my thoughts. I offer this initial meeting free of charge and without any obligation to hire me because I believe it’s very important for you to feel comfortable with your choice of Celebrant.

Making a Booking – This can be done by you, your funeral director or anyone acting on behalf of the next of kin. I have a contract we can sign to confirm the booking or I will confirm the funeral directors booking using their paperwork. See Cost below.

Meeting – We would meet as soon as possible to discuss what you would like to include in the ceremony. The meeting could be at your home, my home or another suitable venue at a mutually agreed time. This would usually take about two hours. It would be helpful to have all contributors at the meeting if possible. If it’s not possible to meet we can communicate by phone, email, skype.

The whole event can be arranged and delivered by myself and other professionals but you may wish to arrange some things between family and friends.

Before the meeting it would be helpful if you have considered;

• Venue – you don’t have to have the ceremony at the crematorium or graveside – it could be held in your reception venue, community centre or local pub – this could give you more time with freedom to include exactly what you want in the ceremony in a more relaxed atmosphere – and cost less.
• Who will be involved and how? Readings/Tributes/Coffin Bearers/Candles etc.
• Would you like to have a moment/s to include all the guests eg song, blessing/well-wishing.
• Music to be included? Recorded or Live?
• Decoration of the ceremonial space? Flowers/Photos/Personal objects etc.
• Order of ceremony booklet.

If you would like me to give a tribute;

• How would you describe the person in a sentence or single word?
• What did they like and dislike?
• What is their life story and who were the main players?
• What were their skills, talents and achievements?
• What made them laugh?
• Have some photos at hand to show me.

Tribute & Readings – I would keep in touch with you as much as needed whilst preparing the ceremony and email you the tribute so that you could check that details are accurate in advance of the ceremony. I would need to know about, speak to and see a copy of all words that will be included in the ceremony if possible. In this way I can support all the contributors and also ensure we keep within any timing limitations.

Conducting the Ceremony – I will lead the ceremony, overseeing agreed content and timings;

• Be at the venue early to make sure all is prepared.
• Speak to contributors to make sure they are prepared and know their cues.
• Stand in for speakers if they are unable to speak on the day.
• Introduce the ceremony.
• Say a few words about life and death from a Humanist perspective.
• Give the tribute and / or introduce other speakers.
• Read appropriate poetry and prose or introduce others to do this.
• Lead actions which involve family & friends (see Things to Consider)
• Lead a committal. (optional)
• Close the ceremony.

Presentation Script – I will supply a presentation copy of the ceremony for you to keep.

Cost – My fee is £250 which includes meetings, communication, conducting the ceremony and presentation script. Sometimes I will need to charge a little extra for travel but this will always be discussed in advance.

If you would like to have  two events on the day, maybe a Farewell/Committal Ceremony in the crematorium and a Celebration of Life/Memorial at another venue, there may be an additional charge if extra preparation and time is involved.