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I am an accredited humanist celebrant, living in Portishead. I lead wedding, civil partnership, renewal of vows, funeral, burial, cremation and memorial ceremonies across Somerset and South Bristol.

I also love helping people mark other milestones in their lives which are not often associated with celebration but still need acknowledgment, such as a new house; a divorce or a significant life change.

We all have significant milestones or transitions where we want to take the time to reflect, mark the occasion and celebrate our lives.  A humanist ceremony allows you to meet your needs, and those of your loved ones, in a unique way and without any reliance on religious content.

As a firm believer of living in a fair and inclusive society, of living ethically and being the best human we can be, I have considered myself a humanist for most of my adult life. I have explored various aspects of spirituality before realising that although I don’t have any religious beliefs I have principles and core values which sit well with humanism.

I first learned about Humanists UK when my partner and I were getting married 27 years ago. We chose to have a humanist ceremony and I’ve regarded myself as a humanist ever since. Writing our own vows with the help of our celebrant really helped us focus on the commitment we were making and our promise to each other. Our vows have served us well over the years, as they were based on our true values and beliefs, which we still maintain and advocate years later. After my experience of a humanist wedding, I knew that one day I wanted to become a celebrant to help others mark their significant milestones.

In 2017, my own life events as well as the death of my father led to a period of self-reflection where I decided to pursue my aim of becoming a celebrant. I now enjoy helping people through some of the most important milestones in their lives and find it extremely rewarding.

I originally trained in the Arts and with a Master’s degree in Education,  I’ve been a University Lecturer, for much of my other working life.  For many years I worked at The University of the West of England, Bristol where I was Head of School of Art & Design, and previously I led post-graduate teacher-training courses in the Education Department. So listening and communicating has always been a large part of my work. This comes in useful as a celebrant when I work with you or your loved ones. I hear your story and collaborate with you to write a personal script, incorporating the right symbolic gestures. Being creative proves especially useful to help you design the perfect ceremony to meet your needs.

I would love to help achieve the right ceremony for you or your loved ones, so please take a look at the relevant pages and visit my business website at www.sustainablyeverafter.co.uk to see some of the possibilities. If you think a humanist ceremony could be for you, please contact me for a chat and we can talk over some initial ideas.

‘Karen is thoughtful, creative and warm’ – Lisa & Jess

‘She delivered the ceremony with a superb balance of sincerity and humour… I can’t thank her enough’ – Bob Thornton,

‘Karen is a pleasure to work with, thoughtful and sensitive’ – Rupert Morris, London / France

‘An amazing celebrant, couldn’t recommend her more’ – Amber & Vasko, Weston-Super-Mare

“Karen is organised, professional and kind” – Nic & Fi, Bristol

“Karen helped us plan my mother’s funeral a few weeks’ ago and delivered the most beautiful, thoughtful eulogy.” Emma Gibbons, Bristol

“Karen gets the balance between confidence and warmth just right and is exactly the person you would want in charge on such an important day…from the moment we had an online chat, we felt put at ease. We’ve had so many lovely comments from our guests to say how much they enjoyed the ceremony and we know we will be looking back very fondly on such a magical experience for many years to come.” Ellie Lewis-Parker