Arranging a Funeral…

Arranging a funeral ceremony can be confusing and overwhelming and many people say they don’t know where to start.

Whether it’s your own funeral you want to pre-plan, or you’re arranging a funeral for someone else, I’m happy to guide and support you where I can and share my experience.

The Funeral Director will organise most of the arrangements and logistics for you, however when it comes to the actually ceremony, that’s where I come in.

I will visit you to discuss what you would like the ceremony to be like. We will discuss music, poems, readings by family members etc. and look at some photos to help really paint a picture of the person, their life and what was, or is still important.

I will then use all the information discussed to write a fitting tribute and create a unique and personal ceremony to both acknowledge and celebrate their life in a way that best reflects them.

I work in partnership with the Funeral Director to ensure every detail is taken care of on the day, so those attending the funeral don’t have to worry about logistics or timings and can focus on the ceremony.

At the end of the Ceremony, I also provide a presentation copy of the ceremony to the principle mourner.

Planning a Memorial…

For many reasons, sometimes people decide not to hold a funeral ceremony and instead choose to hold a memorial. These are held anywhere from family homes, hotels, function rooms or outside areas. Whilst you often don’t have the coffin present (the deceased may have been directly cremated or buried previously), you still have the ceremonial benefits such as a tribute to their life, music, contributions from family members or friends etc. These are every bit as personal, fitting and inclusive of everything and everyone that mattered to the deceased. They also give the flexibility of being able to choose where and when you hold it, the time you allocate to it and the finer details you can’t always have control over in a crematorium, graveyard or church. Sometimes people hold memorials in addition to a small, intimate funeral, where there are many people who wish to celebrate a life, however close relatives want the formal funeral to be open only to a small group. Ask for more details if you’d like to chat about this.

Where I work…

I’m based in Leeds, West Yorkshire and cover Wakefield, Pontefract, Castleford, Huddersfield, Halifax and surrounding areas.

I also cover the Bolton, Preston and Chorley areas.

Overseas Funerals: If you are organising an overseas funeral and would like me to officiate in English, please get in touch for details.

What if I’m not available…

I work as part of a network of Celebrants, all fully Accredited by Humanists UK. If you are planning your own funeral and for some unfortunate reason I was not available on the date of your funeral, I would be able to recommend an alternative celebrant.