The death of a loved one can be one of the most stressful experiences we face.   I believe that all human beings deserve an appropriate and meaningful ceremony to celebrate life and for family and friends to say a final goodbye.  My role is to assist you during this most difficult time in preparing and conducting a non-religious funeral ceremony for your loved one

Together we will create a unique funeral or memorial ceremony.  We will arrange to meet face to face and spend an hour or so talking about what kind of ceremony you would like.  It will give us the opportunity to talk about your loved one, what their life was like; where they were brought up, who was significant in their family.  We can talk about if they listened to music for example, what they enjoyed, what were their skills and most importantly, what do you remember and treasure about them?  We can talk about contributions you or any of your family or anyone else, would like to make at the funeral.

Afterwards, I will write and prepare the ceremony for you – from the moment it begins to the moment it closes.  I will send you a draft and you will be able to make any changes if needed, and when you are satisfied, I will conduct the ceremony at the funeral or memorial service.  Paying attention to detail beforehand means the funeral ceremony will proceed flawlessly, as it should.

You will have a copy of the ceremony to keep.

The funeral or memorial ceremony is about your relationship with the person who has died.  It is my job to make sure you are properly supported by a skilled professional celebrant and a respectful and meaningful goodbye is said through a well-constructed and well-conducted funeral ceremony.

Where do Humanist Funerals happen?

As with other funerals, they often happen in a local crematorium, or at a woodland burial site or in a local cemetery. Some families prefer to have the ceremony at their home, or some other suitable venue followed by a brief committal ceremony at the crematorium. Others prefer to have a private cremation, followed by a celebration of the deceased’s life at a memorial ceremony or scattering of ashes.

If you’d like to learn more about funerals, follow these links:

Pre-planning your own funeral:
Working with a funeral director;
Memorials and other ceremonies away from the crematorium.

Why me?

I believe we only have one life and once we have lived it, there is no afterlife.  What we leave behind remains in the memories of others who knew and loved us.  Forging these memories into a meaningful ceremony is where my abilities will be of most use to you.

I have a background in Human Resources and in the performing arts.  I am a calm, emotionally articulate and confident communicator and an excellent public speaker with a broad background of shaping experiences for people in all sorts of contexts.

I have skills in drawing out stories from people and then tailoring your ceremony around your uniqueness.

I’m passionate about my work and about creating the perfect ceremony.  I’m hardworking, I care, and I love to tell stories.  I can be creative, inspiring, fun where appropriate and flexible.

If you would like to know more, please contact me on 07736 679415 or email: louise.williams@humanistceremonies.org.uk