I am Rachel Faulconbridge and I am a Humanist accredited funeral celebrant. If you are reading this, it is likely that you are in the midst of arranging a funeral. At this difficult time, my aim is to make planning the ceremony as easy as possible for you.

Humanist ceremonies are very personal and reflect the unique elements of the person’s life. You will be looking for the right celebrant for you; someone you will find it easy to work with, who will listen and be guided by your needs. I take pleasure in getting to know people and drawing out the important memories and stories that will connect with those attending the ceremony. I can make recommendations for poetry or music if that would be helpful; we will be working as a team to create a celebration of the person’s life.

I have a scientific background and am a thorough planner; no detail will be missed! It was my scientific education which opened the door to Humanism and confirmed my feelings about religion. I remember my delight in coming across Humanism and realising that it described exactly how I saw the world and my place within it. Realising you have only one life makes every day precious, and makes us treasure the time we have with our loved ones. I sadly lost my Father who fought many illnesses and was in pain for many years. I was with him when he died and it was a very peaceful experience. He was no longer in pain and that was a blessing. I don’t believe that we will meet again but I have treasured memories which will never leave me. He lived an amazing life and we saw him off in style!

I hope I have been able to reassure you that, although it may seem daunting to think about planning a funeral, help is at hand. If you would like to talk to me about how it all works, please get in touch – there is no obligation. My email address is rachel.faulconbridge@humanistceremonies.org.uk, or you can call me on 07971 952117. If I am with a family or attending a ceremony and unable to answer, please leave a message and I will call you back as soon as I can.

My fee for a cremation or burial is £244. It includes me coming to visit you, travel costs, as much time as we need to draw out those all-important memories and stories, writing the script, sharing it with you and making any revisions, and leading the ceremony on the day. Funeral celebrants work hand-in-hand with Funeral Directors and the fee is usually included in their costs and paid through them.

If you have already contacted a Funeral company and would like me to be your celebrant, please mention my name.

If you would prefer a memorial service, perhaps after a direct cremation or when you have more time to gather friends and family together in celebration, you have full flexibility on where this can take place and how long you would like it to take. You can have the ashes in attendance, or not, depending on your preference. Memorials can include a table of remembrance, with some of your loved one’s favourite things, photos of them etc., a book of remembrance can be presented for guests to provide anecdotes, we can light candles, guests can speak about their memories – there really is no limit! If this is something which interests you, please get in touch, and we can chat about options. My fee for a memorial service starts at £350.

I have also completed training in Pre-Planning for Funerals with Humanists UK and can assist anyone who wishes to ensure that the details of their life are accurately recorded and that any personal wishes are clearly documented. It’s never too early to plan ahead, and these arrangements can always be reviewed and updated over time. I offer this service for a flat fee of £75, which includes a meeting to discuss your wishes and the preparation of a written tribute along with any other important details. If you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.