‘I have so much to thank you for. Dad would have loved absolutely everything about it! I had so many positive comments from his friends afterwards, they had never been to anything like it before and were so pleased. Now they all want something like it. I honestly think he would have been beaming with pride.’ S.M

You may have heard that Direct Cremations followed by some form of Memorial Service have grown in popularity in recent years. While the media has tended to focus on the cost of living crisis as the main motivation, there are many reasons why families might choose to go down this path.

In the last year I have worked on a number of Celebrations of Life with families who have chosen this alternative way to honour their loved one. These memorial events have been held at a range of venues including a barn, upstairs rooms in a pub, a family home, a community art centre, a famous dance venue, and rented event rooms in a historic building.

They have been everything from small scale and personal with family stories and home movies to complicated affairs with large numbers of guests, live music and multiple readings. Each time the emphasis has been on finding the most authentic way to represent the person, focusing on their values and passions, weaving together the different elements in a way that is meaningful, heartfelt and honest.

‘ …the ceremony you created was so full of warmth. You pulled together the whole messy, lovely and peculiar stuff that was S and told her story with such grace…  we knew we would be too choked to speak on the day, so your suggestion of the candle lighting was a beautiful way we could contribute, which meant a great deal to us. We are so relieved and so grateful.‘ J.P

[image above from the Sunlife Cost of Dying Report 2024]