‘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 often presents the cost-of-living crisis as the main reason for this trend, families choose this approach for many different reasons.

Over the past few years, I have worked with a number of families who opted for a direct cremation and then gathered later to celebrate and remember the life of someone they loved. These memorial events have taken place in a wide variety of settings, including a barn, a family home, rooms in pubs, arts centres, dance venues, theatres and event spaces within historic buildings.

Some have been intimate occasions centred around family stories, photographs, and home movies. Others have been larger celebrations with live music, multiple readings, and guests travelling from far and wide. No two have been the same.

What they have shared is a desire to honour the person in a way that feels true to who they were. Together we have focused on their values, passions, relationships, and achievements, weaving stories, music, memories, and tributes into occasions that are meaningful, heartfelt, and deeply personal.

‘ …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

‘.. I wanted to send a very heartfelt thank you for everything you did last week for N’s ceremony. You were absolutely brilliant and embodied her calm but leading presence in the room in many ways – hugely appreciate it and can’t thank you enough for the support you also offered M and all the different speakers. There aren’t always words – so just to say: thank you, thank you.‘ A.S

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