Funeral / Celebration of Life
Please accept my condolences on the passing of your loved one. Whether the person has been ill for some time or their life was cut short, a funeral, memorial service or a personalised tribute can be an important part of the grieving process as memories and accomplishments of your loved one are gathered to reflect their time on this earth.
This is a time when arrangements need to be made for a loved one’s funeral and as it is a difficult period for most - you might seek help, guidance and support to ensure it depicts the person in a real and affirming way. It is a great privilege and responsibility to be involved with families and friends when a loved one has passed.
As your Celebrant, I will do my best to create balance between a celebration of the person’s life along with grieving, smiling and tears, with the focus of the service being reflective of their life. I meet with the family to offer guidance and support whilst planning and facilitating the service, and can coordinate with the funeral home of your choice.
I offer a personal, respectful and sincere service that reflects the desires of the family and close friends. I ensure that the tribute to the deceased is genuine, well researched and well prepared. To assist with the planning I meet with family members and close friends to gather information, stories and memories that focus on the loved one’s legacy and beliefs. I believe it is important for loved ones to participate in the service and feel comfortable with the process. There are a number of options available – for example, any rituals or elements, music and readings may be incorporated to help design a service that honors the life of the deceased. Only you, your family and close friends know what is right and a fitting celebration of life.
Afterwards, I will provide a copy of the written ceremony and include all details that have been made available to me.
Helpful information provided by you
To minimise any feelings of intrusion that you may feel at our initial meeting, I have listed examples of information that is helpful when creating your personalised service:
- Life story of the deceased
- Music preferences
- Poems, readings or prayer to be included / preferences
- Involvement in clubs or associations
- Tributes and photos
- Flowers or in lieu of flowers
- Rituals i.e. lighting candles
- Who the family would like to present the eulogy
I am available to assist you in the preparation and facilitation of the ceremony of your choosing. This could be a funeral, memorial, a scattering or burial of ashes, interment or an anniversary of passing or you may wish to have a public funeral and private burial.
Planning Ahead:
Nowadays, as people become aware of the type of services available, some people choose to plan their own funeral in advance. This may be due to a terminal illness or other reasons as they wish to alleviate the burden on those they are leaving behind.
Sometimes they would like to have a celebration of life with their family and close friends before they pass.
I will work with you to create the service that you want and will ensure that it follows your last wishes with compassion, integrity and dignity.
