As a civil celebrant, I am not attached to any church, faith or belief system. The ceremonies I create and deliver are guided by the family I am working with and can be non-religious or semi-religious. Upon request, I am more than happy to include moments for prayer, hymns, or other faith-led elements.

I’m also happy to create and lead ceremonies that do not include any religious content. This sets me apart from humanist celebrants, who are rooted in humanist values and beliefs and do not include any religious content in their ceremonies at all, regardless of the family’s or the deceased’s beliefs.

This article from the AOIC is helpful, explaining the distinctions between funeral celebrants and their styles of working in a little more detail.

Please note that those who follow a particular faith (for example Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism etc) and wish to have a traditional funeral ceremony in line with their own religious practices are advised to contact a member of the clergy/their place of worship, who will be able to lead their loved one’s service.

Funeral celebrants and funeral directors work collaboratively to create and deliver a funeral ceremony.

While funeral directors oversee the organisation of the funeral and take care of the logistics behind-the-scenes and on the day (including booking the funeral itself, liaising with the venue and suppliers, transporting the body to/from the ceremony and leading the procession), the funeral celebrant focuses on creating and delivering the ceremony content itself, including the spoken words and any other elements the family would like included.

First and foremost, I send my sincere condolences for your loss. In this instance, contacting a reputable funeral director in your area is step one.

During the early stages of funeral planning process, your funeral director will recommend and contact a celebrant on your behalf (should you want one). If the celebrant is available, they will contact you to arrange a meeting at a convenient time to discuss the ceremony details.

If you have a particular celebrant in mind, please tell your funeral director, who will reach out to them on your behalf. Alternatively, you can contact a celebrant directly.

I offer a range of services, including cremations (held in crematoriums) and burials (held at cemeteries).

I also work with families who are planning a woodland burial, held at a natural burial site, for their loved one. I also lead scattering of ashes services at these sites too.

You can find more information about my range of services here.

We will meet to talk about your loved one’s life and character, as well as the type of service you envision.

You will be encouraged to recall all that you know and love about your loved one, sharing facts, memories and stories to help me craft a fitting eulogy. If you like, I can send you some questions in advance, which will hopefully jog your memory and make our time together even more effective.

We'll also discuss your preferences regarding music, readings, poetry and other meaningful elements, as well as who might have an active role in the ceremony.

These relaxed and informal meetings can take place in the comfort of your own home or at your chosen funeral director’s and typically last 1-2 hours.

Yes. Having undergone rigorous, yet incredibly rewarding, training with Civil Ceremonies Ltd, I now hold the NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy (RQF). This is the highest possible qualification in Funeral Celebrancy in the UK to date.

My training has gifted me with the skills needed to create and deliver funeral ceremonies with confidence and professionalism.

In most cases, a celebrant’s fee is included in the overall cost of a funeral, given to a family by a funeral director. This fee will be itemised as an expense.

For funeral ceremonies held in my catchment area, I charge a fixed fee of £250*. This fee includes an in-person meeting with a family to discuss their loved one and the details of their chosen ceremony, writing and drafting their loved one’s eulogy and, finally, delivering the funeral service.

In some instances, I may agree to travel further afield and, in this case, additional mileage* would apply and my fee would be discussed with the family and their funeral director.

Fees for conducting memorial services, scattering of ashes ceremonies and celebration of life ceremonies depend on many factors. If this is something you require, please reach out to me directly so we can discuss a cost based on your specific requirements.

*Funeral ceremonies held Monday-Friday. Additional costs for services held at weekends/out of hours apply.

*Additional mileage is charged at 45p per mile.