Saying Goodbye
When someone close to you dies it's a sad and emotional time.It's important to honour their life respectfully; in a way that best reflects them and is meaningful for those who are left behind. Some people may choose to make this ceremony a celebration of life.
A funeral is a rite of passage and my job is to support you to create the ceremony that is just right for your loved person and for you and your family.
I work closely with your funeral director to support you through the planning and delivery of the ceremony for your loved one. My commitment is to hold this space for you safely as you say farewell.
I will listen to you carefully to capture the essence and special qualities of your loved one so that I can write and tell their story faithfully, based on what you share with me. This is your ceremony, personal and unique to your person and your family. You, your family and your friends may wish to participate in the ceremony, and if so we will talk about how you would like to do this.
I will liaise with you as you decide what feels most comfortable for you . Many people already have an idea of the music and readings they would like, and I am always happy to make suggestions about these and to source them for you.
You may not be aware that you can hold your person's funeral ceremony in private gardens and other venues. Creative funeral directors can help to make this happen for you just as you would like it to be.
You may wish to include religious elements or cultural rituals, and we can work together to ensure that these are respectfully included.
Before the funeral I will talk through with you what to expect.
£280.00 (30 minute ceremony)
£375.00 (60 minute ceremony)
Kind words
'Thank you so much for today. The ceremony was really meaningful, and I think we did Rick proud. Thank you for being so generous with your time and understanding, and for crafting something that was touching, funny, and profound.'
Mary Paterson - West Norwood
'I have recently laid my lovely sister to rest. Carole the celebrant was assigned to helping us and I and the family were so grateful for all her help, kind words and advice.
Carole was there every step of the way and guided me through the whole details of what we were to expect.
Carole was warm, kind and such an amazing help in our time if grief and when I met her in person on the day of the funeral she immediately put me at ease, held my hand. The service was lovely and we could hear every word she said clearly and precisely.
Carole was certainly with us all the way and made it clear that she was there for not just myself but family and friends too. At the end of the service Carole gave me a hug which was appreciated. She also took the trouble to write out the draft script so I always can remember my sisters funeral to the letter.
I would highly recommend Carole and would not hesitate to contact her again if the need arose.
Once again, thank you so much.'
Jan Beechey - Southgate
'Carole was a kind, sensitive and intuitive celebrant who was able to emotionally connect with the family during such a difficult time. She took the time to come to the family home and really understand in depth about mum's life, her values and her gifts. She was very supportive in crafting a beautiful ceremony that I think mum would have appreciated and enjoyed. She held the space with strength and kindness on the day and I feel very grateful that she was our celebrant. Thank you Carole.'
Rebecca Tortora - Crouch End
'Carole took the time to get to know my husband and capture details of his life and put them into a personal service. She was very patient and helped us pick out poems to represent what John would like. We had many compliments from friends and family who attended the funeral in person and via weblink of what a wonderful celebration of his life it was. Carole made the whole situation easy and made us all feel comfortable.
in a difficult time, you can’t really ask for more.''
Thank you.'
Christine, Sarah and Claire' Harlow, Essex
'Thank you Carole for the beautiful service. Your attention to detail to get to know the family, write the script and deliver with your personal brand of warmth and empathy is just what was needed. You are a wonderful narrator'
Kerry Ryan Roydon, Essex
' 'I wanted to say 'thank you' to you for your truly lovely ceremony. It was conducted with grace, solemnity, warmth and conviction. So many times speeches like this feel contrived or condescending, but the amount of work you put in with research, various drafts and an obvious talent for telling the tale of somebodies life really showed. Everybody said afterward how lovely the ceremony was and commented particularly on yourself. I am so glad it was you who told my mum's story.
Carol also echoed my comments above and asked me to pass on her heartfelt thanks and love'
David George Halstead, Essex
'Organising a funeral during pandemic times can be frustrating and difficult let alone doing this in a different country to ones own.
Carole helped us feel at ease and was totally flexible with all our changes and thoughts that perhaps differed from the “ traditional” way of doing things !
She prioritized getting to know as much as she could about my Brother Peter who passed away at Marie Curie April 7th , so that she could help us create an amazing celebration of his life.
Carole was welcoming and warm which was comforting to myself and Laura ( our cousin) as we set out into the unknown of funeral organizing .
Carole answered out many questions and was always available when we had more ! Her reading of Peters last literary work on his journey back to Zimbabwe was heartfelt and we are so grateful '
Thank you Carole .
Anne Margot - Vermont USA
'Carole was incredibly thoughtful and supportive as she worked with me and my family to to plan commemoration event in memory of my dear Dad who had passed away earlier in the summer. Carole really took the time to understand our family, our circumstances and what would make each person feel comfortable during such a difficult time. Her guidance and recommendations on how we could include personal touches made it feel like a really special event. The order of service and script created by Carole was a lovely balance of happy memories and recognition of our grief. It means such a lot to me and my family that we were able to make a fitting tribute and celebration of Dad’s life. Thank you Carole.'
Alice Sims London
'First can I thank you so much for being our brilliant celebrant. Its been a few weeks since the cremation but those who attended to whom I have spoken have since told me that they though it went perfectly. Your celebrant was excellent”. “She struck just the right note”...” “We learnt so much about Wanda” “You all did her proud.” “One very strongly religious friend of Wanda’s took the trouble to write to me and said her local church could “learn a thing or two!”. The boys and I couldn’t have been more pleased as to how things went . It would have not been possible without you Carole, your experience, advice, and careful guidance of the ceremony.'
Martin Pratt - London
'It was a great pleasure working with Carole on my dear mum’s Celebration of Life Service. Carole was easy to get along with and she took time in getting to know our family. I welcomed Carole’s expertise especially her writing skills and collaboratively, we were able to come up with a fitting tribute to mum. I am grateful for the patience she showed towards my Dad who was shocked and saddened at loosing his life partner. Carole’s kind approach encouraged Dad to talk about memories of mum, something we were struggling with at the time. Friends and family described the service as ‘Beautiful’’ . I highly recommend her as a celebrant.'
Dee Lewis - Hornchurch
Carole is a member of the Good Funeral Guild,
Private garden celebration of
life ceremony.