About Me
The most important thing to know about me is that on the day I will be the voice you need.
I have a Diploma (NOCN recognised), level 3 in funeral celebrancy from Civil Ceremonies and I am a graduate of the Coffin Club Celebrant Plus course.
I am a member of the Association of Independent Celebrants which means I adhere to high standards and good practice. I am fully insured through them.
I’m also a professional musician and continue to perform on my violin as a longstanding member of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. I’ve also performed and delivered projects to many thousands of people over the years; the young, the old and the in-betweens. I bring that working knowledge and experience with me to my work as a Celebrant.
How does all this make me a good celebrant?
Quite simply I am genuinely interested in people and their stories. That’s an important start. Being a Celebrant means I have the skills to listen and then weave those stories into a tribute. Next I deliver your story clearly and effectively. With my background in performing I know exactly how to do that.
As a kind observer once remarked “You led the funeral eloquently and elegantly.”
Meet my Dad…
it’s because of him I became a funeral celebrant.
When my Mum died it was all a bit of a shock and we were unsure of what to do to plan a funeral for her. Fast forward 10 years and my Dad was dying. I said to him one day “I’m thinking of doing your funeral” and he immediately replied “Brilliant! Lovely!” With a big grin and then he said after a pause, “It will be good for you!” And he was right. It gave me a focus after he died, made me feel like I was doing something positive, and it was good for me to be involved on the day. I’m not going to lie, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
He said that we should do what we thought was right at the time and we would know what that was when the time came. These were wise words as it gave us as a family, the freedom to be creative. It also meant we had to really think about what he meant to us and how we wanted things to go.
Everyone added stories and ideas. The grandchildren wrote poems, but in the end I was the only one who spoke.
After the celebration of his life, as we walked back to the car, the funeral director suggested I contact him if I ever decided to become a celebrant. He said that it was the best funeral he’d ever been to. Those words were not what I was expecting to hear at my dad’s funeral but they were welcome and caused me to consider that maybe I should look into it. And so here I am today; a qualified independent celebrant with a meaningful job that I love and am passionate about. I hope that I can help you plan and create the best funeral ever for your loved one.