Celebration of a Life
The end of someone’s life brings varying degrees of sadness and no amount of planning can prepare us for the end when it finally comes. But amongst that sadness one can hope to find some relief, even some joy, by spending time celebrating the life of the loved one who has passed away amongst the family and friends they have left behind. Whether you are planning to have a private family funeral service followed by a celebration, or a service where everyone is invited, as a celebrant I can help in the planning and delivery.
"I feel like when Simon agreed to be our celebrant he enabled us to change it from being a funeral to a celebration of life."
Lins Collins, Hampshire
Funerals
Death is not the opposite to life but a part of it, which is why I believe a funeral is a very important ceremony, almost as important as a wedding. A funeral must be well planned both to accurately reflect the request of the deceased and their family but also to accurately reflect their personality and the tempo and temper of their life.
This is a goal I set myself when planning a funeral, which is why I like to spend time talking to members of the deceased family and closest friends, and I also spend a lot of time following up and allowing the family to review and critique the notes I have made so that I can make the necessary adjustments and deliver the best possible funeral. I take great personal pride in doing this as I believe I have a responsibility to honour the deceased in doing so.
Celebration / Remembrance
It is becoming quite popular to do away with the formalities of a funeral and to just have a party. This might be OK for the person who has passed away, and one can have a wake to drink the health of the deceased, but I believe that denies family and friends the opportunity to grieve together and to say a proper goodbye, this can leave a lot of emotional issues unresolved. Also, people may actually want to formally celebrate or remember their relative or friend in the company of others who knew them. Formal celebrations also give younger relatives the opportunity to learn more about the life of the person who has passed away.
