Funeral Celebrant in Essex
Uplifting Funeral and Memorial Ceremonies in Essex, Suffolk and beyond.
For the less conventional…
“A colourful character deserves an uplifting and colourful send off”.
There are few limits to how and when you say goodbye…You can have your uplifting funeral and memorial ceremonies at any location you choose, with whatever special touches you may wish to add in.
It’s not about being classed as ‘alternative’ but it is about being true to your or their beliefs.
Did you know that you do not have to book funeral and memorial ceremonies or services direct with a Funeral director?
You can speak directly to the officiant you want to use yourself and then tell your Funeral director of your choices.
There should be no time limits.
A send off can be as *long as you’d like, and doesn’t have to be held in a crematorium or a religious building if you don’t want it to be, because It is after all about celebrating a life lived, and honouring their loves and passions in a way that reflects the way they lived.
*In a crem you will have restrictive time slots so if you want a longer ceremony you’ll have to make sure to book multiple slots to ensure you will not be rushed into saying your goodbyes.You can book direct, get your FD or celebrant to assist with this.
You can have religious content (or not), the choice is yours
With an Independent Celebrant you can have religious content if you so choose, and it can be any single, multiple religion(s) or none.
You can organise your own goodbye too if you want.
Do you want to take away the stress from your family and friends and organise your own send off? I can help you do that too, let’s talk and see how I can help you to arrange the send off you want.
“A colourful character deserves an uplifting and colourful send off”.
Funeral Planning (Planning Ahead)
Do you want to have a say in your funeral, wake, or memorial?
If the answer is yes, now is the time to start making some plans, we can ensure that it is a truly uplifting event at an inevitable time of sadness.
Like most families we have had our fair share of goodbyes over recent years, and one thing that has been very noticeable is that none of my family members had left any instructions for how they would like to be sent on their final journey earthside.
Don’t leave it to chance!
The hardest thing to do for those left behind is to decide what their family member or friend would have approved of as a fitting send off. Just like every other ceremony I conduct, you don’t have to stick to the rules.
- A funeral can be held at any location, at any time of the day and anything*, or anybody* can be included.
- From the words spoken to the tributes included…
- Do you want to be toasted with a drink?
- Give everyone a keepsake?
- Have a particular musical / lyrical interlude?
- Ensure a particular dress code?
- Take the pressure off and let’s have that conversation.
- We’ll sit down over a cuppa and plan the minute details of your send off.
- We don’t need to have everything in place, but let’s make sure that your choices are available to your loved ones.
We will go through a list of questions and at the end of our chat I will provide you with…
- A gorgeous concertina folder to keep all of your paperwork in.
- A copy of everything we discussed (printed or digital for you to print) for you to keep with your folder.
- A template for a letter to your executor or next of kin.
I will retain a copy of your instructions too (GDPR compliant and secure) as a backup.
I won’t take part in a balloon, lantern, or butterfly release as they are not environmentally friendly, but other than that…anything really can be considered as long as it’s legal and ethical!
Here’s a link for some alternative suggestions from the RSPCA balloon-and-sky-lantern-alternatives
Prices: £100 (planning service only)
Funeral ceremony – from £280
Why Language Matters.
There is a seismic shift occurring right now on the type of language we use to say goodbye, check out this blog to find out how and why we are evolving the way we speak and this simple language guide.
Memorial Ceremony
If you know someone who has lived outside of the proverbial box during their life, you may wish to honour them in death with a memorial ceremony.
An unconventional send off for an unconventional soul starts with a direct cremation.
A direct cremation is a modern alternative to a traditional cremation funeral. The cremation takes place completely separately to the personal farewell. Perfect for people who don’t like funerals.
This leaves you free to organise a memorial ceremony, with or without a scattering of ashes. There are no restrictions on time or location. You can hold a ceremony anywhere you (or the person who has died) wishes.
From a back garden to a favourite holiday destination.
It is your opportunity to really celebrate a life lived at your own pace.
How Does it Work?
Direct booking with me, rather than through the Funeral Director (FD)
Face to face or Zoom meetings.
From all the answers you provide, I will build your ceremony and you will have an opportunity for edits .
I deliver a ceremony that is respectful, full of love, * and in the case of a memorial ceremony, plenty of opportunities for anyone and everyone to speak and reflect on what the person who has died meant to you *.
You have the choice of either a digital or printed keepsake version of the script I deliver.
Price: from £280
I’ve Adopted The Funeral Celebrant Accord
You can find the accord here
What The Families Said…
“Michelle is second to none when it comes to a wedding or a funeral occasion. She’s got it all – and more. Be prepared for the unexpected, imaginative and attention to detail in all areas. Truly talented, sympathetic, friendly and kind. Can’t recommend her enough!! Thank you Michelle for not only orchestrating my two boys’ weddings, but also my late Mum’s “Celebration of Life ” ceremony. You’re simply the best!! Xx 🥰 🥰”
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“We really cannot Thank Michelle enough for the beautiful send off she put together for my brother’s funeral. From first contact she made us feel at ease as a family and lots of thought and attention to detail went into it.
She was knowledgeable, professional, sympathetic and worked in closely in harmony with the Funeral Director. She did my brother proud.”
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“Michelle officiated at our youngest son’s funeral 2 weeks ago. As soon as we met Michelle, we knew she was the right person and our son would have loved her. From our very first meeting, Michelle kept in touch all the way up to the day of the funeral.
As our son was only 37, we wanted a service that celebrated his life and true to form Michelle provided that. After the service Michelle came to the wake, where she ensured my husband and I had a cup of tea & a bite to eat before everyone else turned up. Michelle is a very caring person and delivered everything we wanted for our precious son. Thank you Michelle, you did Daniel proud 💙😘x”
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To find out more about how my Funeral and Memorial ceremonies might work for you, get in touch below.
