Funerals, celebration of Life and memorial ceremonies

What they say about Ian and funeral services...

"Meticulous attention to detail and his very warm but professional manner was very much appreciated and he got us all through a very difficult day with fond memories."  

Ray M. Chester

"Excellent quality of service, delivered with high levels of empathy and understanding. Attention to detail was also of the highest level. All present felt the same way. Thoroughly professional."

Stewart J, North Wales

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A life well lived should be a life well celebrated.  The passing of a loved can sometimes raise difficult challenges of how their life should be commemorated.  The truth is that as we have lived our lives differently so we will be remembered differently by others.  The important thing is that, first and foremost, the wishes of the loved one should be respected.  

Dependent on the circumstances, it’s not always evident what those might be, so it is my job as a celebrant to listen to family and friends and try and get some sense of the loved one’s life, whether that was long or tragically short.  This allows for the ceremony to reflect how much someone was loved, is still loved, with warmth, compassion, dignity and respectful of the way that they ‘wanted to go’. 

In modern society some families choose not to have a ceremony along traditional lines. So a funeral service need not be a serious or formal affair.  If a person (or pet for that matter) brought joy and happiness then it may be that their celebration should bring that same joy and happiness to those who gather to acknowledge their loss.  This is then more of a ‘celebration of life’ rather than something more sombre.

Working with a funeral director, I will guide you throughout this difficult time, prepare and deliver a tailored service including your choice of music, readings, poems and appropriate symbolic gestures.

For a number of reasons, the absence of loved ones for instance, it may also be that it’s just not the right time to hold a ceremony immediately after someone has passed.  The passage of time can sometimes be a comfort and lead to a more fitting ceremony being created, a ‘memorial’ to a loved one, and if required, Ian can help with this too.

It’s just not possible to cover all of the circumstances and options available here, so please do take the opportunity to complete the contact form at the bottom of the home page or, better still, call Ian directly.  He will be happy to help and support you through this difficult time.