About Me

 

So it's not quite so one-sided and so that you can be sure you've chosen the right celebrant for you, I've included a little bit of information about myself here, so you can get to know me and my style before we meet and before you engage me to create a Grand Goodbye for your loved one..

 

I'm very relaxed and friendly, I'm a great listener, a natural storyteller, a good writer and a competent and confident public speaker and event organiser - so you have peace of mind that you're in safe hands in what will no doubt be a very stressful and emotional time for you. 

Life has been good to me, but it certainly hasn't been without its challenges, hardships and bumps. I have a personal understanding of how grief, loss and worry feels and I understand that those who have lost a love one can experience all the emotions of grief, shock and acceptance at varying levels and stages. Losing someone you love is never easy, no matter how prepared you believe you are.

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Living at the mouth of the River Tyne, at Fish Quay, just 7 miles from Newcastle City Centre, I'm a wedding celebrant, and a funeral celebrant. I'm a mentor of new Humanist Celebrant trainees, and, working closely with Humanist Ceremonies National Network Team; I'm the regional coordinator and supporter of all Humanist Celebrants in the North East.  

 

I've been married for 31 years to Simon, a photographer. I'm a mum of two grown up kids, and I have a dog and a cat. When I'm not working, I'm likely to be out enjoying a long walk with my dog on the beach, listening to music, booking the next gig ticket, or catching up with friends, over a glass or three of red wine. I am much less likely to be found pushing a hoover around or baking.

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Before moving to the Newcastle area in July 2024, I lived in Harrogate, North Yorkshire for 23 years. I was born and raised in Harrogate but I've also lived for a few years in London and Surrey. I've travelled enough of the world to open my eyes and my mind, but I'm still curious. I'm a believer in grabbing opportunities and experiences, being kind and celebrating the good things in life while I have the chance because no-one truly never know what life will throw our way next. Oh and I'm a humanist! 

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How I Got to Be A Funeral Celebrant

 

The first humanist funeral I went to was that of a friend in a green burial site. It was the most surprising, emotional, uplifting and memorable end of life ceremony I have ever attended. I laughed and I cried. I remembered him exactly as he was, and heard memories of him that I hadn't known. I left the ceremony feeling glad I'd known him. And it opened my eyes to the world of humanist, non-civil ceremonies. 

 

Some eight years later, I decided to utilise all the skills and experience I'd accumulated in my career in professional writing, corporate event management, and community, charity and commercial video production and photography, I trained to be a wedding celebrant with Humanists UK.

 

I agreed with their philosophy on life, I supported all their causes for human rights and equality and I thought that their training was the best available.  I loved this work and spent a lot of time and energy writing and delivering ceremonies, drawing on and expanding my experience, growing my presence in my local area and spreading the word about humanist ceremonies in general. I also became an active member of our regional humanist celebrant network and a mentor of wedding ceremony trainees for Humanists UK.

 

Over the next couple of years, a few of my couples and friends suffered  bereavements and had asked if I did funerals too. I didn't - so with a little sadness that I couldn't help, I referred people back to the local network. I'd always wanted to offer both wedding and funeral ceremonies but the training with Humanists UK is rightly separate for both ceremonies as they are very different crafts.

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 Time and time again, I recognised the impact of the meaningful, thought-provoking, uplifting, story-based wedding ceremonies I delivered, and wanted to be able to offer people who are grieving the loss of a loved one the same level of care and attention that I give my weddings. As time went on, I realised that I wanted to and needed to be able to offer an end of life service sooner rather than later. And so I embarked on the gold standard training with Humanists UK.

 

In love and death, it's an honour and a complete privilege to be let into someone's life for a small window of time and ask questions that often lay feelings bare, particularly when emotions are raw and people are feeling vulnerable after a death. You have to be totally comfortable with your celebrant to do that, to laugh about the good memories and cry about the touching ones, as well as recount facts; and I've been told I'm very easy to chat to in those circumstances.

 

During our meeting - which can be at my place, your place or any other place of your choice, I will chat to you about the life journey of the person who's died, and find out about their values, achievements, feelings and innermost thoughts about life. Using copious notes, I weave everything into a bespoke script for you to approve. On the day of the funeral, celebration of life ceremony or memorial service, I conduct a ceremony that truly reflects and documents your loved one's story in a way they would have liked, to mark a day that will be remembered forever.

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