Humanist Celebrations of Life &
Funeral Services
What is a Celebration of Life Ceremony? How is it different from a traditional humanist funeral service?
A celebration of life ceremony is a meaningful, heartfelt, uplifting and personal way to commemorate the life and legacy of the person you're remembering.
A celebration of life ceremony typically happens some time after a direct cremation or funeral service has taken place, or where the person has chosen to donate their body to medical science. One of the main benefits of holding a celebration of life ceremony is that there are no time constraints, which allows family and friends to come together in a more relaxed setting.
Working in partnership with you, I'll make sure the person you're remembering will be at the heart of the celebration of life. As part of planning the service, I’ll take the time to get to know you as a family to make sure it's exactly how you'd like it and that everyone taking part on the day will be as comfortable as possible.
You can hold a celebration of life ceremony in any venue of your choice - inside our outdoors in a place that was special to you and the person you're remembering (e.g. the family home or garden, their favourite park or beach, or a local hotel or pub function room.)
I'm based in South London and I lead celebration of life ceremonies and humanist funeral services across London, the South East, Wales and beyond.
I specialise in bilingual celebrations of life ceremonies in French and Welsh. I'd be more than happy to discuss the practicalities of creating a bilingual celebration of life ceremony with you.
Elements of a Humanist Celebration of Life
A celebration of life ceremony can include some or all of the ideas below, which I'll discuss with you during our ceremony planning meeting:
-Retelling your loved one’s life story
-Tributes from family and friends (I can advise on how to write a tribute)
-A period of reflection accompanied by a video slideshow, which I can help you create
-Opening the floor for guests to share memories, guided with prompts and questions
-A meaningful action to say goodbye, such as scattering ashes, planting a tree, unveiling a memorial plaque or a toast to their memory
-Your choice of poems, music and photos to display
I also offer shorter ash interment and ash scattering ceremonies.
How much does a celebration of life ceremony with you cost?
My standard fee for celebration of life ceremonies is £350.
This includes:
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Family planning meetings in person or via Zoom
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Bespoke ceremony script, which will be approved by you ahead of the ceremony to ensure you're completely happy with what will be said
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Assistance with technological elements (such as creating a slideshow for the period of reflection)
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Leading the ceremony on the day itself
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A keepsake copy of the script
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Travel within the M25 (travel and/or accommodation expenses will apply to ceremonies outside this area; please get in touch for a bespoke quote.)
We'll have some religious family members attending the ceremony - how can we make sure they don't feel excluded?
While humanist celebration of life ceremonies are non-religious they are inclusive to everyone - including those with a religious faith. I'll work with you during the ceremony planning process to ensure everyone attending will feel comfortable and included.
How will you work with us to create our loved one's celebration of life ceremony?
1. In the first instance please call 07896419414 or email
mair.garland@humanistceremonies.org.uk to arrange a free introductory call.
2. If you think I'd be a good fit for your loved one's celebration of life ceremony following our conversation, please confirm your booking for your chosen date.
3. We'll meet for a longer conversation in person or via Zoom to discuss your ideas and plan the details of the celebration of life ceremony and to learn all about the person you're remembering; I recommend allocating two hours for this meeting and I'll share a questionnaire with you beforehand so you'll know ahead of time the type of information we might include in the script.
4. I'll write your bespoke celebration of life script, which will include a personalised tribute to your loved one. You'll see several drafts of the script before the day to ensure it's exactly how you'd like it to be.
5. On the day of the ceremony, I'll arrive at least 30 minutes before the beginning of the ceremony to ensure all participants are comfortable and that all the technology is working smoothly.
Do you offer humanist funeral services as well?
Yes, I also offer traditional humanist funeral services from £250 for a single-slot crematorium service. Feel free to contact me directly or via your funeral director.
My local crematoria and burial grounds include: Beckenham, Honor Oak, West Norwood, Croydon, Hither Green, Lambeth, Eltham, South London, Bluebell (Sevenoaks), Kemnal Park (Sidcup) and Mortlake.
