"We couldn't have done it without you"
P's family
July 2023
A BIT ABOUT ME
victoria the funeral celebrant
So why do i do this?
I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know what a funeral celebrant was until I did some work experience with a funeral director, and they suggested I’d be good at it. I always thought it was some sort of ordained minister leading the service, I didn’t realise anyone could do it, including friends or members of the family (yes, you can lead the service yourself if you wish!).
So I signed up, did my training, and found my soul’s work. Looking after and supporting those who have lost someone, and making sure they get the send off they deserve, in a truly personal, meaningful, and beautiful way, is a privilege, and I feel like I have found my role in life.
Thinking outside the box
The funeral industry is full of tradition, which varies greatly between culture, faith, and personal beliefs, but it’s important your little family traditions are celebrated too, and that you don’t feel ‘boxed in’ by perceived expectations (pun intended).
I have always been someone to question, to ask why, and if things can be done differently, better, always thinking ‘outside the box’ (pun also intended!).
If it feels like the right thing to do, we will find a way to make it happen, and yes, we can have a raffle during their service should you wish (I actually have supported a family to do this!).
I put my heart into every service I create (as my husband will testify, when he loses me to hours of writing) – each service is bespoke, just as each life is unique.
We work together to create the perfect service, helping you say your goodbyes however you need to, and I’m here to support you in making that happen!
extra training & experience
I am always looking for ways to improve how I can support you, and I’ve completed extra training in
- Bereavement
- Dementia Friendly Funerals (proud to be a Dementia Friend)
- Starting the Conversation (to further my experience in holding meaningful conversations around death and dying)
And have further experience in
- funeral arranging
- the care of someone after they have died
- forensics and the Coroner’s process
- Order of Service design
I am also shortly undertaking additional training in funerals for babies and infants.
personal experience
I remember my Grandpa’s funeral… for all the wrong reasons. The person leading the service changed the poem I’d composed without asking, and the second I realised that was all I could think about, and remember. This is why I am so hot on the little details – they really do matter!
My degree in Forensic Biology and work experience with Funeral Directors means I have a good understanding of the care of a person after they have died, and Coroner’s process, as well as having further personal experience in this when my Aunt died suddenly in another county (this was a steep learning curve!).
I have arranged and led services for family members, and discovered a few things which helped get me through, tips which I now pass on to others wishing to take a part in a service themselves.
And by working closely with funeral directors, I can help explain the arrangement process, and the many, many forms you seem to have to fill in, especially where a cremation is involved.
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Being outside, in the fresh air and countryside, is my happy place. Spotting the first spring flowers, walking the dog across the fields, days out with my hubby exploring the UK, fire pits in the garden, swapped for reading or jigsaws in front of log fires in the winter.
I find that walking helps me to think, and I often get my best ideas, or inspiration whilst I am out walking through the woods, though it’s also likely to fall from books I’m reading. sometimes in the most unexpected ways.
