When Someone You Love Has Died
There are no right words for this moment. Only the slow, careful work of finding the ones that honour the person you've lost.
I write and lead farewells that put them at the heart of the day. The proper version of them. The stories. The laughter as well as the tears. The contradictions that made them who they were. Not a service read off a sheet by someone who never knew them, but something that feels like a true goodbye.
Why I Do This Work
I came to funeral celebrancy through my own losses. Both my parents. My parents-in-law. My brother. My nephew. And my best friend. I spoke at each of their funerals and at a close friend's mother's service too.
It's the hardest thing, and it's also one of the most healing. Speaking their names. Telling the truth of who they were. Giving a room of grieving people something they can actually hold on to.
That experience is why I trained. I know what it's like to sit on your side of this. I won't rush you. I won't push. I'll listen for as long as it takes.
Comfort In Grief
Who I Work With
Families I support
- Families who want a celebrant-led funeral rather than a standard funeral director service (or want me to work alongside their chosen funeral director)
- Families planning a non-religious or semi-religious ceremony
- Celebrations of life, with or without the coffin present
- Woodland and natural burial services
- Memorial services held weeks or months after the death
- Families who want to include their own readings, music, and tributes and need someone to weave it all together
Can You ChooseYour Own Celebrant?
Yes. Always. You don't have to accept whoever your funeral director suggests. You're allowed to choose the person who writes and delivers the service. Many funeral directors are happy to work alongside an independent celebrant, and I'll handle that conversation with them if it helps.
If you'd like some religious elements (a prayer, a hymn, a blessing), those are welcome too. An independent celebrant can include anything that feels right for your family.
What's Included
Every farewell includes:
- A family meeting or call. A gentle, unhurried conversation where we gather the stories, memories, and wishes that shape the service.
- A bespoke ceremony script and eulogy. Personal, carefully written, and edited until the family feels it's right.
- Support for family readings and tributes. Whether that's helping someone write their words or reading on behalf of a family member who finds it too difficult.
- Full coordination. Liaising with the funeral director, the crematorium or burial team, and managing music cues and the order of service.
- Respectful officiation on the day. A calm, steady presence from start to finish.
- A printed copy of the ceremony for you to keep.
Farewell packages from £200 to £350, depending on complexity and travel.
How the Process Works
A first call.
Usually I hear from either the family directly or the funeral director.
Our meeting.
In person where possible, by phone or video where that's easier. This is where I listen and you share whatever you want to share about the person who has died.
Writing the service.
I'll draft the eulogy and ceremony and send it to you for review. We'll edit together until it feels truly theirs.
The day itself.
I arrive early, settle the space, and hold it steadily for you and your family.
Afterwards.
You'll have a printed copy of the full service to keep.
When You're Ready
There's no rush. When you're ready to have a conversation, I'm here. I won't send you a sales pitch. Just a kind, human response to whatever you share.
hello@julesceremonies.com
07535 582 694
North Somerset
SW · Wales · London · Yorkshire