Danette O'Brien - Funeral Celebrant

28/11/2025

There’s something that doesn’t get talked about openly, but it’s a conversation I have with a lot of people I’ve met in my role. It’s about the way our place in the world changes with the loss of our second parent and sometimes that realisation hits during our meetings. I know first hand how it feels and if you find yourself now an “orphan” in this world, I encourage you to have that conversation. There are so many of us out there and it needs to be talked about. 💗

18/11/2025

Pets grieve too 😢

14/11/2025

It is National Celebrants Week!!! and it was lovely to be part of a funeral celebrant gathering hosted by Simplicity Funerals last week. We are like ships that pass in the night, mostly working solo, meeting families, delivering a service on the day and seldom crossing paths so it was great to mingle and chat while enjoying Simplicity’s wonderful hospitality and to feel appreciated. Thank you to Irene, Bec, Catherine, Brett and Lyn for hosting us.🌻

12/11/2025

Contd:…. “Many guests commented afterwards on how moving and comforting the service was. Honouring someone’s life is never easy, but Danette made the day one we will remember with gratitude. We couldn’t have asked for a more caring or professional celebrant and would wholeheartedly recommend Danette to anyone seeking someone to lead such an occasion.”

05/09/2025

Some people have an affinity with butterflies through their spiritual meanings, but a woman I farewelled recently loved them because they are beautiful and one of her wishes for her funeral service was for those present to stick a butterfly on her coffin. As I was handing mourners their butterfly, I watched as this work of art and love and significance came to life. As she embarked on her final journey to the crematorium she did so surrounded by something that was so very special to her. 💗🦋💗

26/08/2025

This email touched my heart when it arrived recently. I will always remember this service - they are all special but this one was off the charts beautiful 💗💗💗

“Below I have written a short piece on my experience with yourself and your business Farewelled with Love. I would be very happy for you to use this to share with other families preparing to farewell a loved one.
 
Danette was recommended to me as a ‘perfect fit’ by our funeral home.  
We wanted to plan a ‘Celebration of Life’ Service for our Mum, who was a very gentle caring Mum but a very private person.
Danette came to my home and her calm and sincere nature had me feeling at ease immediately.

We talked openly and with many tears, or ‘droplets of love’ as Danette calls them, and I shared precious photos of Mum.

I wanted to involve all the family members Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. 
And it was to be only 40 guests, small and personal to our Mum.

Danette encouraged us to celebrate all the things we loved about Mum, some humorous!!
 
From that Danette wrote the most beautiful service order in which reflected the gentle person Mum was, who was dearly loved by so many. 

I loved how personal her words were as if she had known Mum.

Grandchildren lit candles gifted to us by Danette, and then two sang ‘Wind beneath your Wings’.

Family wrote personal tributes and Great Grandchildren handed out GG’s favourite lollies afterwards.

We all made paper flowers together to place on the coffin, such simple expressions of our love for Mum.
 
I wanted to read my Eulogy but didn’t think I could, this was very important to me. Danette encouraged me to try and with the help of my son we did read it together, I will be forever grateful for this support.

Danette’s care and encouragement ensured Mum’s farewell was so beautiful and showed our deep love for her and overwhelmingly this was the feedback we received from everyone there. 
 
Sincere thanks Danette, we cannot thank you enough💕
 

16/08/2025

I hear these words so often… and they provoke a lot of reflection for me.

If I know the deceased, I’ll let the people attending the funeral or memorial service know that I do upfront but that’s really the only difference you’ll find in a service I deliver.

A skilled celebrant will craft their words to convey all that they learn about the deceased without portraying they’ve known them. It’s all about the language used, never glossing over the finer details and really bringing someone’s essence into the venue.

During one of my first meetings with a family, I was unexpectedly stopped after 20 minutes with the comment “I see what you’re doing, you’re really getting to know who dad was.” To which I replied.. “but that’s my job.” I was then told that the last celebrant the family engaged had stayed for 15 minutes.

In the end, it’s up to the family. If you want an unengaged celebrant who most definitely doesn’t know much at all about your person, I don’t ever aspire to be on your list of people to call.

If you are looking for a highly personalised service that is delivered with warmth, empathy, a touch of humour when warranted and one that people will remember for the right reasons, but most of all captures who your person was to an absolute tee, know that you’re in exactly the right place. 💗

28/07/2025

If natural burial is something you are considering for your end of life wishes, here’s another option in Goolwa. 💗

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT
The WATTLEWOOD PROJECT

The NBGTA is establishing Australia's first Restoration Burial Ground on seven hectares near Goolwa, South Australia, in partnership with Nature Foundation, together modelling Restoration Burial Grounds across Australia.

I'm absolutely excited to announce this amazing project, details have now been released to the general public, overwhelmingly approved by the Alexandrina Council and supported by 95% of local residents surveyed.

An innovative model that connects end-of-life practices with environmental restoration. This approach uses simple, nature-inspired practices and minimal resources to create a sustainable end-of-life option that reduces carbon emissions and offers a meaningful return to the earth.

In contrast to conventional funeral processes that are often commercialised, disconnected from nature, and resource-intensive, natural burial involves placing a body into the earth with minimal resources to promote natural decomposition. When located within a Restoration Burial Ground, this ritual generates biodiversity, restoration and conservation, providing a practical investment in our shared ecological future. Ultimately, this allows individuals and families to find comfort and establish a lasting legacy by connecting the death of an individual with the restoration of environmental life.

Donations are part of how this vision can become a reality, every dollar counts as every person does. If you can't donate that's OK, but if you're interested in what all the fuss is about then just copy and paste the address below and enjoy the tour!

https://natural-burial-ground-trust-australia.raiselysite.com/

Alternatively, scan the QR code from the photo and it'll take you directly to the site.

25/07/2025

So grateful to receive another 5 star online review from a family I worked with recently.
🙏💗🙏

24/05/2025

It’s head down and write write write for me all weekend and early next week with an incredibly busy week and weekend of funerals and memorial services ahead. I’ve just arrived home after a family meeting up in the glorious Adelaide Hills, one place in this crazy world of ours that still seems to know what seasons are, and Autumn is always such a treat there. Feeling grateful for my Saturday morning road trip and the reds golds and greens of the beautiful trees along the way. 💗🙏💗

20/05/2025

These lovely words rolled into my inbox recently. It was the last sentence that made my heart smile. While I’m in people’s lives as a Funeral and Memorial Celebrant for a short time, knowing they’ve felt supported is one of the biggest compliments I can ever hope for. 💗