Funerals don’t have to follow the same old formula. We don’t have to do things a certain way just because that’s the way it’s always been done.
Funerals can be so much more than that.
Creative. Joyful. Colourful 🌈
After all, that’s how we live our lives, so let’s make it part of how we celebrate those lives too.
Swipe to see some of the most creative ceremonies from my seven years as a funeral celebrant. The ones that stuck with me. The ones that changed the way I think about celebrating life.
Because creativity matters 🌻🧡
04/04/2026
Your life is colourful, your farewell can be too 🌻🌈
Only one week to go! Come and Get Mortal with me on Saturday 11th April! It’s funeral planning with a difference, in a supportive group setting where we explore your funeral wishes using specially designed resources from
No pressure, no gloom - just curiosity, conversation and community (oh, and cake!)
Tickets are £20 but don’t forget, this session is open to all so there are two fully funded spots available for those on lower incomes.
Here are a few things you need to know about what to do when someone dies, and things you might want to consider when you’re organising a funeral…
It can be so bewildering when you’re feeling rushed left, right and centre into making decisions.
Take your time, breathe, and think about what is most important to you, what you need to process your grief, and what will help you honour the life of the person you love 🧡🌈
The stars were out for Mackenzie’s naming today, as friends and family gathered to celebrate him at the village hall in Watlington 🚀
A beautiful ceremony that recognised and included the faiths and cultures of each of his five guide parents.
Mum Lauren and dad Rob chose a humanist naming as the best way of bringing all those elements together, as well as emphasising their own deeply held values of community and care.
Just a lovely, relaxed morning as the kids pottered about enjoying the ball pit and colouring table (pro tip - if you’re organising a naming and there will be small children there, this will be a life saver) 🖍️
And I love the middle names Rob and Lauren chose for their son - Altair for the brightest star in the Aquila galaxy, and nova meaning ‘new star’.
Beautiful cake by .ely
Heading back to Cambridge now with a full heart and one of those lovely cupcakes in my bag.
28/03/2026
Sunshine, blue skies and birdsong on our April grief walk… 🌿☀️
I started organising these monthly walks because I realised how soothing it felt being out in nature, and I wanted to share that with others.
Grieving in community, supporting each other, reducing isolation and creating a safe space to share emotions and just be… that’s what grief walks are all about.
Are you in the Cambridge area? Why not join me for the next one on Saturday 25th April, 11-1 at Wandlebury Country Park 🌳🐞
24/03/2026
He wasn’t going to have a funeral at all. He never liked goodbyes anyway, so what could be better than to slip away quietly?
For his sister, she needed somewhere to go to say goodbye. To acknowledge his place in her life. To say he was here, he was my big brother and I love him.
There will only be a handful of people there, in the quiet of the late afternoon. But it will be meaningful and it will be beautiful - and it will matter.
Funerals still matter.
Even with the rise in direct cremations, they still matter.
They witness our grief, they make space for the sharing of stories, and they help us process loss. They are community, they are care and they are love.
As celebrants we’re there to guide families through moments of great change, and it’s a real gift to get to do that every day.
What else would you add to the list? Let me know!
🌻🌻🌻
Music chosen for W, the last band that he went to see, the ticket still pinned to the notice board in his kitchen as a reminder of a moment in time, an evening that he loved.
18/03/2026
🌳 MARCH GRIEF WALK🌳
Looking forward to this month’s Grief Walk, a gentle stroll around Fen Drayton Lakes Nature Reserve.
Why not join me?
It’s free, and a great opportunity to spend time in nature and community, while beginning to have gentle conversations around our experiences of 🌻🌈
10/03/2026
There are lots of reasons why people say they don’t want a funeral. That’s a personal choice we should all be able to make.
But we can also find ways of saying goodbye that work for everyone involved, and that answer those worries.
Swipe to see 👉🏼
What other reasons have you heard for not having a funeral? Let me know 📲
03/03/2026
Being a celebrant isn’t ‘just’ about leading ceremonies. Of course that’s important, but it’s just one part of what I do.
There are also all the bits you don’t see…and it starts here, in my office and writing room.
This space is so important to me, and I love it 🌻 🌈
Which is lucky, because I spend a lot of time here. Reading, thinking, planning, writing… and rewriting.
Sooo… I thought I’d share a bit about what things look like behind the scenes, and where I get my creative inspiration from.
The little piece of wood is from the field where my dad is buried and, sitting on top of it, is a bit of wool from one of the sheep that sometimes graze there .
When I’m thinking about or writing a ceremony, I find it really soothing to hold them and feel their textures to help centre myself 🐑 🌳
I’ve shelves full of books to turn to for inspiration, but the most special ones are shown in the first photo… because those are ones written by people whose funerals I’ve led. Ft. the beautiful teacup I was given after one of my earliest funerals 🫖
Also ft. my beautiful vase;, emotional support bat crocheted by 🦇 memento mori 💀 and the beans from my friend Dave’s funeral that I need to plant soon!
What do you surround yourself with for inspiration? 💭
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I strongly believe that we should all have access to the type of funeral we want. With around 40% of the UK population now describing themselves as non-religious, choice is becoming increasingly important.
Trained by Humanists UK, I work closely with friends and family of the person who has died to create personalised ceremonies that help the bereaved to say goodbye but also celebrate the life that has been. Your funeral, your way.
Eight years ago my father died very suddenly and my sisters and I found ourselves arranging his funeral. A bit lost as to what to do for the best, one thing we were sure of was that we wanted a non-religious funeral, one that reflected his love of music and his personality. We found a humanist celebrant, and knew straightaway that it was the right fit for us.
My background is in community work, particularly anti-poverty charities, teaching, research and working in end of life care. I am also a member of Humanists UK Pastoral Support Network (think non-religious hospital and prison chaplaincy) and am currently training as a volunteer with Addenbrookes Hospital.
I am based in Cambridge but work across East Anglia. Please take a look around the site for more information on the services I provide, and do get in touch if you have any questions.
