Claire Elford Hewitt - Civil Funeral Celebrant

25/02/2026

Claire was amazing, so understanding and the service was just perfect, everyone said that it was fitting and she was brilliant at conducting the service, she made it so easy for the whole family ♥️🥰♥️

24/02/2026

This might sound strange but as humans, we are built to handle grief.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy and it doesn’t mean it doesn’t knock us sideways and kick our backsides. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t change us forever.

But grief is not a design flaw. It is part of the human blueprint.

As deeply as we are able to love, fiercely, unconditionally, wholeheartedly, we also grieve with the same intensity.

The two are inseparable.

We are not meant to get over grief, we are meant to live with it, grow around it, walk alongside it and carry it.

How that looks is different for each of us.

Some people talk.
Some people go quiet.
Some move their bodies.
Some sit still.
Some need community.
Some need solitude.

We all do it differently but there is something powerful in realising we are not broken because we grieve.

We are human.

And somewhere within us, even if we cannot feel it yet, is the capacity to hold both love and loss at the same time.

That is not weakness.

That is the deeply profound and powerful human experience we all go through ❤️

23/02/2026

I can't thank you enough for all you have done, the service was brilliant and made everyone feel at ease at last.

Thank you once again for making it so much easier for us to get through the service, you were amazing.

09/02/2026

A great post by Funeral Celebrant Kate

Have you thought about your digital/social media legacy?

A little bit of life admin led to a wake-up call.
Have you ever put off a conversation about what happens to your social media and digital assets after you’ve gone?

I did—until a recent memory jolted me into action.

As part of my celebrant training, we discussed how families often want access to a loved one's social media, digital photographs, or videos. It’s a modern way of preserving a legacy, but it can be a nightmare to navigate if nothing is in place.

So, in March last year, I took the leap to put something in place for myself. I nominated my "nearest and dearest" as my legacy contact for all the information stored on my mobile devices—messages, photos, apps, and files.

But here was my wake-up call... I realized I hadn’t actually told them. I was waiting for the "right time" to have the conversation and simply let it slip. I’d done the digital admin, but I’d missed the human connection.

Realizing I’d only made a partial start, I revisited the Digital Legacy Association website. It’s an excellent resource to get you thinking about what’s right for your own digital footprint.

I highly encourage you to take a look:

🔗 https://digitallegacyassociation.org/for-the-public/

Have you nominated a legacy contact yet? Or, like me, are you still waiting for the "right time" to talk about it?

23/01/2026

"No one gets a D in dying."

In a piece for The New York Times titled "Lessons on Dying From David Bowie and My Friends," Susan Gubar shares how a video released by David Bowie just days before his death from cancer, along with the personal experiences of her two close friends, inspired her to reframe her own thinking about death.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/13/well/live/lessons-on-dying-from-david-bowie-and-my-friends.html?unlocked_article_code=1.CVA.vKRZ.YztHWaL9Vo8S&smid=url-share

21/12/2025

‘The death of my dad felt incomprehensible... I felt disoriented, sad, and completely out of my depth’

09/12/2025

Claire was very caring towards our feelings, carried out the service extremely professional and couldn't have asked for a better Celebrant, a lot of mourners told me how great she was which I was very pleased about. Claire was there to greet us at the Crematorium and led the service beautifully.

09/12/2025

🎄 Holiday Reminders 🎄

02/12/2025

This week is Grief Awareness Week, and a chance to recognise how any type of loss can affect our wellbeing.

There’s no right or wrong way to feel — grief affects everyone differently.

If you're finding things difficult, there’s support that can help.

➡️ https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/grief-bereavement-loss/

27/11/2025

Claire, the service you gave Mike was absolutely superb, it was perfect and I will never forget you for making it that way.

27/11/2025

Pop up phone of the wind in Macclesfield.

28/10/2025

🌿 A little something you might not know…

When you’re arranging a funeral, you can choose any celebrant you like.

Funeral directors often have people they work with, but you don’t have to go with their suggestion. If there’s someone you already know or a celebrant who feels like the right fit for your family, just let your funeral director know, they can make it happen.

It’s your choice, and it’s important that it feels right for you. 💐

Claire Elford Hewitt
Civil Funeral Celebrant
📞 07242 254182
📧 claireehcelebrant@gmail.com