Sharon Wood - Funeral Celebrant

02/11/2025

I always appreciate the great team at St Faiths and enjoy working alongside them.

🔦This week's celebrant spotlight falls on the lovely Sharon Wood. Always a pleasure to work with Sharon.🔦

Since 2016 I have been an innovative Independent Celebrant here in Norfolk, crafting meaningful ceremonies and celebrations of life. I always enjoy working with the supportive professional team at St Faiths.
I worked as a dedicated registered nurse for some 30 years. Having come to know profound grief in my own life, I was inspired to pursue a new career supporting the bereaved. My passion for creative writing led me to working alongside families and individuals to prepare and deliver thoughtful and person-centred goodbyes.
I’m often told I am known for my warmth, friendliness, and empathic listening skills. Learning about people’s lives is a privilege, and I strive to tell these stories with authenticity and attention to detail. I meticulously craft ceremony scripts that are cherished and remembered, ensuring each ceremony feels deeply personal. As a progressive celebrant, I embrace new ideas and approaches to farewell ceremonies.
Born and raised in Norwich, I spent several years living in London and overseas before returning to this beautiful county. Life outside my work is always lively, filled with the demands and joys of family, a house full of pets, and my enthusiasm for film and theatre. I also lead a weekly Grief Café in Mundesley, supporting those experiencing loss, and run a small memorial jewellery business from my home on the North Norfolk coast'.
Sharon Wood
Independent Celebrant
sharon@sharonwood.co.uk
07795 462939

30/10/2025

Looking forward to displaying some of the beautiful See You memorial jewellery range at Emm’s Stems Christmas Event on Friday 7th November and Saturday 8th November.
See the flyer below for more details. Always a lovely event. Come along for all things Christmas, a slurp of mulled wine and a mince pie.🎄⭐️💍
Memorial jewellery orders for Christmas to be made before 28th November please. ✨

25/09/2025

I can hardly believe that September is almost coming to a close, the weeks have flown by.
I’m taking a little time this morning to reflect on the beautiful person-centred ceremonies I have written and conducted this month. It has been challenging at times but so very rewarding.
It’s always a privilege to work alongside families, and various funeral directors, venues and florists, to give a person a meaningful and dignified send off which will always be remembered by those they leave behind.
I’m adding some photos taken by one of the Funeral Directors I work alongside (all credit to them), the wonderful team at Gordon Haynes Independent Funeral Services.

13/09/2025

I Am Still Here ❤️
The ones we love
do not vanish into silence—
they linger in the tender spaces,
in the soft hush of dawn,
in the golden trembling of light.

Speak to them as though they walk beside you,
because in truth, they do.

Ask for signs,
and they will answer softly—
a birds song at dawn
A butterfly wings unfolding,
A feather in your path, as though placed just for you
a quiet whisper that says:
I am here.
I have not gone.
I am still with you.

❤️

03/09/2025

I acknowledge that sadly not everyone will have memories that awaken these feelings and allow this to resonate…but for many of us I feel sure it will. ♥️

30/08/2025

💜 Today is National Grief Awareness Day—a time to recognize that grief is a natural, ongoing process, not something that simply “goes away.”

Many people believe grief shrinks over time. In reality, grief often stays the same size—but as life continues, we grow around it. 🌱

This day reminds us to:
✨ Normalize conversations about grief and loss
✨ Show compassion for those grieving, no matter how long it has been
✨ Share resources and support with those who need it

You don’t have to carry grief alone. Connection and community make healing possible.

07/07/2025

A ceremony, a ritual, a designated time and place to come together to say farewell -
I truly believe such an occasion (and that occasion can be whatever the individual and/or family and friends want it to be) is so very important in the grief process.
To feel the pain and loss of the death of someone important to you. To learn of the death of someone who meant something to you. And then for there to be nothing. Just the news. And then nothing. No being together to share memories. No being in the presence of others who cared about that person too.
Loss and grief is painful enough. In my humble opinion, direct cremation without ceremony makes it more so.

03/07/2025

Today is National Bereaved Parents Day 💜

A child dying is one of the most intensely painful experiences you can go through.

People tell us they feel like they’ve lost a part of themselves and find it difficult to return to normal life.

Each person will handle this grief differently. Whilst some might find comfort in sharing their stories, for others the experience is too painful. There's no 'right' way to grieve.

For more information and support, please visit our website ⬇️

https://ow.ly/i6Cq50WkfxS

26/06/2025

This is an Australian campaign but it’s just as relevant here in the UK.
Talking about end of life wishes and death doesn’t ’talk it up’. It’s not morbid. Put some plans in place and then get on with living a fulfilling life! 😊
As an experienced and progressive celebrant I can advise and facilitate in the planning of your own farewell/celebration of life/memorial ceremony - or even a living funeral/celebration of life if you wish.
I can write your eulogy, or help you to do so, and offer guidance regarding rituals and ceremony content.
I have also had training in End of Life Planning and can help you to put your affairs in order.
Making decisions and having plans in place is a gift to your family. Please don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss the help you might need and the services I can offer.

23/06/2025

Today is International Widows Day 💜

Losing your husband, wife or partner is one of the most painful experiences in life, and can bring a number of other challenges and losses.

For more information and support, head to our website ⬇️

https://ow.ly/TAXn50WeCaL

14/06/2025

🩷💛🩷
Grief and the Loss of Future Memories

One of the quietest, most piercing parts of grief is mourning the future — not just what was, but what will never be. It's the birthdays that won’t be celebrated, the milestones that will pass unshared, the ordinary moments that now exist only in imagination. You find yourself grieving a thousand “what would have been” moments: the graduation they didn’t reach, the wedding they won’t attend, the children they won’t have, or simply another Sunday morning together.

This kind of grief is not rooted in memory, but in the absence of it. It’s a haunting kind of ache — longing for things that never happened, yet feel so real in your heart. And it's this invisible loss, this lifelong unfolding of “what was supposed to be,” that can catch you off guard, years down the track, in the quietest or most joyful moments.

Learning to live alongside the loss of future memories is a hidden layer of grief — and it’s no less real than all the rest.

Artist Credit: Unknown Artist