A service of choice, for your loved one and your family
Welcome
As a professionally trained Civil Funeral Celebrant I will help you create a truly personal ceremony that will be a fitting tribute to your loved one.
Not everybody wants the same, traditional type of funeral. My job is to provide you with a thorough service that provides comfort and relief during these times.
You will be involved in the process of creating the ceremony from the very beginning. Resulting in a tribute that truly captures the essence of the person and tells a suitable story about their life.
As a fully qualified Civil Celebrant I have been rigorously assessed for my skills and suitability to deliver a unique funeral ceremony with sensitivity and empathy.
This means you can have every confidence in trusting me to help with the funeral you are arranging.
I’m here to help so if you have any further questions and would like any further information please get in touch.
Andrew
Civil Minister
A ‘Civil Minister’ is a ‘Certified Civil Celebrant’ and an ordained Minister. This means that should you wish there to be religious content there can be. However, if you wish for a service without faith references it is entirely your own choice.
The ceremony is both a dignified tribute and a highly personal memoir, created by a professional in consultation with the family.
The Minister works closely with the Funeral Director and maintains a high degree of personal involvement with the bereaved family throughout, from the initial meeting through to creating and then leading the ceremony.
The public are seeking more choice in funeral ceremonies and a Civil Funeral ceremony seeks to address this. There is no bar to religion within the ceremony - it really does depend on the wishes of the family and the family alone.
The choice of ceremony will be influenced by religious and cultural traditions, by personal preference, or indeed by the express wishes of the deceased. Many people have already found that a Civil Funeral ceremony has been the appropriate choice for them to make.
The Civil Funeral ceremony is fitting for either a cremation or burial and can be held at most appropriate locations with the exception of most churches and religious buildings. In respect of a burial, this would be at a burial ground such as a natural burial ground or local authority cemetery
Arranging a Funeral
A Civil Funeral is a funeral driven by the wishes, beliefs and values of the deceased and their family, not by the beliefs or ideology of the person conducting the funeral.
When a loved one dies, it is always a very painful and distressing time and there are, inevitably, decisions to be taken about the funeral. Perhaps the most important question of all is, what kind of funeral do you really want?
Every family is different, and not everyone wants the same type of funeral. The choice may be influenced by religious and cultural traditions, personal preferences, or by the express wishes of the deceased.
Whilst the majority of people in the UK still choose a 'traditional' religious funeral service, an increasing number are finding that their personal preferences are best accommodated within a Funeral ceremony of their choosing - a funeral which can include religious elements of faith or no religious content at all, and also other elements that can be combined to better reflect the wishes of everyone involved.
With the help and support of a professional Civil Funeral Minister, the most appropriate and meaningful ceremony for this final act of love and respect can be created.
The most important thing to remember is that this is a service of your choosing. On the following page there are downloads available for poetry and readings and a link to Wesley Music who provide most of the music to crematoriums. Obviously it is important to observe a certain amount of respectability and dignity however, it is always worth discussing exactly what you wish to include in the service.
What the families say
These are just a few of the comments made by families and the original copies may be viewed upon request however, client confidentiality demands that copies will never be made or left with a third party.
"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the beautiful service you did for Grandma. Everyone commented on how good you were and how well you came across. You did her proud :-) "
Laura
"Andrew, Thank you for all your help, kindness and laughs. You’ve helped give my Dad the ‘Farewell’ he would have wanted."
Our best always Gary, Joanne, Rosie, Charlie and Alfie
"Andrew, Thank you very much for the way you orated my Dads story as all that attended stated it’s the best funeral they have attended."
Adrian
"Morning Andrew, Just to thank you for all you did yesterday, we had lots of positive feedback on the service. I’m off work again today, finding it a bit difficult to come to terms with, but I’m sure I’ll get there."
Judy & Andy
"Hello, I just wanted to thank you again for the lovely service you did for my Mum’s funeral. All my friends commented what a wonderful funeral it was. I was sincerely comforted by it and I am very grateful."
Alison
"Dear Andrew. Just to thank you for the lovely service you did for Joan on Friday. Me and my family were most impressed and highly satisfied with the way it was conducted and presented. Many of the people who came also made similar comments. Thank you very much."
Robert