FUNERAL SERVICES

There’s no greater challenge we face than the loss of a loved one. Honouring their lives with a sincere and authentic funeral service can help in the process toward acceptance and healing. Engaging an experienced, compassionate funeral celebrant can make all the difference during this difficult time.

As a funeral celebrant, it's my role to consult with families and friends to gain insight into the unique life and nature of the person who has died, and create and deliver a service that is a genuine reflection of who they were.

Once engaged to conduct a service, I visit with clients in the comfort of their home to guide them through the process of crafting a fitting tribute for their loved one. We share stories, drink tea, and discuss what’s possible within a ceremony and how we can create a service that best honours and represents the departed. I also gather details during this meeting to write a personal, tailored ceremony, and a full eulogy if desired.

Planning a funeral can be overwhelming, and I'm here to help families understand what's involved in creating a meaningful memorial and the options available to them.

End-of-life services can be highly individualised and include tributes from family, friends and community, music, photographs, art and media, spiritual, cultural or religious elements, poetry, readings, rituals and rites - established or created. There are also many options available regarding venue and proceedings, including holding the service outdoors, at home or at a venue of personal significance, in community halls and spaces or non-denominational chapels. I’ve also included some links below to information about burial and cremation options and your rights around spending time with your loved one at home after death.

I work closely with the family and funeral director right through to end of service to ensure a ceremony that runs smoothly, best honours the departed and brings comfort to those attending.

I've been an independent funeral celebrant for over 6 years, conducting services in and around Melbourne, the far south coast of NSW and Sydney. It’s an honour and a privilege to help people farewell their loved ones with care and integrity, and together we can ensure that your loved one's service feels like a genuine and authentic tribute to their life.

I can be contacted directly on 0432 068 882 or alicethecelebrant@gmail.com to be engaged as your funeral celebrant, or you can request your funeral director to contact me for the service. I’m also a member of the Funeral Celebrants Association Australia.

Below are some examples of services I have conducted.

This was a live-streamed service I conducted for a friend at the beautiful Newcastle Town Hall in 2020. It was just as the pandemic started, and despite the strange new seating and distancing protocols we bid a warm farewell a great man who loved bluegrass, single malt, and good company.

This great poem by Mosiah Lyman Hancock, ‘When I am Gone’, acknowledges our humanity in all its complexity... not just the easy stuff. I recited it here for a larger-than-life lady during her service in a small community hall on the far south coast of NSW. She was an eccentric, well-known town fixture, affectionately dubbed 'The Queen'.

KIND WORDS FROM FAMILIES

"Thank you for Mum’s service on Wednesday. It was exactly how she would have wanted it, and your care for us in the days leading up to it meant a lot." Trish, Coburg, VIC

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"Thank you for your heartfelt ceremony and the kindness with which you helped us face the day." A and P Smythe, Sydney, NSW

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"The way you infused the service with Dad’s personality and quirks made it feel like a true tribute to his life." Di, Newcastle, NSW

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"Thank you for your support and encouragement to let the ceremony reflect who Sam really was." R. Shaw, Frankston, VIC

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"You made the whole awful process a little bit easier, so thank you Alice." - Julie, Preston, VIC

FUNERAL RESOURCES

https://www.funeraladvice.com.au/

A comprehensive website from InvoCare offering advice and resources to assist with planning a funeral service.

HTTPS://WWW.FUNERALCELEBRANTS.ORG.AU/PLANNING-A-FUNERAL/READINGS-POETRY

HTTPS://WWW.LASTINGPOST.COM/FUNERAL-POEMS/

These are two comprehensive collections of poems and readings for civil funeral ceremonies.

http://afda.org.au

The Australian Funeral Directors Association website contains information to help you understand the purpose and process of planning a funeral, and links to important resources such as grief support and funeral providers.

https://yourlifeassist.com.au/why-use-a-funeral-celebrant/

Information about the role and function of funeral celebrants, and how to engage the right celebrant for your service.

https://www.choice.com.au/

This is an informative article about the options that are available to you in Australia when planning a funeral for your loved one, including types of services, options for burial or cremation, coffins, sites of ceremony, spending time with your loved one at home and sustainability.

httpS://www.thegroundswellproject.com/ 

The Groundswell Project is a Sydney-based not-for-profit organisation that aims, through education and discussion, workshops and community engagement, to create a new cultural dialogue about death, and '“create a more death-literate society, one where people and communities have the practical know-how needed to plan well for end of life.”

HTTPS://WWW.PICALUNA.COM

Picaluna is a unique Sydney-based company that offers bespoke funeral services. Run by celebrants, Picaluna is a network of celebrants, funeral directors and service providers such as florists, hearses, coffin suppliers, cemeteries and crematoriums, that has the capability to offer a variety of choices, venues and options for your service.