I am an independent funeral celebrant (civil celebrant) based in Dundee, Scotland. I mainly conduct services in Dundee, Perth, Angus and Fife, though I work across Scotland and beyond. I also conduct web ceremonies using Zoom so that I can work with people (including collaborations with other celebrants) anywhere in the world.
My aim is to work closely with family, friends and funeral directors to make the ceremony a beautiful and fitting tribute. The role of the celebrant can range from conducting the entire ceremony, to offering a eulogy writing service, to just providing advice and support. I am very open to helping with natural and green funerals, and I have particular sensitivity to issues around gender and the LGBTQ community.
I’m a skilled listener and work with sensitivity, compassion and calm professionalism. The power of the spoken word is very important to me and I try hard to capture the essence of a person’s life and deliver that effectively. Above all, with respect and dignity.
I am currently Chair of SICA – the Scottish Independent Celebrants’ Association – I strongly believe that celebrants should share skills and collaborate to maintain high standards. We encourage regular peer reviews and continuing professional development (CPD). We also try to promote death literacy and organized two events for Demystifying Death Week this year.
I recently graduated with a masters degree in End of Life Studies from the University of Glasgow. For my dissertation I interviewed fellow celebrants about the shift in how funerals have been conducted in Scotland over the past 20 years – you can download a summary of my research findings here.
There’s a lot more about me and my vocation on the website. For instance, how I work and my experience and training (and my occasional blog). Or contact me directly if you would like to chat about my work or about research opportunities and collaborations.
Michael Hannah, Funeral Celebrant Dundee, 13 February 2025
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