On Tuesday 2nd of January 2024 I set off to conduct a family visit. This is the meeting that a celebrant has with a bereaved family to plan the funeral and it’s usually a central part of the process of
Scottish Independent Celebrants’ Association – new Chair
At the last AGM of SICA (Scottish Independent Celebrants’ Association) I was elected as the new Chair. It’s a great honour and I wanted to thank the members of our association for placing their trust in me. I’ve been a
So, what does a celebrant do? Giving advice
This is an occasional series on the different things a funeral celebrant does or can do. You’re probably familiar with a celebrant being the person who conducts a funeral service. They write and deliver a eulogy… read a poem perhaps…
Celebrant Showcase – Gillian Robertson from Falkirk
Yesterday I travelled through to Falkirk to have a conversation with Gillian for the blog. I’m originally from Falkirk and I still have family there so it was a chance to drive my mum through to see her sister, while
Celebrant Showcase – Sarah Burnside from Fife
In these showcase posts I usually interview …. or at least have a conversation with… the celebrant. But in this case I’m just posting a video that Sarah made and which she has kindly shared with me. Sarah is based
Celebrant Showcase – Cate Reid from Fife
Today I had the pleasure of interviewing my good friend and colleague, Cate Reid. Cate and I met at a talk I’d organized on the History of the Scottish Funeral. That was just a short time before the pandemic put
SICA AGM
Last weekend I attended the AGM of the Scottish Independent Celebrants’ Association (SICA)….. in person!! And it was so good to meet everyone. I have come to know many of the members there over the last year or so since
SICA Christmas Service
The very first SICA (Scottish Independent Celebrants’ Association) Christmas Service will be broadcast on their Facebook Page on Monday 21st December (Winter Solstice) at 7pm, and available on the page after that too. A group of celebrants from right across Scotland have
Jane Sheppard – funerary urns
Just recently a friend of mine mentioned that he worked with a ceramic artist who is also a celebrant and interfaith minister, Jane Sheppard. He thought I might like to see her work, especially her funerary urns. I had a
SICA
Today I successfully joined SICA – the Scottish Independent Celebrants’ Association. It’s part of a constant endeavour to meet and network with more celebrants across Scotland. To share experience and hopefully to improve my own practice and hone my skills.
Celebrant Showcase – Jill Jones from Teesside
One of the good things to have come out of lockdown for me has been making a lot of new contacts with celebrants not just locally, but further afield. I thought it might be nice to do a short series
COVID White Paper and resources
There is a really useful collection of ideas and resources here – very useful for funeral celebrants and anyone involved in the world of funerals, bereavement, grief and loss. It’s a bit USA-centred but valuable none the less: COVID White