Memorial Service Celebrant in Carlisle, Cumbria

Memorial Service

A memorial service is a ceremony that remembers and celebrates a loved one's life. Whereas a funeral usually takes place soon after a person’s death a memorial service can happen weeks or even months later. Such services do not involve a coffin or committal instead they remember a loved one as they were in life.

Covid has had a massive impact on how people have had to say goodbye to their loved ones. Numbers of family and friends who can attend a funeral have dropped dramatically as social distancing rules were and still are enforced. Perhaps the funeral service was limited to a shorter length of time. For whatever reason people are beginning to plan memorial services as a way of saying a longer and more personalised goodbye to their loved one.

We celebrate their life and legacy. You may want to have photos on display or videos, family and friends can tell their stories and ‘I remember whens…..’.

A memorial service can be held wherever you like and are only restricted by policies a venue has and the law of the land. You have the absolute freedom to choose how, when and where to commemorate your loved one's life. You can honour them however you choose fit; perhaps he was a great cricket fan – organise a match, or maybe she was a fabulous gardener – plant a tree or seedling. A memorial service is longer and more complex than a funeral but we will work together along with friends and family to make the service one to remember. If a memorial service is something you are interested in, please do get in touch and we can talk through your options.

The ceremony is guided by the character and story of your loved one and I can help write it.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

You get in contact with me via email, message, phone call, Facebook, Instagram, or in person and we have initial chat about your requirements and wishes. You can give me a date and I will see if it is available. If it is then let's meet up! We get to know each other and you can decide if you would like me to be your celebrant.

Once you have decided I am the one for you I ask that you pay me a deposit of £150 The fee can be found below.

We then meet up in person or over Zoom, Skype, FaceTime and we get to know each other even more. This can take between 1-2 hours it totally depends what we get chatting about and if we get distracted! This helps me make your ceremony totally unique and personal. We also talk about what ideas you have for your ceremony – where will it be, is there a theme, how many guests will there be, do you want any symbolic actions and so on. If you don’t know the answers to any of these questions – it’s totally fine – don’t worry! I have a wealth of ideas and I will talk you through them all if needs be! The time will ﬂy by and it might be we need another meeting!

I will send you a whole host of readings and poems to see if you would like to include any. No pressure to do so at all.

I go away and compose a draft script for your ceremony using all the information I have gained from us meeting.

It is important for me to say there are no restrictions on how many times we re-write the draft ceremony. It has to be absolutely perfect. If there is anything you don’t like, just let me know I really don’t mind.

We can have a rehearsal at the venue if it is not too far away. This isn’t compulsory it’s just if you want to. I don’t like to read through the script so it can be new to you on the day, but we can go through the choreography of your ceremony and the music. I can liaise with staff and your photographer should they be there.

I will contact the venue near the date of the ceremony to check timings and the running of the day etc. if I haven’t been there before I will do my best to visit so I am familiar with my surroundings.

I will go through with you all the suppliers you are using so photographer, videographer, musicians and so on so I can introduce them to your guests.

At this point we should be nearing the stage where we can say we have our fnal draft. I like to do this (by the latest) a week or 2 before your ceremony. That gives me time to add in any readings, poems or music and importantly vows you have chosen.

After the ceremony when there’s a chance to have 2 minutes with you, I will present you with a beautiful presentation box with a copy of your ceremony script and certificate in (should you have chosen to sign one).

FEES £350

DEPOSIT £150

For ceremonies within a 25-mile radius of CA2.

Additional mileage of 45p a mile is charged for ceremonies further afield.