Funeral Celebrant: Brisbane, Sunshine Coast

Support in your most challenging times

Losing someone you love, whether expected or unexpected, is never easy. This time of your life can be distressing, upsetting and challenging, to say the least.

I believe, in order to best say goodbye to a loved one, we can celebrate an individual’s life through a meaningful, authentic ceremony tailor-made just for them.

I am driven to tell the story of a life well lived. Sharing the joy and happiness that they brought to those around them, and ensuring the day, while tough, is at its core a happy one.

I can help find the words for your loved one that you don’t quite know how to say – or the right music or style for the ceremony that best encompasses your loved one’s life.

Together, we can create a memorable funeral that your friends and family will forever keep in their memories.

Find out more about Jay

What does a funeral celebrant do?

A funeral celebrant is similar to the celebrant of a wedding.

They officiate the event, welcome loved ones and speak about the person whose life is being celebrated. My prime purpose is to lead the funeral service in a way that truly reflects what your loved one would have wanted.

I prefer to meet with my clients prior to a funeral to discuss elements of the service that you would like to be addressed.

This might involve the ideal music to play, the style in which you would like me to speak (casual, formal and so on) or even if your loved one liked a particular phrase, poem or quote.

These are the sort of things we discuss in our initial meetings to truly embody your loved one in their final farewell to friends and family.

As an experienced funeral celebrant, I understand that these conversations can be incredibly difficult.

I offer comfort without judgement and many years of experience to assist in framing the script of this special farewell.

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What is a civil funeral celebrant?

A civil funeral celebrant, like myself, is typically called upon to conduct non-religious funeral services outside of a religious institution.

This can be in a crematorium, funeral parlour, open-air memorial service or the scattering of ashes, amongst other funeral settings.

A civil funeral celebrant is different from a religious clergy member as we conduct funerals outside of a specific religion.

Funerals conducted by a civil celebrant are often focused on embracing and celebrating the individuals’ life after their passing, and can generally be less formal and traditional than church-based funerals.

How to plan a funeral

Planning a funeral can be a daunting process.

Funeral celebrants can assist through this difficult time by meeting with you to discuss your loved one’s life and how they would like to be remembered.

Many celebrants for funerals are also celebrants for marriage and are typically well-versed in the narrative and storytelling aspect of officiating an event.

As an experienced marriage and funeral celebrant, I understand the importance of finalising the details of the funeral as well as perfecting the script.

How to find a funeral celebrant?

Finding the right funeral celebrant for your occasion is just as important as fine-tuning the details of your loved one’s farewell.

I understand that in this difficult time, many families prefer to meet with celebrants to make an informed decision on whether that individual is right for the occasion.

With experience officiating weddings and elopements, and as a funeral celebrant, I pride myself on ensuring that the service you receive is perfectly tailored to your loved one.

My first meeting for all funeral and wedding enquiries is complimentary. You are welcome to call me anytime to either discuss the details of your loved one’s funeral over the phone, or face-to-face.

Why Choose Me?

When you choose me as your funeral celebrant, you get:

A tailor-made, personalised script made to suit your loved one

I meet with you in advance of the funeral to gain insight into who your loved one was and why you adored them, and then share this sentiment with attendees of the funeral.

A funeral without formula

Your loved one’s funeral doesn’t need to follow the rules of what is expected in a religious setting. We work with what your loved one wanted for their final farewell, free of judgement.

A loving, sentimental and meaningful goodbye

From my years working in media and wedding officiation, I am a confident public speaker and am comfortable using healing words to help attendees express a meaningful goodbye during the ceremony.

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Types of Funerals

Families can celebrate funerals in very different ways. While some prefer a more traditional celebration of an individual’s’ life, others prefer to have a modern celebration for their loved one’s final farewell.

I appreciate that every individual is different, and am experienced in many different styles of funerals, including open-air, cremation, scattering of ashes and more.

Some examples of different types of funerals include:

• Traditional funeral: Often held in a church, complete with hymns, eulogies and a committal. This is one of the most popular types of ceremonies.
• Cremations: Where a ceremony is often held in a chapel or room in the crematorium building.
• Woodland funerals: Eco-friendly funerals have increased in popularity over the past decade. This is where a burial takes place naturally at an authorised burial ground in the country. Headstones are often marked with a shrub or fern.
• Burial site funerals: A traditional method of conducting a funeral beside your loved one’s final resting place.

Why do people celebrate after funerals?

Following the funeral, you may like to celebrate the occasion by providing attendees with food and drink for a few hours at a wake.

Many people may ask the question, why do people celebrate after funerals?

But it’s important to remember that people like to conduct funerals in a way that embodies their loved one. Celebrations are often held after someone who has been ill for a very long time has passed, as many people believe that once that person’s suffering over, they should celebrate their transition to peace.

While funerals can be a challenging time, they are also a reminder of the light that person brought to those around them.

Sharing stories, anecdotes and joyous moments can help process grief and remind all those present of the happy life they are together to celebrate.

Don’t commit to a thing. Let’s just chat about how I might be able to help.

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What is included in your funerary celebrant services?

When working with a celebrant to plan a funeral, it’s important to understand what the celebrant plans to help you with.

As part of my celebrant fees, I provide:

An initial meeting with you and/or your family prior to the funeral to understand your loved one’s life. In this meeting, I also like to see what role you would like me to play in the funeral. Some families prefer me to guide the funeral while others prefer me to play a supporting role.

My availability to families both during business hours and after to discuss any elements of the service.

My expertise in reviewing the Order of Service booklet to ensure it has been carefully planned with no details missed or overlooked.

Assistance in the selection of appropriate poems, verses, music, readings and other elements to make your loved one’s funeral as special and memorable as possible.

Creative input and experience to guide the smoothness of the ceremony.

Flexibility and adaptability to work with your personal wishes for the style of the ceremony.

Comfort to your family and friends during this difficult time.

Guidance in the choice of music.

Ability to deliver any eulogies that you or your family don’t feel up to delivering personally.

How to book a funeral celebrant

The process of booking me to be your funeral celebrant is similar to that when booking me as your wedding celebrant:

#1 – Making a call is the first step to get the ball rolling. Give me a call on 0438 919 759 so we can have a chat about your needs and decide on a time to meet face-to-face.

#2 – Once we’ve spoken on the phone, we can sit down and discuss the finer details of your loved one’s life and how you picture the funeral.

#3 – I’ll begin to put my understanding of your loved one into the first draft of the script. Using your guidance, I will create the script I believe showcases who your loved one was, and how you would like them to be remembered.

#4 – Prior to the funeral, I ensure all final touches are perfected before the event. Funerals are a time for family to be together. I take care of the organisation, the officiation and the formalities to make your day easier.

#5 – On the day of the funeral, I ensure everything goes to plan and that your loved one is commemorated the way you want.

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Funeral locations

I live on the beautiful east coast of Australia in Noosa, and perform funerals throughout the surrounding region.

Depending on your location I can come to you to ensure your loved one is given the inspiring and joyous funeral they deserve.

Give me a call to discuss your ideal location and I can inform you on my availability in that area, or provide a suggestion for other celebrants if required.

Primarily located in Noosa, I’m available to travel to where you want to hold your ceremony within a reasonable distance.

This includes:

• Sunshine Coast
• Brisbane
• Noosa
• Caloundra
• Maleny
• And beyond

Ready to book a celebrant?

Allow me to help remove some of the stress.

Experienced, empathetic and understanding, I’m here to make your day that little bit more manageable.

Let’s chat about how we can celebrate the life of your loved one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Allow me to help make your difficult time that little bit more manageable.

Together we can celebrate a life and find joy in sadness.

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