Today, as more and more people turn away from 'Organised Religions', we are finding a need to create 'new' ways to mark and commemorate milestones and important events in our lives. As a trained celebrant of many years I can provide alternative ceremonies that will make your special events even more meaningful and memorable.

Spiritual Weddings or Hand Fastings.

This is a celebration of a couple's commitment to each other. They come together as equals into their loving and honouring partnership. You can use a standardised ceremony or one adapted or written specifically for you. This rite is ideal for both heterosexual or same sex couples who want to mark their union with a beautiful spiritual celebration of intention. It can also be used to re-affirm the vows and promises of a couple who have been together, or traditionally married, for a long time. It can be used to mark a new chapter in the relationship or in the couple's spiritual journey. 

As celebrant I will arrange to see you both and discuss your requirements, also to talk about the promises you wish to make to each other. These can be either written with you or you can produce your own. Either way they will be transcribed onto a scroll (one for each partner's vows) that you will read from on the day and can be kept along with your certificate of intention as a memento of your day. You will also recieve a copy of the ceremony in the same format. Before and on the day I will go through the ceremony with you so everyone knows what is expected.

This rite can be held as part of a full wedding ceremony, with the civil wedding happening before or after the rite, or as a stand alone celebration for couples who cannot, or do not wish to, formalise their partnership.

The service can be as formal or informal as you like. The minimum number of participents is myself and you as the couple. The maximum is boundless. Remember, this is YOUR celebration. We can make it exactly as YOU want. Imagination is your only limit.

The cost of this service is £60. This includes, original consultation, any re-writing of service and or vows, certificate, vow scrolls and ceremony scroll. Also all items needed for rite, cloth, candlesticks, candles, incense, crystals, chalice etc. Also tokens of Hand Fasting for each partner. It does not include travel expenses.

 

Spiritual Naming or Welcoming.

This is traditionally held for a baby or child, but can be for ANYONE. It can take the place of a baptism, or religious naming ceremony, or it can be to welcome a child or children to a new family (ie in adoption or the joining of two families after divorce etc). It can also be used by an adult to take on a new name during their Spiritual Journey.

It can be held anywhere, involving however many people you like. It can be as informal or formal as you wish, again it is YOUR celebration, and should be a time to look back on with joy. You can include the person to be named/welcomed, the celebrant, Parents (if appropriate) and also anyone you wish to have as Journey Partners/Guides (sort of the equivalent of Christian god parents) on the certificate of Naming/Welcome.

The cost of this service is £40. This includes, consultation, certificate and ceremony scroll. Also items needed for the rite as above. Plus token of Naming/Welcoming for Namee. It does not include travel expenses.

 

Spiritual Funerals or Passing.

So often I hear people saying that they went to the funeral of a loved one or friend and felt "Let down" by the process. They tell me that it felt as though the funeral  "Could have been for just anybody". This is so sad.  For myself, I feel that a funeral should be a passing or gateway both for the person that has passed but also for the people left behind. It should be a place to say a farewell and even to celebrate the person's life.

If you have a traditional faith a traditional funeral can be wonderful. However to many of us this type of funeral does not give us comfort at all. In this Spiritual Funeral service, or as I call it Passing service, I try to give the family and friends of the person a space to say goodbye and to honour them all and their relationships. It can either be as part of the actual funeral (at the crematorium or burial ground), or as a seperate ceremony at the scattering of the ashes or around the grave later. Some people who come from families of mixed faiths and belief systems will have a traditional funeral (cremation or interment) so as not to give any more grief to parents etc and then their Passing Day for friends and family with similar beliefs to themselves. Others mix the two systems together (which is not easy but can be done).

Sometimes this type of ceremony is called a Humanist Funeral. Whatever you like to call it, again, it will be designed as YOU want it. The music you want, a eulogy read by myself as celebrant or by a friend or member of your family. Also a blessing for all attending and a group healing during the service to help them with their grief. A crystal that has been charged with healing is given to each member of the funeral party to help them also. Candles can be lit (if appropriate for the venue) by each person to send a wish with the departed spirit. There can be space for each person to add their wish and thought, or song or prayer/poem etc for the person. Whatever they feel will make this day one that will comfort them.

Cost for this service is £50. This includes, original consultation, any re-writing of service and ceremony scroll. Also all items needed for rite, cloth, candlesticks, candles, incense, crystals, chalice etc. Also cystal for each participant. It does not include travel expenses.