A Goodbye That Sounds Like the Person It Is For
If you are reading this, you are probably having one of the hardest times of your life. I know what that feels like. There is a lot to arrange and very little energy to arrange it with.
My job is to take one part of it off you completely. I will come and sit with you, listen and gather the stories that made your loved one who they were. Then I will write and deliver a service that gives everyone in that room the chance to not only remember your loved one but to say goodbye and honour them.
You will not be handed a template with a name dropped into it.
What Families Have Said
“If you are looking for someone who is full of love and has a beautiful way with words to celebrate your loved one, I would highly recommend Lorna as your celebrant. She will put everything she has into making your service incredibly personal and one which allows people the chance to not only remember, but also smile. Lorna cares deeply about ensuring your experience is as easy as possible, particularly in the hardest times. I have no doubt that she is the best person to choose for your special occasion.”
You Are Allowed to Choose Your Own Celebrant
Many families do not realise this. Your funeral director may suggest a celebrant, and they may suggest a very good one, but the choice is entirely yours. If you would like me to be your celebrant, simply give your funeral director my name and they will arrange it.
I work directly with funeral directors across Surrey and Hampshire, and also with families who would rather choose their own celebrant. Either is completely fine.
Where We Can Hold the Service
Crematoria and cemetery chapels across Surrey and Hampshire, the natural burial site at Clandon, village halls, gardens, a favourite pub, a beach. A celebration of life does not have to happen on the day of the committal, and for some families a separate gathering weeks later is far kinder.
My Fee, Plainly
A funeral or celebration of life service starts at £250.
If your funeral director books me, I invoice them directly. If your family comes to me directly, I ask for payment before the day of the ceremony.
I do not charge for the funeral of anyone under the age of eighteen. No family should be thinking about my invoice in these circumstances.
The fee includes:
- Reserving your ceremony date and time
- An initial consultation
- Support throughout (email and telephone)
- Your ceremony planning questionnaire
- All research and planning
- Drafting and finalising your ceremony
- Liaising with your Funeral Director
- Administration and booking management
- My attendance on the day to deliver your ceremony
- A keepsake copy of your ceremony words afterwards
My travel within 25 miles of Farnham, Surrey is included. Further afield is absolutely fine, we’ll simply agree travel arrangements and any additional costs in advance. There will be no surprises.
How It Works, Step by Step
We Talk
A phone call or a visit, whichever you can manage. There is no cost and no commitment to this.
We Meet
I come to you, at home or wherever you feel most comfortable, and we spend time talking about the person we are saying goodbye to. Bring photographs. Bring the arguments about which story is the real version. All of it helps.
I Write
I draft the service and send it to you to read. Nothing is delivered on the day that you have not already approved.
The Day
I arrive early, I hold the room, and I take the weight of running the service so your family can simply be present in it.
Afterwards
The words are yours to keep. I provide a keepsake copy of the full service, which families often find they like to re-read months later rather than in the first few weeks after the service.
What a Celebrant Service Can Include
There is no fixed order and no required wording. We shape it around the person and around what your family needs.
That might mean music that has no business at a funeral and yet is perfect. A grandchild’s letter read aloud. A hymn and a prayer alongside a poem and a piece of stand up they loved. Photographs. A long pause. Laughter, if laughter is what suits them.
As an independent celebrant I am not restricted, so religious elements are welcome if they matter to your family, and equally there is no obligation to include any.
I can also read tributes on behalf of anyone who wants their words heard but cannot face standing up to say them.
Questions Families Ask
What training do you have?
I am a certified funeral celebrant with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy.
How quickly can you meet us?
Can we include a hymn, a prayer or a reading from scripture?
What if we cannot face writing anything ourselves?
I’m Here When You Need Me
There is no rush and no pressure. When you are ready, email hello@lornabye.co.uk or call 07347 082987.