Celebrancy Services
our services
Bespoke End-of-Life Ceremonies and Pre-Planning
01
Celebrations of Life / Funerals
Funerals, or celebrations of life as we prefer to call them, are never easy occasions. At a time when there is suddenly so much to sort out, deciding what type of service you would like for your lost loved one - and what to say in that service - can be overwhelming. This is where a celebrant can help: to discuss your wishes regarding the sort of service you would like and most importantly to listen to the stories of your lost one's life - so that these can be woven together to create a beautiful, bespoke ceremony on the day that is truly, uniquely reflective of the person concerned. ..
If you do decide that you would like us to lead a celebration of life for you, we'll start things with a long chat - a face-to-face meeting with you, your lost one's loved ones. This meeting often works best in the home of those loved ones who are sorting the arrangements, but can take place in any space where we can properly talk. The meeting is primarily designed to find out what sort of person your lost loved one was. They deserve a send-off as unique as their life was: and it is only through having this chat with you that we will be able to understand what that life was like and what their stories were.
The information and anecdotes you provide then gets crafted by Yew Tree Celebrancy into the script that forms the basis for the celebration of life service. We will check and double-check we have got everything right with you, and if you want to have any tributes, readings, images of your lost one and any of their favourite pieces of music to be played on the day, these too can be woven in.
Then, on the day itself, we'll be able to deliver a personalised service that is touching, true to the life being celebrated and led with compassion and dignity. We'll be waiting for you as you arrive, and be there for you throughout.
02
Ash Scatterings
Post-cremation, families, friends and acquaintances often wait a while before choosing what to do with the ashes of their lost loved one. They might wait for a fitting anniversary, or to decide upon a location that held special significance for the deceased. Whether you want your loved one's ashes interred in a burial plot, or scattered in a place that they loved, it may be that you also want someone to say a few words or lead a longer service at the same time. This sort of service can run much as a funeral service might, but, even if this is held some time later, it often feels just as tough for family and friends to stand up and officiate. Here it can help for someone with experience of leading these occasions to step in...
We can step in at this difficult time and do just that. If you do decide that you would like us to officiate at your ash scattering, then the process is much the same as for a celebration of life / funeral. We'll first need to have the same long face-to-face chat about your loved one's life so that we can understand its uniqueness, we'll then weave their story into the script that will be at the heart of the service, we'll double-check we have every detail as you would want it to be known and with this we can then lead the ceremony on the day that will be the true, heartfelt reflection of your loved one's life.
03
Memorial Services
As a memorial service takes place when the body is not present, families have the choice of time (memorials can take place weeks, months or even years after your loved one passes) and place (services do not have to be at a crematorium, but can occur in locations like a community venue, a pub or a garden). Often, a meaningful anniversary and somewhere with a personal link to the deceased are chosen. Yet even some time afterwards, it can still feel like too much for family and friends to lead the ceremony. And this is where we can assist.
If you do decide that you would like us to lead the memorial service, then the process is much the same as for a celebration of life/funeral. We'll have a long face-to-face chat to find out about your lost loved one's life and stories, we'll weave these into the script that forms the basis for the memorial service, we'll check and double-check everything is correct and this will enable us to lead a service on the day that truly, touchingly reflects the life of your lost one.
04
Funeral Pre-Planning
Often, as people near the end of their life, they have an understandable wish to make plans for their own funeral. We can help you with those plans. This can be just lending an ear to talk about a topic which can be difficult to discuss with other family members. Or it can be setting down firmer arrangements, to ensure your wishes are reflected and ease the burden on loved ones when the time comes.
When you feel that you want to have the conversation about what arrangements you would like to put in place for your own funeral, we are here to chat and help you make plans. Yew Tree Celebrancy offer a service of visiting, listening and planning, which ideally takes place face-to-face with you. Then, when the time comes, you can then be sure that your own wishes for your service - be they ideas for the sort of ceremony, for thoughts to be shared or music to be played - are reflected.
At a time which can be turmoil for your loved ones, having this all sorted beforehand can ease the burden.
05
Pet Funerals
Pets are much-loved parts of the family for many years and when their time comes, they deserve a special send-off too. Whether you choose a professional crematorium service or a service in another location to honour your four-legged friend, we can help to officiate the ceremony and make it the most meaningful occasion possible.
Burying your pet or interring their ashes in the garden at home that they loved is a popular choice but you could choose to scatter their ashes at a different location too. Whatever you decide, Yew Tree Celebrancy will tailor-make a service for your cherished creature every bit as heartfelt as we would for a human end-of-life ceremony.
The process will be the same, too. It will begin with a meeting with you - your pet's nearest and dearest - to find out about your pet's unique life. The information and stories gained at this meeting will be woven into the script for a wonderful service beautifully reflective of your pet's life, inclusive of any other elements such as tributes or pictures of your pet.
Sometimes, at a time of such loss, it is difficult to find the words.
We will. That is our promise.