Funerals and Memorials in Tyne and Wear

Do you Need a Celebrant to Hold a Comforting Funeral?

If you are looking for a funeral celebrant in North East England to:

  • listen to you to understand the funeral wishes of the person who died

  • do all possible to meet those wishes

  • write and deliver a ceremony that truly captures the essence of the person

I may be the right funeral celebrant for you.

Rather than having fixed ideas about the right or wrong way to hold a funeral, I focus on what is right for you.

A civil ceremony is usually non-religious and I do not represent any organised religion or faith. However, if the person who died had spiritual or religious beliefs, I am happy for us to find a good way to include these in the funeral ceremony. Together we can pick the music, readings and / or prayers that fit them best and bring comfort to the people attending.

Please contact me directly if you would like me to be your funeral celebrant in North East England. I work for whoever is planning the funeral and work with, rather than for, the funeral director.

This image provided by the Good Funeral Guide shows three women in bright clothes standing around a coffin decorated with art and drawings. Photos on this page are to show what funerals can be like. They are not from real funerals.
“Kate was warm and sympathetic. She welcomed family and friends’ participation in the service, and so as well as tears, there were laughs and lovely shared memories. Can’t recommend highly enough.”
— Funeral Revoew
Contact Kate

Do You Need Support Choosing a Funeral Venue?

What if I Want a Crematorium Funeral Service?

Most civil funerals take place in a crematorium. I am happy to facilitate a crematorium funeral, if this is what you would like. Most people use the crematorium closest to them. However, it is worth knowing that you are free to choose a crematorium in a different local authority area. This may help if you need a larger venue, public transport links, or a longer time slot as standard. Not all crematoria offer the same length of time for a ceremony. It is worth asking how long you can have.

In weeks or months following a cremation, you may want a simple ceremony to scatter or bury your loved one’s ashes in a special place. I can help with that.

Can I Have Funeral in a Different Venue?

Absolutely, yes! I find most people don’t know this. A funeral ceremony can take place in different inside and outside spaces. A funeral can be held wherever it is safe to bring a coffin and where there is permission from the site / venue owner. I am passionate about promoting funeral choices which makes me want to shout about this (or write in bold letters).

Whether you choose a sports club, a social club, a barn, the village hall, a function room or outside space at a hotel is entirely up to you. Knowing this allows you to choose a venue with meaning. This option takes away the stress of having to rush through a cremation service. It may well be less expensive than booking a crematorium and then booking a separate venue for the wake. You can very easily have the ceremony and wake in the same space. I can say from experience that having more time for the ceremony can enable a more personalised experience. Please tell me when you book me if you want me to help you find a funeral venue.

The burial or cremation afterwards can then either include all mourners or be held in private. I can guide you through the many options open to you.

Can I Arrange a Natural Burial?

Yes, indeed. Natural burial is more environmentally friendly than conventional burial and cremation.  Natural burial as a funeral option is not very widely known. A natural burial site is usually a beautiful woodland or meadow setting. If think you would like natural burial, it really helps to plan ahead. A charity called the Natural Death Centre has information on natural burial grounds. You can find out more online or by visiting the social purpose section of this website. I am happy to provide information on North East natural burial sites, though I encourage you make contact with each site personally.

This funeral procession shows two women and two men carrying a wicker casket in a crematorium. They are being followed in by a lone woman, most likely the celebrant. Thanks to the Good Funeral Guide for this image, freely available on Unsplash.
This generated image shows what an alternative funeral service could be like in a country hotel venue. A coffin is placed in front of a set of double doors leading out to a country garden. The room is decorated with fairy lights and candles.
Woodland trees cover a caret of bluebells in this woodland burial site.
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Would you Like to Arrange Your Own Funeral Ceremony?

Do You Want to Choose Your Funeral Content?

I specialise in working with people to plan their own funeral ceremony. Planning your own funeral spares your loved ones the anguish of having to guess what you would have wanted. I can support you to choose the option that feels right for you and your loved ones. I promise you we can do this in a way that does not need to be morbid. There are real life-affirming moments in this process.

Have you Considered a Living Funeral?

If you want to see all the people that are important to you while you are still alive, you may want to consider a living funeral. A living funeral is a ceremony where the guest of honour is present in living form. This gathering may be a good choice for somebody with a terminal illness, who still feels well enough to enjoy the company of others.  A living funeral can be fully scripted or have more of an open structure. We can work together to find the tone that feels right.

Do You Need Further Support?

As a celebrant, my main focus is on your ceremony. I am happy to give you information on people who can support further needs, such as death planning and aspects of death care.

Kate is standing outside a crematorium in front of trees. She is wearing a dark blue dress for a funeral and her name badge from the International College of Professional Celebrants. She is holding a folder containing funeral script.
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Do You Want to Arrange a Meaningful Memorial Service?

If a private funeral or unattended cremation has taken place, family members and friends may want to organise a memorial service or celebration of life in the days or weeks that follow.

With ample time to celebrate a person’s life and legacy, a memorial service can be a beautiful way to bring comfort to family, friends and the wider community. Every memorial service is different and there are many choices around format and structure. It would be my honour to develop memorial service ideas with you and create a meaningful celebration of life ceremony together.

A memorial service can be held anywhere that people gather - a function room at a hotel, community centre, social club or sports club. It can especially lovely to be able gather somewhere meaningful to the person being remembered. I am happy to discuss ideas with you when you book me for a ceremony. With that in mind, if helps to contact me before you have booked venue.

This image of a hotel function room shows the kind of setting where a memorial service could take place. The luxurious setting is light-filled, has chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and three rows of chairs set up for a gathering.
This image was taken at a memorial service in a community centre. There are wooden panels on the walls and wooden floors. There are vases of flowers around the hall. Rows of seats in one half of the space are visible although there were 120 seats.
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Do You Need Help Writing a Eulogy?

Have you decided to hold a funeral, memorial service or celebration of life without a celebrant present? Are you struggling to find the right words for your loved one’s eulogy?  It can be especially difficult to organise your words when you are grieving and busy making the arrangements need. I can help.

I offer a eulogy writing service which you can make use of from anywhere in the world.  During an online meeting I help you call to mind special memories with your loved one and the characteristics that make this person unique. I will then craft a heartfelt eulogy capturing the person you love and knew so well. 

Writing a eulogy for a loved one can be difficult, as you know so much about them. I will take the essence of what you tell me about their life, achievements and personality. I will use words that are natural to you, giving you confidence when you read it aloud.

A laptop sits on a dark wooden table in a home setting. In the background a sofa and lamp are partially visible.
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How Much Do the Different Services Cost?

Funerals

It would be a privilege to hold space for a unique, personalised funeral ceremony for you when the time comes, or for your loved one. I will listen attentively to your wishes, provide helpful guidance as to what is possible. I will plan and deliver an inclusive ceremony that reflects with the values and identity of the person who has died.

A funeral ceremony starting from £250 includes:

  • A planning meeting with you before the ceremony (face to face or online)

  • A bespoke ceremony script, including personalised readings and music

  • A eulogy to honour your / your loved one’s life

  • Communication throughout the preparation phase by telephone, email or WhatsApp

  • Revisions and changes whilst preparing the script

  • Liaison with the Funeral Director to coordinate the ceremony

  • Travel within thirty miles of South Shields. Additional fees are charged for mileage beyond that at 45 pence per mile. Additional transport required (boat, train, plane, etc) will be charged accordingly.

  • Variations to Charges: Double time slot at crematorium: £275; Double funeral for two people: £350. If I am working with you to plan your funeral in advance, there may need to be additional charges, for example, for repeated script revisions over time. This is something we can discuss as we go. Similarly, living funerals are priced according to your specific requirements.

Other Ceremonies and Services

  • Memorial services are priced according to your specific requirements

  • Burial or scattering of ashes, if I was the funeral celebrant, starting from £50.

  • Burial or scattering of ashes, if I was not the funeral celebrant, starting from £250

  • Eulogy writing service starting from £120

Contact Kate

Would you like to talk about any of the services I offer for funerals and memorial services? You are welcome to message me here or through social media and I will get back to you as soon as I can.