This post is long over-due! Although I’ve been a qualified Funeral Celebrant since 2020 and have led hundreds of funerals, I became a Funeral Celebrant Plus in March 2024 after undertaking enhanced training through the Coffin Club. I was so proud of this achievement but it has taken me until now to share it as, whilst I was waiting to hear whether I had passed and receive feedback on my final assessment, my Dad died and I was swept up into my own maelstrom of grief. How I wish I could have shared this achievement with him.
How I support families differently
This additional certification took everything I did as a celebrant to a whole new level — giving me even more tools, more in-depth knowledge and experience to gently guide families through one of the most difficult times of their lives.
The feedback I received from Coffin Club after my final assessment captures exactly what I strive to bring to every family I work with:
“The best final assignment submitted… Your attention to detail was amazing. You have put so much thought into each ceremony — creatively, logistically, practically and emotionally … Not only have you really thought about how the content can truly reflect the person who has died but also how it can be tailored to engage and support those who are attending in a meaningful way.”
How becoming a Celebrant Plus Funeral Celebrant changed everything
Planning a funeral isn’t just about creating a lovely ceremony – I work with people who are often:
- Feeling lost and overwhelmed with decisions and don’t know where to begin
- Unsure what they’re “allowed” to do – is it OK to have a funeral at home? To use an alternative coffin? To skip religion altogether?
- Worried about cost, but still want something meaningful and respectful
- Navigating family dynamics or complex grief
- Needing a ceremony that actually reflects their loved one’s personality — one that feels authentic not formulaic
- Wanting to honour someone’s life with creativity, not conformity
As a Funeral Celebrant Plus, I am able to bring so much more to the families I work with, helping them to have all the support and guidance they need, as well as bringing creativity and knowledge to ensure they have a funeral or Celebration of Life ceremony that truly reflects how they wanted to say their farewells and remember their person for the unique individual that they were, are and will always be.
As one Coffin Club assessor beautifully said: “I’d love to go to any one of these funerals — they are so thoughtfully crafted, so personal, and a million miles away from the standard service.”