Charles Preen
Funeral Celebrant
‘If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever.’ AA Milne
I am an independent funeral celebrant and a member of the Academy of Professional Celebrants.
My role is to help a family that has lost a loved one find the best way to say goodbye.
Planning the ceremony
To create the best possible funeral service, I’m looking for the person’s important life events together with their passions and interests. The jobs they held, their children and grandchildren, the music they loved, and the teams they supported. Everything that will help me paint a picture of their life.
To gather these details, I meet with close family and friends. This happens at their home or any convenient location and usually takes an hour. It can also take place on the telephone.
We discuss music and poetry, and tributes family members may want to include. We look at announcements such as charity donations and the location of a gathering after the funeral.
While the ceremony will not be an entirely religious service, I’m happy to include hymns and prayers.
Following this meeting I write the first draft of the ceremony and send it to the family for their consideration. Thereafter we make adjustments and fill in the final details.
On the day, I arrive in good time to greet the family and conduct the service in a professional and dignified manner; allowing everyone time to cherish memories of the person and to mourn their passing.
