Danette O'Brien - Funeral Celebrant

Danette O'Brien - Funeral Celebrant Creating beautiful ceremonies to celebrate life while nourishing the hearts of those who are grieving We live and learn! Thank you for visiting my page.

Many years ago my Gran's funeral left me feeling more than a little underwhelmed. I battled with the reality that such a beautiful, much loved woman wasn't honoured and farewelled as she should have been. I felt a calling to enter the funeral industry then, but it was put on hold for many years. In 2021 this calling was re-ignited during my Dad's transition, and one thing led to another and I am n

ow working as a Funeral/Memorial Celebrant for both humans and pets, a eulogy writer and facilitating conversations in the community around death both online and in person. I can also assist you with the planning of a Living Funeral/Living Wake and with writing your Emotional Will. I write both traditional and contemporary ceremonies that begin with a blank page on which I build a life story. The uniqueness of each life is what makes my job so interesting. It is a great honour to learn about people as I weave their life story together. Funerals and memorial services have evolved more recently and there are so many more options available for you to explore when deciding how you will celebrate and honour the life of your person. The average duration of a funeral or memorial service in Australia is 45 minutes. It is therefore incredibly important that each minute of such sacred time is significant. In essence, I'd describe myself as a space-holder for death and grief. I work exclusively in the funeral space and am well versed in working with people who are experiencing grief and/or trauma. It is my intention to train as an end of life doula (or death doula) in the future. In the meantime I will happily refer you to recommended doulas on request. You can book me to be your chosen Celebrant through the Funeral Director or engage me directly to work with you. You will find more details of the offerings of Farewelled with Love on my website.

It’s head down and write write write for me all weekend and early next week with an incredibly busy week and weekend of ...
24/05/2025

It’s head down and write write write for me all weekend and early next week with an incredibly busy week and weekend of funerals and memorial services ahead. I’ve just arrived home after a family meeting up in the glorious Adelaide Hills, one place in this crazy world of ours that still seems to know what seasons are, and Autumn is always such a treat there. Feeling grateful for my Saturday morning road trip and the reds golds and greens of the beautiful trees along the way. 💗🙏💗

These lovely words rolled into my inbox recently. It was the last sentence that made my heart smile. While I’m in people...
20/05/2025

These lovely words rolled into my inbox recently. It was the last sentence that made my heart smile. While I’m in people’s lives as a Funeral and Memorial Celebrant for a short time, knowing they’ve felt supported is one of the biggest compliments I can ever hope for. 💗

While there’s been a huge trend in funerals becoming celebrations of life, sometimes circumstances are a little differen...
05/05/2025

While there’s been a huge trend in funerals becoming celebrations of life, sometimes circumstances are a little different. Not everyone has oodles of family who love them, friends galore and has lived a full and happy life. An end of life ceremony is a mark of closure, and an authentic one is always best. These are always the more challenging services to write and after spending time listening to the deceased’s family or friends, I’m very much guided by them as to the approach I take. I like to keep in mind these words that I hold dear to my heart when I write: “everyone is doing their best at any given moment.” Reflecting on this allows us to see each other as humans, flaws and all and understand there are often reasons behind behaviours that we may never be privy to.

Today we remember the men and women and the animals who made the ultimate sacrifice ♥️       ❤️
24/04/2025

Today we remember the men and women and the animals who made the ultimate sacrifice ♥️

❤️

Week 3 of The Eco Coffin Project. A day full of inspiring speakers.
04/04/2025

Week 3 of The Eco Coffin Project. A day full of inspiring speakers.

I left Smithfield Cemetery completely in awe of its natural burial ground Pilyu Yarta. The natural burial services I’ve ...
04/04/2025

I left Smithfield Cemetery completely in awe of its natural burial ground Pilyu Yarta. The natural burial services I’ve conducted previously have all been at Wirra Wonga at Enfield Memorial Park which is a beautiful resting place. Pilyu Yarta had something really special about it - secluded, small, a very apparent abundance of wildlife. Located on the outskirts of Gawler, this cemetery is incredibly special with its lakes and a feeling of immersion in nature.

The last 3 weeks I’ve been part of the Eco Coffin Project group for 2025, and it’s been time so well spent deepening my ...
04/04/2025

The last 3 weeks I’ve been part of the Eco Coffin Project group for 2025, and it’s been time so well spent deepening my knowledge as we’ve explored sustainable death practices. I’ll share the posts from our 3 week journey.

Last Sunday I had the honour of once again MC’ing the Red Nose SA community’s Say Their Name Remembrance Service. There ...
28/03/2025

Last Sunday I had the honour of once again MC’ing the Red Nose SA community’s Say Their Name Remembrance Service.

There are no words to describe witnessing bereaved parents in their vulnerability with hearts so full of love for the babies and children they’ve had to say goodbye to.

An absolute joy to work with Bonnie at Red Nose SA, Belinda at White Lady Funerals and to meet the lovely Tamara Whittaker who shared a reading of her book Born To Fly.

Delighted to have been asked to MC the Red Nose Australia SA Community Say Their Name Day remembrance service again this...
14/03/2025

Delighted to have been asked to MC the Red Nose Australia SA Community Say Their Name Day remembrance service again this year. It’s a beautiful project to work on and an incredibly special day for the community. This year we’ll be live-streaming to some of the other states too.
Love my job, the opportunities that unfold and the fabulous people I get to work with. 💗

❤️

Contd… “I am extremely appreciative of her kindness and she delivered an exceptional service that spoke perfectly of my ...
11/03/2025

Contd…
“I am extremely appreciative of her kindness and she delivered an exceptional service that spoke perfectly of my mother and eased the grief of our family.”

Grateful for another 5 star review posted online. I often work with families interstate to arrange memorials for their loved ones here in Adelaide as was the case for this family, culminating in a beautiful service at Centennial Park where I attended to some extra duties in the absence of a funeral director to ensure everything went smoothly for the family. 💗


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Adelaide, SA
5000

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Monday 8am - 9pm
Tuesday 8am - 9pm
Wednesday 8am - 9pm
Thursday 8am - 9pm
Friday 8am - 9pm
Saturday 8am - 9pm

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