Coastal Celebrations

11/09/2024

A memorial service was held yesterday at Lake Macquarie Memorial Park in Ryhope, where family and friends gathered to honor their late loved one, sharing their love, stories, and cherished memories. The ashes were nestled amongst a beautifully arranged all-white floral display, featuring roses, lilies, and freesias, expertly crafted by LAFlowerland at Ourimbah. The release of doves, symbolizing a soul's peaceful journey after death, provided a fitting conclusion to the ceremony. Thankyou also goes to Julie Ferguson for her role as conductor today. We work so well together.
It was an honour to officiate.

23/07/2024

A memorial service is a beautiful way to bid farewell to loved ones, incorporating music, rituals, words, visuals, laughter, and stories shared. With 192 years between them, Richard and Shirley's memorial celebration of their lives will be unforgettable.
Remember, it's not the years in your life, it's the life in those years.

03/07/2024

I am resigning as a Marriage Celebrant (no. A7745) after nineteen years of presiding over countless beautiful weddings and forming lasting connections. My sincere appreciation goes to the AGD department, the Marriage and Celebrant section of the Registry Office, and my colleagues for their guidance and support. As I shift my focus to my work as a funeral Celebrant, I will continue to provide comfort and support to families through difficult times, celebrating life and death with ceremony and storytelling.
And lots of hugs! I feel totally blessed.
The music has ended but the melody lingers on. Glenda x

Funeral Celebrant.

11/08/2022

Picaluna proud! Three funerals this week for me. Venues at: a family home along the lake, a chapel with serene and peaceful gardens and a yacht club with, as you can imagine lots of boats bopping up and down in the water.
Picaluna do death differently.
Dare to be different!

04/12/2021

The ultimate in love and affection from Warwick for Elizabeth today at her memorial lunch. He thought of everything from her favourite colour purple being present in the bookmarks, place cards and flower arrangements and the special gift to each of the ladies, one of Elizabeth's cup and saucer sets. The choccies added a special touch. There was even an 'Elizabeth's favourite' on the sweet menu. Of course I chose that as most did. A truly beautiful day.

My role as Funeral Director with Picaluna Funerals and Funeral Celebrant is tough some days but days like today just warms my heart.
A lovely way to say goodbye.

07/10/2021

FEATURE: Picaluna Funeral Director and Celebrant, Glenda Davison talks about her work...

Glenda says: "Being a Funeral Director with Picaluna Funerals has given me the freedom to allow me to guide my families to celebrate their loved ones passing in a loving and meaningful way.

Life is meant to be celebrated and we do that through milestones;
birthdays, anniversaries, marriages, babies, new jobs, entering the housing market, just to name some.

But death should be celebrated as well;
through ritual, song, dance, spoken words, visual memories, laughs and most importantly; time!

Having been in the funeral industry as a Funeral Celebrant for fifteen years this is lacked in many funeral services. So, I am happy that I am now able to give my families peace of mind knowing that together with Picaluna we strive to give to each family our time!

“No matter how dark the moment, love and help are there”

Glenda June Davison
Funeral Director & Funeral Celebrant

20/08/2021

This is who we are. A group of like minded people who love people, ceremony, ritual, respect, family and who want to make a difference. We do this through our love and thorough togetherness of this Picaluna group of Funeral Directors and Funeral Celebrants.

PICALUNA is about community. Walking alongside the bereaved in their most significant time of need, is at the heart of what we do.

Guiding, listening and assisting others to create meaningful funerals is one of the many ways we serve our communities.

Every day, we have the privilege of hearing stories about the lives of those who have died and the ways their actions have impacted those around them.

It is a constant reminder that we have before us, ways of giving our best selves to our communities too.

How fortunate we are.


Philip Holland - Sydney Celebrant
Kathryn Breusch Funerals
Kerri Mills Celebrant
Sarah Tolmie - Life & Love
CeremonyCast
Stephen Lee - Sydney Marriage Celebrant
Elizabeth Trevan Our Funeral
Newcastle’s Own Funeral Director
Shelly Bennett Celebrant
Dignified Transport Nsw
Oliver Thomson - Marriage Celebrant, MC & Funeral Planner

26/04/2021

Celebrations of life and death.
I had the privilege of helping a family say goodbye to their loved one at Northern Suburbs Crem on Friday then on Saturday in Wollongong loved ones gathered to welcome Evelyn into their wider community of family and friends. My fourth Naming for this family so I feel very blessed to be part of their family celebrations.
Saying goodbye to a life well lived and saying hello to a life just starting to live.

And the gorgeous card and gift I received after Grace's service from her granddaughter literally made me cry. Makes it all worthwhile I say. Not receiving a gift and card but the words written inside. Makes my heart sing. Makes me feel like...yes! I have done my job and have done it well.

My work as a funeral director/planner and funeral celebrant with
Picaluna Funerals is so fulfilling.
I get the opportunity to meet so many familys whom I can assist with their journey through the grieving process. Very special indeed.

20/11/2020

It’s the first ever National Celebrants Day. Celebrants far and wide are celebrating this auspicious occasion; a celebration of our worth; of our craft and of our couples & families that we have made smile or made their sad days a little brighter.

I sit here reflecting upon the past 15 years of my Celebrancy.
I have met and worked alongside some of the most professional people in the wedding industry. I respect and admire them All. I have made life long friends firstly through my Celebrant class of 2005 and mentoring some wonderful Celebrants along the way.

I have had the privilege of officiating over 700 weddings and same again in funerals, memorials and life celebrations as a Funeral Celebrant and Funeral Planner with Picaluna Funerals.
I’m honoured and humbled to represent life’s happiest moments and life’s saddest moments.
And not forgetting I’m the Naming Queen!

It was thanks to Ray McDougall who was my mentor and the most loviest Celebrant you could ever meet. Ray said to me... Glenda you make a great coffee and I’m sure you would make a great Celebrant (I owned Micheles Patisserie at the time) Ray was my customer and a true gentleman. And years later when he passed away I was so honoured to be asked to lead his funeral service. I’m sure Ray was close by that day watching over me. The one thing I shall never forget that he told me......
for any ceremony or service.
”Glenda, you are in control” Each time I am behind the lectern or part of the bridal party about to officiate a wedding;
I stand tall, breath deep and think of those words.

Thank you everyone for having me in your lives if only for awhile.
It makes my heart smile.
Now for that celebratory drink as I am celebrating MY DAY!
Happy Celebrants Day everyone ###

20/09/2020

Mayla means "the one who loves water" Well there certainly was a heap of it today at her Naming celebration.
Nevertheless it was wonderful.
It was once again my pleasure to reconnect with this family whom I have much love and respect and admiration for. I have been blessed to be apart of this familys special occasions in the past and to watch their growth as a family and together with their friends sharing in these occasions makes my heart smile. Todays celebrations is a smaller group due to Covid restrictions.
David and Kyra open up their home for their familys celebrations. This is my third time back and I feel like family; thats how with welcoming open arms they make you feel.
I love to reconnect with Binny each time. She is a young 89 year old who today reminding me that next year it's the big 90! And also saying to me today, jokingly..... We have two weddings another Naming and a funeral next year. I replied...OK but let's have it in that order and not the funeral up first. She is a beautiful person who looks so cute in her handknitted pink jumper. I chat to her at length whilst we enjoy the yummy spread that is on offer. Far Out this is what love and food shared around the table means; togetherness. I am blessed and as I drive away I smile. What a lovely family and now I look forward to seeing them all again next year.