Funeral Celebrant Sheenagh

09/01/2026

It’s been a busy few weeks with meeting families, creating farewell services and delivering services and January is proving to be a busy month.

My regular followers will know that I’m a huge advocate of people choosing Celebrant led services and an equally avid supporter of people having CHOICES.

With an Independent Celebrant almost anything goes - if families ask ‘would it be possible for us to …..’ I will on almost all occasions say absolutely yes

and on rare occasions I might say ‘could we tweak that a bit and do x instead’ and offer some alternative suggestions (usually this would be related to H&S or non permissible things at some Crematoria)

A Celebrant should be able to suggest ways of personalising a service to embrace all manner of hobbies or lifestyle or create a service based on a families requirements.

Sometimes we might be mourning death and the service is reverential and sombre. Other times we are Celebrating life…..and sometimes it’s a combination of both.

This month :

⭐️ I’ve incorporated a toast with shots

⭐️ I’m officiating a very intimate service with only two attendees and no eulogy.

⭐️ I’ve got a service where the family have written and will read their own eulogy so my role will be one of opening and closing the service, providing the linked elements and delivering the commital words

⭐️ I’m officiating a service where we are having a carriage and horses

⭐️ I have a service where we are incorporating spiritual and Wiccan elements

There are Celebrants who repeatedly use one script and change the name. I can categorically state that this would never happen with me.
I start every family meeting with a blank sheet of paper and create every service from scratch.

If you think I would be the Celebrant that you would like to create a service for your loved one - please contact me for a no obligation chat or mention my name to your chosen Funeral Director.

09/01/2026

Today we gathered to celebrate a life that spanned an amazing 95 years.

A life shaped with Dutch roots, National Service and steady hands that turned wood in to all manner of toys for his children and practical items of furniture.

We shared lovely memories and a poignant poem about the heartbreak of Dementia followed by a farewell honouring gratitude and deep rooted love, before we raised a toast with a shot of Schnapps and a hearty ‘SKOL!’

Grateful thanks to Mark our chapel attendant today for your assistance and to our lovely Funeral Director Mark and his team from Fletchers Funeral services - not only for his care of the family but also for his assistance with bartending skills - team working at its best.

As always I am grateful to have been entrusted to work alongside another lovely local family.

07/01/2026

It was proper chilly down at Haltemprice Crematorium this afternoon but inside the chapel there was beautiful sunshine blazing through the large windows.

Beautiful flowers and some fabulous memories helped us to Celebrate the life of a much loved lady.

We recounted memories of finger imprints being left in the Philadelphia cheese, Baileys served by the half pint glass full or a mug full and an incident with a reclining chair that didn’t stop reclining. …… and her Granddaughter shared with us a heartfelt tribute she had written.

I think the last time I sang All things bright and beautiful was at a school assembly so it was quite nice to have a singalong today - although I did ensure I stood well away from the microphone as no one needed to hear my rendition.

Thankyou to the lovely Jim our chapel attendant today for your calm efficiency and assistance 👏

Thankyou as always to the lovely Mark our FD from Fletchers Funeral services for entrusting me to work alongside another of your families.

And of course my gratitude to the really lovely family - it’s been my privilege to work with you these past couple of weeks.

04/01/2026

More kind words - what an amazing way to start the New Year!

I absolutely love my job - and I don’t do it in order to seek praise or gratitude.

I know how much effort I put in to each and every service I create and deliver, so to know that I’ve been of some help, and that the service I have created has been of comfort to the families I work alongside really is thanks enough.

So when people take the time to contact me following a service to express their thanks it really is totally humbling 🙏

Thankyou for your thanks 😊

04/01/2026

So as we approach what for many will be the first full week back at work of 2026 - what have I been up to ….

In the lead up to and over Christmas I’ve been busy with visiting families who sadly lost loved ones - families who instead of celebrating the festivities this year were needing to arrange funerals - something hard enough at any time but somehow Grief seems more magnified at this time of year and my heart genuinely went out to those families.

I have to tell you - there is something almost surreal about visiting families to discuss the details for a funeral service in a room that had already been decorated for Christmas with a tree and presents - and it honestly brought a lump to my throat.

I also delivered a service in the week between Christmas and New Year - again a very emotionally strange experience and I’ve also been busy creating new services that are scheduled throughout this month.

In between all of this and eating copious amounts of chocolate, cheese and Christmas goodies I made a start on my Business action plan for the year - thankfully because it’s something I ‘choose’ to do rather than ‘need’ to do it’s a plan that evolves and something I will keep reviewing throughout the year.

and then …..

On a personal note I had to come to terms with the shock news that a friend of mine and my husbands (who I’ve known for 16 years but he has known for much longer) was unlikely to survive to see 2026. Only a couple of weeks ago we were sat munching through a tub of Quality Street.

Early yesterday morning we were thankful and grateful to be able to go and see her one last time to say our goodbyes….. she wasn’t conscious and able to respond to me but I know she could hear me rambling on about holiday memories we’ve shared over the years, reminiscing about Micky Flanagan concerts we’ve been to and about future plans (knowing they were never going to be) and assuring her we will be here to look out for her hubby and her family.

Sadly late on yesterday afternoon surrounded by the love of her immediate family she was able to fight no more 💔

I then received a lovely message from a family I worked with in October to say that our paths will be crossing again soon as sadly another family member has passed - and I’ve been recommended to be the Celebrant to lead this forthcoming service - I can’t tell you how humbled I felt 🩷

Late last night as I was sat quietly - feeling grateful to have my husband and dog beside me - feeling melancholic about the fragility of life - my mobile pinged - it was a Happy New Year message from a lovely lady I worked with back in March to create and deliver a farewell service for her Son ….. 💝

02/01/2026

I’m not a football fan and don’t know if this is something all football teams do but massive kudos to Hull City FC for honouring their Tigers supporters who sadly didn’t make it to see the 2026 games.

I certainly know of one family - whose loved one was featured on your photograph wall for whom this meant the world yesterday 🧡🖤

Remembering those we lost in 2025 before kick-off. 🧡

01/01/2026

I was going though some of my Business files yesterday so that I could create my Business action plan for the year ahead - and one of the things I got sidetracked at looking at was the music choices for the services I’ve officiated to see what the most popular choice was.

I’ve played a real eclectic mix of music this year - love songs, rock songs, hymns, country & western, songs that reminded me of my school assemblies and tv themes ……I always say to families - you can have absolutely anything you want.

Thankfully the two songs that I know would affect me emotionally the most havnt been requested 💔

Just as a bit of fun - can anyone guess which was the one I played most

Was it ……

Unforgettable by Nat King Cole

My way by Frank Sinatra

Time to say Goodbye by Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli

I’ll let you know in a little while 😀🎼

01/01/2026

Absolutely - thanks Pooh 🩷

31/12/2025

31/12/2025

As I’ve gone through my paper diary today (yes I am a dinosaur 😂) I’ve recalled each of the families I’ve had the privilege to meet …..
at the worst time of their lives - and I’ve smiled at some of the memories they shared with me ….. often but not always we’ve included them in the service.

Some of the people I remembered by the music we played - others by funny incidents - and others by sad or tragic events in their lives - but I remembered each and every service I’ve worked on.

To be entrusted to work my magic on the information they’ve shared with me about their loved ones and create personalised farewell services for them is nothing short of a privilege.

Although there have been many tears there has also been much laughter as old memories come back to their minds - Grief is hard enough so it is good to be able to find moments to smile too - and I’ve smiled a lot today