Humanist Funerals & Memorials - Jane Blackman Celebrant

22/07/2025

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”

Pericles for this week's 💙💛

09/07/2025

🌟’A Sky Full of Stars’ was played for R yesterday, honouring her positivity, her light, her goodness and her beautiful influence in so many lives - which will no doubt shine on

🌟 This lovely message, sent to me by her sister last night, means so much

🌟To know that everything felt fitting . . . that the words were right . . . that we did her proud . . . it’s incredibly important to me

🌟You only ever have once chance to get it right - it’s a huge responsibility - one that I never take lightly

|| crafting and conducting with care, thought and warmth - for all of life’s milestones ||

08/07/2025

✨A strict ‘glam’ dress code for today’s life celebration for an incredible, inspirational, resilient woman who so bravely and courageously made plans and left wishes for her send off

✨She requested fascinators or hats and bow ties in black and/or white - she wanted the vibe to be a hybrid of ‘a day at the races’ and a black tie cocktail party - she wanted her life and her loves well and truly celebrated in style

✨Gone far too soon and far too young but she didn’t waste a moment - she made the very most of her precious time in the world

✨Her beloved family and friends went all out and did her absolutely proud!

20/05/2025

🪺I loved this beautiful ‘nest’ creation, seen at a recent celebration of life I was honoured to lead . . .

🪺So cleverly made for a treasured blackbird-and-nature-loving dad, by his very talented daughter

🪺 I so often think about how natural, sustainable, foam-and-plastic-free funeral tributes are so much better, for so many reasons

🪺This one was gorgeous for sure - so personal and visually stunning - the photo really doesn’t do it justice!

🪺With the recent historic ‘first’ of inviting to stage an exhibit of (and their GOLD 🌟 win as result - huge congratulations ladies!) it just goes to show that funeral flowers don’t have to look funereal - they can carry a really personal, meaningful message, be natural and so easily tread more lightly on the planet 🌍💚

(photo shared with the family’s kind permission)

17/03/2025

💖 Such a touching, thoughtful card and gift, so gratefully received from a family I worked with recently

💖Cards and tokens of appreciation are never expected and always an amazing surprise, but when I’m fortunate enough to be thanked with a handwritten note, I can’t explain how moved I am and how much it means to me

💖 Providing deeply personalised and absolutely fitting life celebrations takes a great deal of time, meeting, talking research and writing - but every hour of that dedicated work is worth it, when I know my clients are happy with the send off we gave their special person

Humanist Funerals & Memorials - Jane Blackman Celebrant conducting Humanist Ceremonies with love and care 🤍✨

06/12/2024

instead of saying, "i know what it feels like", let's say "i cannot imagine your heartbreak".
instead of saying, "you're strong, you'll get through this, let's say " you'll hurt, and I'll be here.
instead of saying, "you look like you're doing well, let's say, "how are you holding up today?"
instead of saying, "healing takes time", let's say "healing has no timeline".
instead of saying, "everything happens for a reason, let's say "this must feel so terribly senseless right now".
and when there are no words to say at all, you don't need to try and find some. love speaks in silences too.

~ 'words' by Kaye Poetry
~ Art by Jennifer Yoswa
Credit: Spirit of a Hippie

Gary Sturgis - Surviving Grief

04/10/2024

💙 Blue skies and a new venue for me today, for the life celebration of a woman who was so proud of and much-loved by her wonderful blended family

💙 Two of her grandchildren shared beautifully fitting readings, with so much love and care

💙 The sun shone as her impact and influence was honoured, with music from Cliff Richard (she was a big fan!)

💙 An extremely popular lady, hugely admired and respected - the stunning chapel at Heatherley Park was absolutely full


Humanist Ceremonies 🤍✨

03/10/2024

🌈Rainbow colours and odd socks - the dress code today, for a very fitting celebration of N’s time in the world

🌈 A life cut cruelly short, but through the tears, we wholeheartedly honoured the precious memory of an amazing, fun-loving, strong, giving, hugely talented woman, who was GREATLY loved and admired

🌈 United in grief but also in gratitude and appreciation for her goodness, her family and friends really gave their all and did her absolutely proud

🌈 We celebrated her creativity as an artist, am-dram actress, pantomime director and star - and the most fabulous, loyal, devoted friend and travel buddy

🌈 We focused on the quality, not the quantity of her years

🌈 A proud, independent member of the LGBTQ community, she lived her life to the full, in multicolour, and she realised many dreams (including travelling to far flung destinations and seeing her idols Julie Andrews and Dolly Parton, perform live)

🌈 From Shakespeare to Buzz Light Year; we included a unique and wonderfully eclectic mix of music, film quotes, photographs, poetry and heartfelt, personal tributes

🌈 Her love of Take That (‘Never Forget’ was played at the end of the ceremony) and her obsession with the musicals, ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘Toy Story’ were honoured

🌈 It was a privilege to hear such an outpouring of love and respect for a woman who was a shining example to us all

🌈 Never Forget . . .

🤍✨

26/09/2024

💛 ‘La Dolce Vita’ = ‘The Good Life’ in Italian - the piece of music that was chosen for the celebration of an exceptionally good life, which I was honoured to be asked to lead

💛 Such a privilege to learn and speak about a hugely loved wife, mum, nanny, granny, foster mum, the list goes on - and all round amazingly caring, thoughtful lady - who gave so much to so many

💛 She raised a truly wonderful, warm, giving, thoughtful family, whose kind words and beautiful flowers mean so much to me

💛 RIP Sally - you made an enormous, positive difference and you will continue to be loved so much

Humanist Ceremonies

10/08/2024

🌹 An ‘at home’ celebration of life yesterday, led for a hugely admired and greatly-loved woman

🌹 Learning and telling her life story, surrounded by her loved ones and the beauty of her garden in the grounds of her beloved home, was a hugely moving experience

🌹 It felt so right that she should make the final part of her journey from there

🤍

20/07/2024

A wonderful initiative and a fabulous charity who offer fantastic support to the bereaved.
Go to the Cruse Bereavement Support website for more info . . . and keep sharing.
It’s healthy to talk about those we love who have died. Keep them close by continuing to speak about them: celebrate the things they enjoyed and the difference they made 🤍

Have you heard about Share Their Name? It’s an opportunity to join with other people who are grieving and honour the memory of our loved ones who have died, it’ll be taking place on Monday 29th July.

On the day we’ll be inviting you to share photos and stories of those you love and miss on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tag using . We hope you’ll take part.

Visit our website to find out more 👇
https://ow.ly/JUmO50Sutay

10/07/2024

Share about your "empty chair" person below - so their stories continue to live on...