Jan Holden Celebrant

30/09/2024

On Saturday we lost a lovely man, Trevor Hickton from Hicktons Funerals. My heart goes out to his family....

13/12/2022

A lovely thank you for a recent service:

Dear Jan, I just wanted to thank you again for the most lovely service this morning.
All that attended commented on what a dignified service that was. June I know would have been honoured for you to conduct it.
THANK YOU!! from Christine

19/11/2022

I was able to help the Purcell family when their beloved father passed away:
Hi Jan I just wanted to thank you for organising my dad's service. You put it all together so well everyone thought it was so him. He was a real character and definitely his own person.
Much love to you, Kerry x

12/09/2022

Poem ~ I knew love…

I knew love when it still meant forever,
When a feeling shared didn’t always have to hurt,
And a promise that was made would go unbroken:
I knew love when it was more than just a word.
I knew a time when hope was all you needed
And if you cared you found a way to make things work.
When life was what two people shared together
Oh… I knew love - when it was more than just a word….

05/05/2022

10/03/2022

The loss of a loved one hits us in many different ways, especially over the last few years with many not being able to give their loved ones the goodbye they would have hoped for.
I can provide you with a loving memorial service or a celebration the life of your loved one in a range of settings.
I am an experienced Celebrant with 12 years of looking after families, undertaking funeral services, weddings, baby naming and hand fastings.
Please call or message if you would like any information.

28/03/2017

Dear Jan, thank you again for the service. You were really supportive when we met and helped me through the difficult time and decisions. It felt natural talking to you and created a beautiful service for my uncle Tony. All family and friends were very happy with the service. Thank you Liam

28/03/2017

Dear Jan,

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to you for Tuesday’s service for my Dad.

Terry was not at all a religious man but we didn’t ever really discuss his funeral arrangements. I knew it would have not felt right to have a ‘traditional’ religious service but I wasn’t entirely sure what would have been appropriate instead. Thanks to your advice, suggestions, diligence and compassion, I really don’t think the funeral service could have been more perfect for him.

Thank you for the initial call, the subsequent conversations with me and my family, your early suggestions, your flexibility and your care and attention to detail on the day itself. At every stage I was well-informed, in control of decisions, and guided appropriately where necessary. I was never rushed into decisions – rather, given the time to come to my own conclusions. At what is clearly a difficult time, your approach was enormously supportive and reassuring.

You also gave me the opportunity to deliver the Eulogy, knowing that you could step in if I needed you to. I am so pleased that I took the opportunity to write and deliver it myself, so thank you also for giving me that opportunity and the confidence to do it.

Everyone who attended was very complimentary about the service too. It seemed much more personal, heartfelt and more of a celebration than a traditional funeral. Dignified too though. Just the right balance.

Thank you so much for all of your time and support, and for leading the service in the way that you did. You only have one attempt at getting a funeral service right for the deceased and for the bereaved.
You helped me to get it right for my Dad, and I will always be grateful.

With my very best wishes, and on behalf of all of my family,

David x

02/09/2016

Good Morning Jan

On behalf of ‘team Tighe’… We just wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for delivering just the perfect service for Dad... and for all of us too!

Is it possible to be sad and glad at the same time?

It’s the only way we can explain our sadness… though also how glad we were to be guided by your serene expertise. As we said earlier… we felt in safe hands from our first meeting Jan and you delivered with professional grace… which was just so fitting for our beloved Derrick James Tighe.

Thank you x

27/08/2016

Hi Jan

We'd like to thank you very much for a wonderful service for Carl.
Everyone said it was very fitting and it bought people to smile about him; so thank you thank you very much.

Amanda and family xx

Dear Jan

I just want to say a big thank you for conducting my fathers service today at Yardley Crem. It was a lovely service and Dad would have been proud; it was moving and above all it summed Dad's life up and the person he was. Once again a big thank you from all his family and friends.

Jillian

27/08/2016

From the Baye Family...

We first found Jan when looking for a celebrant to conduct our daughter’s naming ceremony in 2012. She was so helpful, walking us through the plan for the day and letting us personalise the ceremony in so many places. We were thrilled with the outcome and received so many compliments about it from friends and family! So it was natural for us to come back and ask Jan to do it all for us again for our son this year, and once again the day turned out perfectly. I would highly recommend Jan if you’re looking for a warm, friendly celebrant for your special occasion.