Some paths find you before you’re ready for them. This one that lead me to becoming a funeral celebrant in North Yorkshire and County Durham found me twelve years ago.
Twelve years ago to the day (on 5th March 2014), saw the start of what can only be described as the worst year of my life. Without going into all the detail, it involved serious health complications following the birth of our third child, and in the middle of everything, losing my mum.
She was diagnosed with Stage 4 Peritoneal cancer (I was in Intensive Care at the time she was given the diagnosis) and sadly passed away just eleven weeks later at the age of just 67.
The Moment That Planted a Seed
When we came to plan Mum’s funeral, it was the first time our family had experienced a funeral celebrant. We were raw with grief and had no idea what to expect. The celebrant who led her service was, quite simply, brilliant. He was calm, genuinely warm, and had clearly listened carefully to everything we’d shared about her. The ceremony felt like Mum, not a template or a standard script, but a honest, funny and loving reflection of the woman she was.
I remember sitting there after the service thinking: ‘I want to do that.’ Not in a passing way, but with a quiet certainty that this was something I could be good at. I wanted to give other families the same sense of pride in the send off for their loved one that the celebrant had given us.
The timing wasn’t right, of course. I was still quite poorly at the time and had a new baby, along with two other young children (not to mention a husband whose job meant he could go away at the drop of a hat for weeks on end) but the idea settled quietly somewhere in the back of my mind while I focused on recovery, family and getting through each day. I got on with things, as you do.
A Feeling That Wouldn’t Go Away
Last year, I attended another funeral led by a celebrant. Sitting there, listening to a ceremony that was warm, personal and beautifully crafted, that same feeling came flooding back. Quiet, certain, and completely impossible to ignore this time.
I started looking into training and it didn’t take long to find Civil Ceremonies Ltd. As it happened, I already knew them, as they had conducted the naming ceremonies for two of our children years earlier. Finding them again felt like something slotting into place.
I completed the Level 3 NOCN Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy in November 2025, and With Honour Funeral Celebrancy was born. I now work with families across North Yorkshire and County Durham, helping them create ceremonies that truly honour the people they’ve loved.
Why This Work Matters to Me
I know what it feels like to sit in those seats. I know the fog of grief, the pressure of making decisions when your head isn’t clear, and the worry of whether the service will truly feel like the person you’ve lost.
I’ve been that person.
My NHS background, working alongside distressed families during difficult times, taught me how to listen and communicate with care. My 32 years as an Army Reservist instilled a deep sense of service, dignity and doing things properly. My own experience of loss taught me everything else.
Every life deserves to be honoured well. Every family deserves someone who will listen carefully, guide them gently, and craft a ceremony that truly reflects the person they’ve lost. That’s what I set out to do with every family I work with as a funeral celebrant in North Yorkshire and County Durham.
It all started twelve years ago, sitting at Mum’s funeral, watching a celebrant do something that truly mattered. I’m grateful every day that I finally got here.
If you’d like to talk about planning a ceremony for someone you love, I’m always happy to have a conversation. No pressure, no obligation – just a chat over a brew. Drop me a message or give me a call.