“Hello, my name is Kate Mitchell.  Many of you know me locally, either as a celebrant or as a hypnotherapist.  

What is a Community Celebrant?

I’m proud to be your local Community Celebrant.  This means that it is my pleasure to write and conduct  a variety of ceremonies celebrating the happy and less happy events in the lives of the people of Edenbridge.  These include funerals, weddings, handfastings, baby welcoming and vow renewal ceremonies. Being a community celebrant is great because it means that I am part of this community and accessible, friendly and local.  My roots are in Edenbridge and I love living and working in my home town.

Today I am writing about my role as a funeral celebrant.

We are so lucky to have two excellent funeral directors already here in our town.  Both are staffed by lovely and hard-working Funeral Arrangers whose professionalism and caring support means that you are in very safe hands.  We are also lucky enough to have a fantastic natural burial ground, a wonderful resource and perfect for celebrations of life in nature.

What does a funeral celebrant do?

My role is to write the actual funeral service and then officiate at the funeral itself.  To do this I work closely with the funeral arrangers and most importantly with you.  Sometimes my role means that I write every word, including the Eulogy, and read it all out, after helping you to find poems and think of songs and music to include in a service.  Other times I am less involved in writing and reading the service, as the family feel able to do so themselves. Whatever the family needs, I am there to help, support and advise, helping them find the right words to say goodbye.  After the funeral I present the families with a personalised, decorated scroll of the entire service to keep forever.

Did you know…?

Did you know that you can have a funeral anywhere?  As long as the local bye-laws are followed, where you hold a funeral ceremony is up to you.  A funeral service does not have to take place in a crematorium or cemetery.  The cremation or burial can take place separately. This means that you can hold your funeral service in a meaningful place of your choosing – a hotel, pub or field – wherever you choose. I have conducted funerals in back gardens as well, surrounded by all the deceased’s hard work.

If you would like to talk to me about planning a funeral service or any other ceremony, you can contact me directly through my website, on facebook or by email, or follow me on Instagram.”

 instagram.com/celebrantkate 65

facebook.com/CommunityCelebrant65 | Website: www.celebrantkate.co.uk | Email: celebrantkate65@gmail.com