My name is Sue Johnson-Hewitt, and I am an independent celebrant serving the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch areas. I trained and qualified under Jonathan Martin of Swan Ceremonies based in Poole. My role as a celebrant is to support you through this difficult time, by helping you design the perfect ceremony for you and your loved one. I can guide you in the decision-making process and liaise with the funeral director to make this process as easy as possible for you.

By using a celebrant, you do not have to follow the structure of a traditional funeral and it allows you the flexibility to celebrate the life of your loved one as you wish. The service can be spiritual, religious, a non-religious or a mix, it’s all down to yours and your loved one’s wishes.

I would consider it an honour and a privilege to be able to share this time with you. To assist you in creating the perfect ceremony and service for you and your loved one. I pride myself on being there to help and support you through what can be a challenging time. Making decisions and organising a funeral can feel overwhelming and at a time when emotions are running high, I will do my utmost to ease this for you. Between the funeral director and myself we will elevate some of the pressure to ensure you are well cared for during this difficult process.

Grief is a very personal experience. There is no wrong or right way to feel or behave. Everyone deals with it differently but my priority is to support you through this difficult time. I am able to give guidance if needed and recommendations should you wish. I guarantee to do my very best for your loved one. Each funeral is prepared on a bespoke basis as no two people are the same. My aim is help you to celebrate the life of somebody who is so dear to you.

On our first meeting, I will take the time for you to share with me all about your loved one. It will be a safe place for you to share your feelings of loss and memories that are cherished. This can be at your home, at mine or the funeral directors; whichever you would most feel relaxed and comfortable at. We will be able to discuss the life of your loved one, sharing joyful and funny stories, and describing their personality traits thus allowing me to have a true understanding of who they are. My job is to share your loved one’s life journey, celebrating their highs, strengths, and the legacy they have left behind. I like to leave our meeting feeling that I know your loved one, as my role is to share your loved ones life’s journey to my best ability. It is not easy to know the lifetime of your loved one in a short time but I will prompt you to share memories to ensure the true essence of your loved one is understood.

Having a celebrant gives you flexibility so you are not tied to a specific structure if you don’t wish to. If you want to write your own eulogy I am happy to help fine tune it if you so wish. I can adapt to any service that you wish, whether it be spiritual, religious or non religious. You can have a mixture of both religious and non religious within the service. There is no right or wrong way to conduct the service. We can discuss exactly what feels appropriate for you. I will ensure that you are aware of how the service will be run prior to the date as I will meet you again to read through the eulogy, whether that be the one that I have prepared on your behalf or one you have written. So you will have a clear understanding on what to expect on the day. Presentation is so important and I would like to make sure you are happy with my delivery of the service.

This is also a time to include any other memories or important facts that you may want added. I can speak to family and friends on your behalf if required to discuss their involvement. We all have a story to tell. We can discuss having personal objects, visual tributes for representation of your loved ones personality or have a traditional service.

We will discuss the order of service you would like. This could include hymns, songs, poems and tributes that may be read.

For no extra charge I will write a poem encompassing all that has been said in the eulogy as a lasting tribute for you to keep as well as including this in the service. This is unique to your loved one and for yourself. Please click here for examples of the poems I have written.

Being a celebrant is something I hold dear to my heart, and it would be an honour and privilege to be the celebrant for your dear loved one – to share the celebration of their life with you and for others, giving everybody a chance to say their goodbyes.

Please contact me on 07766723151