During February, every Wedding and Vow Renewal Celebrant is excited about Valentines Day. They’re excited for all the proposals and all the romantic couples who want to mark the day by renewing their vows. It seems like a strange time to talk about funerals. But the thing is, if a funeral, or life celebration, isn’t about love, then what is it about?
When someone we love dies, the love we feel for them is as real as it ever was.
The feelings we had for them don’t go away. They might feel different for a while, perhaps even painful. But at the heart of our memories is love. I believe crafting someone’s service to mark the end of their life, is the greatest love story there is to tell.
I am often asked if the work I do as a Funeral Celebrant is sad. And of course, it can be. Mostly though, it’s filled with joy and laughter, as memories are recalled and shared. Shared as part of the healing process of grief, and as a way of remembering the love.
In this month that is so filled with stories of new love and journeys just starting, I look back on my 39 years with my partner and husband, John. As we age, we seem to notice the things we want to remember more. I am suddenly very aware that we have less time together ahead of us, than behind us. I treasure the days with a sense of their value and pay attention to the small things.
If you’re a Celebrant who specializes in life celebrations, funerals and memorials, I’d suggest February is the ideal time to fill your timeline with love.
Here are my top tips:
- Go to your own website and the page on which to talk about life celebrations or funerals. Count the number of times you mention LOVE on this page. If you’re not finding it at all, or it’s less than three times – take some time to add the love.
- Find four favourite quotes or poems that talk about love. turn them into a Canva post and share one per week throughout February.
- Video yourself in your ‘work clothes’ and read something to camera – a passage from a book, a poem or even something you’ve written yourself. Keep love as the theme. Share this on Instagram.
- Create something for Valentines Day in honour of the loved- ones-lost in the last 12 months and share a photo of it, plus some words of comfort. Create a blog post about why you’ve done this and share it on your social media.
As more and more people are looking at direct cremation as an option, this is also an important time to remind them that our funeral is for the people who love us. It’s about offering them the support they need when you have died. It’s about their love for you. February is a good time to share a post or video or even a Podcast looking at how it is your loved ones who need your funeral. And a reminder that it’s because they love you that you are not a burden.
Once you’ve taken action on one of my suggestions above, do share the link in the comments so that we can share it with others. I’ll include a link to your website if you include it too.
If you’re feeling less than in-love with your Celebrant business, take up my special February Offer Coaching for three months – with a total of 12, 30-minute sessions – for the price of ten sessions (you get the two free sessions in your final invoice and you pay monthly). Book a call into my calendar to talk about the offer today.
No Responses