Sarah Burley
Funeral Celebrant
Hello I’m Sarah! If you are preparing to say farewell to someone you love, I am here to reassure you that you can do so in a way that is entirely personal to you and the essence of your loved one.
I can gently guide you to plan a ceremony which remembers the joyful times and allows you to celebrate their life, while allowing for the sorrowful moments as you mourn their loss and reflect upon your own feelings.
As a funeral celebrant, I will provide you with the flexibility and choice to create a truly unique occasion that will leave you feeling that you have given your loved one the best possible farewell.
How I can help
From our first communication, my focus is on creating a bespoke service that fits your wishes and needs, while respecting the wishes of your loved one.
Together we will discuss how to celebrate or commemorate the person who has died. We will plan the service together and I can help advise or suggest suitable music, spoken tributes, poems, readings or personal touches that may help to reflect their life. Whilst I am not a member of a particular faith, if you feel a prayer or reading should be included, then we can do so.
We will then take time to talk about the life of the person you are commemorating so I can write or help you with a eulogy that encapsulates the fullness of the life they lived and not just the loss felt by those left behind.
On the day of the funeral, I shall arrive with plenty of time at your chosen venue and ensure the service runs just as we have planned. I can lead the way, read the eulogy, or take a more subtle role as an MC, so you can say your own farewells, in your own way.
A little about me
Music and theatre are a big part of my life. When asked how I would describe myself, I always want to do so through the words of a song. I’d like my own loved ones to think of me as forever surrounded by the symphony of my life stories. I can be vibrant and bold, and simultaneously reflective and calm. Above all, I would describe myself as joyful with a deep sense of inner peace.
When I’m not planning or taking a ceremony, or talking with clients, I can usually be found walking in one of the local parks, with my beloved spaniels, or singing with my fabulous band. We’re not professionals, but we have loved making soulful, bluesy, jazzy music together for over ten years.
Originally from Dulwich in South London, I have lived in many places, but settled in Hampton in 1995, raising my daughters and working with my husband in the events business, for over 25 years.
I have a BA Hons degree in Theatre Design and as much as I love being on stage and performing, my younger years were spent working behind the scenes of many West End productions and films. Backstage and as a costumier, my role was to ensure the stars of the show were reflected in the best possible light. I have always continued with the same ethos, because everyone has their own stage and everyone deserves to be the star of their own life story.
If you would like a chat just let the team at White Rose know and they will connect us.
Sarah
