Danette O'Brien - Funeral Celebrant

Many years ago my Gran's funeral left me feeling more than a little underwhelmed. I battled with the reality that such a beautiful, much loved woman wasn't honoured and farewelled as she should have been. I felt a calling to enter the funeral industry then, but it was put on hold for many years. In 2021 this calling was re-ignited during my Dad's transition, and one thing led to another and I am n

ow working as a Funeral/Memorial Celebrant for both humans and pets, a eulogy writer and facilitating conversations in the community around death both online and in person. I can also assist you with the planning of a Living Funeral/Living Wake and with writing your Emotional Will. I write both traditional and contemporary ceremonies that begin with a blank page on which I build a life story. The uniqueness of each life is what makes my job so interesting. It is a great honour to learn about people as I weave their life story together. Funerals and memorial services have evolved more recently and there are so many more options available for you to explore when deciding how you will celebrate and honour the life of your person. The average duration of a funeral or memorial service in Australia is 45 minutes. It is therefore incredibly important that each minute of such sacred time is significant. In essence, I'd describe myself as a space-holder for death and grief. I work exclusively in the funeral space and am well versed in working with people who are experiencing grief and/or trauma. It is my intention to train as an end of life doula (or death doula) in the future. In the meantime I will happily refer you to recommended doulas on request. You can book me to be your chosen Celebrant through the Funeral Director or engage me directly to work with you. You will find more details of the offerings of Farewelled with Love on my website.