Funeral Celebrant Sheenagh

30/08/2026

We live in a world of communication driven by technology don’t we : mobile phones, computers, WhatsApp and emails

But what happens as a Celebrant when you’re working with someone for whom technology isn’t an option - someone who doesn’t have any of the above?

….. you go back to traditional methods…. and that’s absolutely fine with me.

I’ll simply print out the draft service and hand deliver it - leave it with you for as long as time permits - and then call back to chat through your thoughts.

That way you can read it at your own pace at a time of your choosing and with absolutely no pressure from me.

I’m working alongside a gentleman at the moment who has no technology to hand - he’s managed 95 years without it and doesn’t see the need to get any now - he has a landline telephone and that’s sufficient for him - fair enough!

When I met him I jokingly asked if we needed to enlist a carrier pigeon to communicate but we decided that in the area we both lived someone would probably steal it en route 😂 and he thanked me for making him laugh at a time when his world has fallen apart 😊

I too come from a generation where we didn’t have technology - we had blackboards and chalk at school (yes i’m that old) - by the time I was at college there was overhead projectors - and now we have tech that I know will never be on my radar so I guess people younger than me would consider me a dinosaur too.

I don’t proclaim to be the best at using tech - computer geek I am definitely not. I know how to do what I need to do with a laptop, iPad and a basic mobile phone and that suits me - but this job reminds me how we take so much for granted and how important respect for an older generation and human connection is.

So today I’m going to create a draft service and then later this afternoon or tomorrow I’ll drive back over to drop it off for this gentleman to read at his convenience - because going the extra mile is important in the funeral sector, I know it’s what the Funeral Directors I work with do and I hope they realise it’s what I do too.

29/08/2026

Today I had another ‘first’ here at Funeral Celebrant Sheenagh.

I met with an older gentleman this afternoon to talk about the farewell service for his beloved wife who he’d been married to for 72 years.

He was a very direct man and obviously doesn’t suffer fools gladly but by the time I left we’d shared a few laughs and I believe I made a good impression!

When I asked what music he might like us to play - he said he would leave the choice entirely up to me - and said that he trusted me to make the right choices

no pressure there then …..

but in all honesty what a responsibility and what a privilege 🩷

28/08/2026

I’m having an office day today ….

- I have a new service to create for a family I met last night

- My two services for next week to check, format, print and familiarise myself with

- A new family to contact to arrange to meet with

- Updating my service schedule board ready for the start of Sept

- Updating my accounts

- I also had to pop to the Post Office first thing to post out some keepsake service copies for lovely families I’ve recently led services for …. and whilst I was out I popped to the lovely local cake shop for a treat …… thought I’d get some of my 5 a day in:

Banana in the banoffee pie plus of course the calcium in the fresh cream ✅

All that fruit in the Florentine ✅

Cherries on the Bakewell tart ✅

and then I’ll have a glass of wine this evening ….more fruit ✅

Oh my goodness I’m on fire today with all this healthy eating 🤭

28/08/2026

If you’ve had to say farewell to a four legged companion you’ll appreciate that we don’t need a special day of remembrance - because although your grief may change over time, there will always be that special place in your heart that was once occupied by your companion.

They always remain in our hearts and in our memories don’t they.

Here are a few ways that you might honour your loved one at The Rainbow Bridge:

- you could reminisce with photos/ videos - remember the happier times

- you might light a candle and sit with your own thoughts

- you might choose to make a donation to a dog/ cat/ other animal charity

- you might make a donation of food/ blankets/ towels to an animal rescue centre - most are charities who rely on donations to survive

- you might plant a tree/ shrub / flower in your garden - particularly poignant if it flowers at the time of either your companions birth or death.

Today I’m remembering :
Kira - our baby girl who we were only just getting to know - died at just 10 weeks of age in 2011
Kizzi - a dad’s girl but a mummy protector who died at the age of 7.5 in 2019
Denzel - Kira’s birth sibling - a mummy’s boy - he was my world - died aged 10.5 in 2021

If you have a companion at the Rainbow Bridge I’d love it if you wanted to share their name and/or a memory about them here……

27/08/2026

I just want to say how grateful I am to everyone who follows this page.

I think many people believe we are employees of Funeral Directors when in fact Funeral Celebrants are small business owners and most families find us through recommendations and visibility.

By following Funeral Celebrant Sheenagh, you’re helping me stay on people’s radar so I can support families when they need it most and for that I’m really grateful.

As a Funeral Celebrant, I don’t have a big company behind me - it’s just me, a self employed small business owner who is responsible for my own marketing of my Business and that’s why visibility and word of mouth recommendations are so important.

Some families are recommended me by their Funeral Director but there is never any guarantee of regular work so it’s important to note that you can request me when you meet with your Funeral Director or you can contact me directly if you think I would be the right Celebrant to work alongside you and your family in creating a farewell service.

Your Follows, Comments and Shares help my page reach the people who might suddenly be facing decisions they never expected to make.

Meta algorithms particularly like it when you comment and the more comments the more meta will share my post on to other peoples feeds.

And when you engage with my page you’re helping a small local business stay visible, and you’re helping families find someone who will listen, care, and work with them to create a service that feels right for them.

Thank you to everyone who follows my Business page – it really does make a huge difference



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27/08/2026

By way of transparency - here’s a little behind‑the‑scenes truth:

Sometimes despite people’s best planning - things don’t always go exactly to plan on the day of or during a farewell service.

In recent months with some of the services I’ve been involved with we’ve had a few things not go as expected – with Crematoria equipment, with technology, with vehicles, with the heat and with human error (despite our thinking that we are infallible we do make mistakes sometimes – and on those occasions when we do, there’s no need for anyone else to berate us because I can assure you we’re more than capable of beating ourselves up without assistance from anyone else)

Thankfully these instances are rare, but when they do occur, that’s why the Funeral Director, Crematoria staff teams, and the Celebrant will work as a team, and try to anticipate issues / deal with them.

We have contingency plans – there should always be a plan B (and sometimes a plan C) to cover alsorts of scenarios - and we do have them in place.

Most of the time, families and attendees will never know anything has gone wrong …..

Occasionally, they might notice - and on those rare occasions, I really do hope the families feel reassured by our collective efforts and note how swiftly and calmly we pull together to put things right.

This work relies on strong teamwork across our different businesses.

We should all be focused on one shared purpose which is primarily to ensure that no family is ever let down.

As a wider ‘team’ we look after each other so we can look after the families we serve but also ensure that no colleague ever deals with a hurdle on their own.

For this reason I feel blessed to work alongside some fabulous people - Funeral Directors, Funeral Arrangers, Crematoria staff, Chapel Attendants and am grateful for their support - as I hope they are for mine.

26/08/2026

26/08/2026

Rather than reading all the bad news posts on our social media feeds isn’t it heartwarming to see the outpouring of love for Dolly Parton – albeit so sad that she has died.

We didn’t know her but we felt we did and so her death feels somehow quite poignant.

She was an inspirational woman who rose from humble beginnings but showed people what hard work and generosity can achieve.
Whether it was her unmistakable voice (and let’s be honest, who hasn’t attempted to sing I Will Always Love You (and sang it badly) or her charity work, or her vivacious personality - she was a woman who lit up a room and she resonated with people.

In my work as a Funeral Celebrant, I’ve led a number of services where 9 to 5, Jolene, or I Will Always Love You have been the soundtrack to someone’s life story and I’ve seen how those songs have offered threads of comfort and courage to those left behind and helped them through some of the hardest goodbyes.

What a legacy she leaves behind

25/08/2026

Aww - such sad news to hear of the death of Dolly Parton - one of the music world legends

25/08/2026

My second service of the week took me over to Woodlands in Scunthorpe where we honoured a woman whose life was defined by courage and an unwavering determination to keep going, even when life threw challenges at her that would have overwhelmed most people.

She was one of life’s true survivors – she was fiercely protective of her family and loyal to those she loved

Amidst the understandable and palpable sadness, we also shared moments of laughter with some funny incidents from her life – it’s sometimes those small elements in a service that help to lift the heaviness, even if only for a few moments.

We entered the chapel to the reverent sound of Amazing Grace, and at our point of Reflection we listened to the song that became her life’s soundtrack: I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash.

Both pieces of music were a fitting tribute to a woman who weathered storms and still found her way back to find happiness.

I received some lovely comments from family and mourners following the service – and although never expected I can tell you that they certainly offer reassurance that I had captured the lady’s personality, spirit and life journey that the family wanted to be portrayed.

For this service I had the privilege of once again being entrusted to work alongside the lovely Mark (Funeral Director) from Fletchers Funeral services in Goole.

The family commented how down to earth we both were and how we had both made them instantly feel at ease from the moment we had met them - isn’t that lovely 🩷

I also extend my grateful thanks to this lovely family for allowing me to work with them to share their loved ones life story.

My after service treat today was some cherry and chocolate cheesecake courtesy of a local garden centre coffee shop 🍰