Katie Costello - End of Life Support Services

21/08/2026

Today’s musings about direct cremations and how dismissive the advertising is. There is SO much to say on this but I’ve kept it to the point to hopefully make you think. We need to understand the impact on the language and the suggestions it creates of a hierarchy of grief. I know this might land heavy, but as always, it is done with so much love ❤️

20/08/2026

Why should you choose me as your celebrant? 🤔

Because it feels right.

Honestly, that’s it. It’s that simple.

When you’re choosing a celebrant, funeral director, or anyone who is going to support you and walk alongside you after someone has died, of course qualifications matter. Experience matters. Knowledge, training and expertise all matter.

But there’s something else that matters just as much.

How that person makes you feel.

Do you feel safe with them? Do you feel heard and seen? Do they feel familiar somehow? Can you talk to them? Do they listen, really listen?

Because the right person shouldn’t step in and tell you what you should do. They should walk alongside you, answer your questions, help you understand your choices and give you the confidence and space to work out what feels right for you and your person.

And when it comes to choosing someone to stand at the front of that room and tell the story of somebody you love, I think you need to FEEL that they get it. That they get you. And, somehow, that they get your person who died too.

There are some bloody brilliant celebrants out there, and we all bring something different. So have a look around. Read the words people write. Look at testimonials. Have conversations. Check out their socials to get a feel for who they are.

But most of all, go with your gut.

Choose the person who makes you think, Yep. You feel like our kind of person.

And if that person happens to be me, then that’s amazing ❤️

19/08/2026

This is who we are 🙏🏼❤️

18/08/2026

Great event and opportunity for my fellow funeral professionals with 2 of my favourite organisations Dandelion Farewells and Heart in their Hand Project with Judith Dandy and Cathy Milburn 🙏🏼

Here are details of a very special event we are co-hosting with the wonderful team from Heart in their Hand Project, on behalf of British Institute of Funeral Directors.
This is a unique opportunity to visit the hub of such a special company; understand the founding intentions; and deepen awareness of continuing bonds through such beautiful keepsakes.
Please share with local and professional networks. All welcome.
RSVP [email protected]

Providing these keepsakes to Chestnut Tree House and having them available for families we support, we value the significance of these personal gestures and precious items.

18/08/2026

Have you ever had to plan a funeral and realised you had absolutely no idea what the person would have wanted?

What music?
Burial or cremation?
What would they want people to know?
What would actually FEEL like them?
What stories do we share?

Or perhaps someone you love has been seriously ill and you’ve known there are things you probably need to talk about…

But how do you start that conversation?
What if you upset them?
What if they don’t want to talk?
What if you ask the ‘wrong thing’?

And so often, we say nothing.

Not because we don’t care.

Because nobody has ever taught us how to talk about this stuff.

That’s exactly why I created ‘A Gift’

A book designed to help us human have some of the conversations we so often avoid and capture the things that will one day become incredibly important.

It isn’t about planning every tiny detail of your death. It’s about opening conversations. Asking questions. Sharing stories. Writing down wishes.

Finding out the things we think we’ll always have time to ask.

And perhaps most importantly, making things just a little bit easier for the people we love who are left behind.

Someone said something to me recently that completely summed up why I wrote it.

They told me they’d only managed to work through a handful of the things in the book with their person.

But those handful of things had become priceless.

And that’s it.

You don’t have to complete every page. You don’t need to have every answer. You just need somewhere to start.

Because one conversation about a favourite song, a funeral wish, a memory, a person who matters, a joke, or something you never knew can become a gift you don’t fully understand the value of until you need it.

That’s why it’s called A Gift 🙏🏼

My book is available now on Amazon https://amzn.eu/d/01SSVq84

17/08/2026

Some conversations feel less like a podcast and more like sitting alongside a friend and this week’s episode of Dying for a Cuppa®️ is one of those.

I’m joined by Emma Higham for a deeply personal conversation about love, loss, spirituality and the connections that continue to shape us.

I first met Emma when I had the privilege of supporting her husband, Rich, as his Soul Midwife. I later had the honour of being the celebrant for both of his farewell services. Over the years, our lives have remained connected through that experience, and in this episode we share some of that journey together.

Emma speaks so openly about Rich, how he approached his death, the spirituality that supported him, and the ways in which his presence and influence continue to be felt.

She also shares what it has been like navigating life after Rich’s death while raising their two young daughters, and how love, grief and connection can continue to exist side by side.

This is a very human conversation. It is tender, honest and deeply personal, and I’m incredibly grateful to Emma for trusting me, and all of you, with such an important part of her story.

Please listen gently, and I’d love to hear what stays with you after the episode. This is a personal one ☕️❤️

emmalucyhigham

16/08/2026

I photobombed my own family 😂 Hola folks! I am back from the most wonderful family holiday and much needed break and rest away from life for a bit.

Minimal phone, no Apple Watch buzzing with every notification, no make up, no formal clothes, no time restraints and no deadlines. Instead, lots of ice cream, sunshine, pool time, laughing, singing and family time. Bliss 🙏🏼

Back to it tomorrow and catching up with a mountain of emails 🥴 Don’t forget, it’s new episode day tomorrow for Dying for a Cuppa®️ The Podcast 🎙️❤️

14/08/2026

The conversations may change. The way you love them may change. But the bond you carry, the stories you tell and the impact they’ve had on who you are can continue for the rest of your life.

Grief isn’t about learning to forget someone. It’s about learning how to carry them differently. The love, values, lessons and memories they leave behind continue to shape who we become, long after their physical presence has gone.

13/08/2026

You may feel sadness, relief, anger, guilt, gratitude or all of them before lunch. Anticipatory grief is complicated because you’re grieving someone who is still here. Whatever you’re feeling, you’re not doing it wrong.

These emotions can feel confusing, particularly when you’re trying to stay strong for someone else. Give yourself permission to experience whatever arises without judging it. Love and grief are rarely tidy, especially before death has even happened.

12/08/2026

Hospital beds, hoists, pressure relieving mattresses and commodes can feel like big emotional milestones. But they don’t represent failure. They exist to reduce pain, protect dignity and make caring a little easier for everyone.

Many people resist equipment because it makes the situation feel more real. In my experience, families almost always tell me afterwards that they wished they had accepted the support sooner. Comfort should never be seen as defeat.