Liz Austin Celebrant

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Liz Austin Celebrant

Personal farewells that celebrate life and support your loss with care and compassion. I offer independent funeral celebrancy across the East Midlands.

29/06/2026

Football is never just football.

It’s the match-day shirt. The seat in the stand. The radio on in the kitchen. The family WhatsApp. The shouting at the referee. The hope, heartbreak and stories told again and again. Even the lucky pants!

So if football was part of someone’s life, it can absolutely be part of their funeral. A club anthem as they arrive. A scarf beside the flowers. A shirt on the coffin. A favourite player mentioned in the eulogy. A story about that disastrous journey home after a big away day.

If football was a big part of their life, then it makes sense for it to be a big part of their death.

Because a funeral should never feel like a template; it should feel like a person.

24/06/2026

'Love doesn't die, people do'

This wonderful line from Epitaph by Merrit Malloy captures something so powerful about grief. When I speak to grieving people, we often talk about how to carry someone’s memory forward and so much of that is found in our actions. It’s in the way we echo their values and the kindness we choose because of their influence.

A person’s legacy lives on when we carry their light forward.

15/06/2026

Grief is more than sadness.

One of the things I value most about celebrant-led funerals is the space they create for the full reality of a person’s life. That means laughter as much as tears, honouring the whole person - their full personality, what they loves, what they hated ... even their flaws.

A ceremony can be deeply sad and still include warmth. It can honour grief while also celebrating love, character and memory. There is always room for humour.
The most meaningful goodbyes are the ones that allow people to feel all of it.

10/06/2026

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

01/06/2026

1 June is International Children’s Day

Talking to young children about death can feel particularly difficult, as our instincts are to protect them from something that we often find scary and confusing ourselves.

But even very young children notice when something has changed and speaking to them simply and honesty can actually help them feel safer.

With young children, it often helps to:
- use clear, simple words
- keep explanations short
- answer their questions, however many times they repeat them!
Their understanding grows over time, so they may ask the same things again and again. That’s part of how they begin to make sense of it.

Children's grief can look different too.
It might be a few tears, followed quickly by wanting to play. T; children often just process things in small pieces.

What matters most is that they feel reassured, safe and know it’s always okay to come back and talk more when they’re ready.

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10/01/2026

I discovered When I’m Gone by Mosiah Lyman Hancock during my celebrant training and its words have stayed with me. This poem is a lovely choice for a reading, embracing both the joys and challenges that so often shape our lives.

An authentic, meaningful ceremony reflects all aspects of the individual’s life and character – it should be as unique as the person being remembered.

Whether you’re planning a farewell, supporting someone through grief, or simply missing a loved one, I hope you might find some comfort in these words.

05/01/2026

When my dad died in 2013, I found myself planning his funeral. Choosing the music felt simple – of course we would play Simon and Garfunkel!

But sitting in the crematorium it became clear that the full, five-minute version of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ was a bit too long, and what should have been a comforting moment became a little awkward. (Not quite as awkward as the vicar quoting West Side Story lyrics, but that’s a story for another day!) Looking back, I wish we’d talked about a shorter version, but at the time, I was just asked ‘what music do you want?’, and that was it.

Music is an incredibly powerful way of remembering a loved one. As an independent celebrant, it's my job to ensure that music choices work as part of the ceremony overall, delivering something that truly reflects the individual and their unique life. The ceremony should provide loved ones the opportunity to share loss and sorrow, while honouring the deceased's memory and celebrating their life - all in a way that is as comfortable as possible. We do that by working together, as I support you through this most challenging process.

If you’d like to find out more about planning a meaningful ceremony, or if you’d just like to chat about death, dying and funerals, please get in touch.

01/01/2026

Happy New Year 🎉

One of my proudest achievements in 2025 was completing my funeral celebrancy training with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy . In 2026, I am thrilled to be launching my services as a funeral celebrant.

We don’t talk enough about death and dying, yet it is something we all experience. A meaningful funeral recognises the uniqueness of every life and is a vital part of the grieving process, helping us to share our loss and begin to heal.

As an independent celebrant, I support families through the process of saying goodbye. I work closely with each family to craft a ceremony that is personal, meaningful, and as unique as the individual being honoured, free from any religious or organisational constraints.

Thank you so much for joining me on this new and important journey. Please share any questions or ideas in the comments – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Address

Nottingham

Website

http://lizaustincelebrant.com/

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