Sue Walder - Humanist Celebrant

14/11/2024

🐿️🐦 The perfect setting 🐦🐿️

Tanja's happy place was Epping Forest. She loved to spread nuts and seeds out for the squirrels and birds. So being able to recommend to her family the wonderful Greenacres Epping Forest as the venue for her funeral ceremony was so gratifying.

It was the perfect setting for family and friends to honour her unique life and say goodbye

Swipe to see the beautiful space which looks out onto the edge of the forest. Before the ceremony staff even topped up the bird feeders so there'd be plenty of bird and squirrel action

She was carried in by her partner Tom and five friends. The room was packed and I'm not sure how he managed it but her Tom played guitar and sang Jim Croce's Time In A Bottle.

At the end of the ceremony, as per Danish tradition, the family carried the coffin out.

Good to work with

28/10/2024

🍃🍂🍁 Autumn Wedding Vibes 🍁🍂🍃

How can it be a year since this lovely, heartfelt wedding at in Highgate?

Happy first anniversary to Gracie and Louis!

One of the stand-out moments from the ceremony was when the two fathers performed a special quaich (or loving cup) ritual

By drinking from the same cup, Louis and Gracie symbolised their commitment to share all that the future may bring

It was an absolute pleasure to conduct this wedding ceremony - here's to a lifetime of shared love and adventure! 🕺💃

21/10/2024

🌈🌈 Vows that induce laughter and tears 🌈🌈

Happy first anniversary to Neil and Edmund! ✨🥂✨

I love this shot taken by Liza O'Malley Photography of Edmund making Neil laugh with his unique vows

That's the beauty of a celebrant-led wedding. You have the freedom to write your own personal vows (if you want to) and they can be romantic, funny, serious - or (often) a fabulous blend of all three

What a couple, what a wedding ceremony - truly original and authentic, full of love and music

Congratulations! 🌈🥂 🌈

18/10/2024

Outdoor weddings in October? Yes! Especially for those couples who are willing to have a Plan B if it hammers down with rain...

And venues like The Willow Tree, Bourn in Cambridgeshire make it possible. There's a gorgeous weeping willow tree to keep the showers at bay and sheepskin seat covers to keep you warm.

This was the scene that greeted guests at Emma & Richard's wedding last weekend

The ceremony included a fun Mr & Mrs quiz, a communal pledge from the assembled guests and Emma & Richard's lovely daughter Charlotte brought up the rings. A really informal but touching family affair

In case you're wondering, Plan B was to retreat into the teepee but thankfully the rain held off just long enough

Great to work again with Shaina at The Willow Tree and to meet Jane Morgan Photography and musicbybethanyjane.com

26/09/2024

🌟 The kindest words ...🌟

I had the pleasure of conducting Julie's funeral ceremony earlier this year and worked closely with her daughter Ashley in planning a unique send off at Etham Crematorium.

There was a floral tribute in the shape of a large rubber duck (Julie was an obsessive collector) and the music chosen reflected her love of dancing

Family members shared specially written and heartfelt poems and memories and we left the chapel to the strains of the cheeky tune Me Julie by Ali G and Shaggy

It was a real celebration of a life fully lived. She would have loved it💃

06/09/2024

💐🌹🌺🏵️ Gorgeous wedding florals 🏵️🌺🌹💐

Get a load of these stunning wedding florals crafted by to frame the doors from which Lucie & Tomas emerged for confetti and cheers

is a fab venue for an intimate wedding and the staff were fab

Definitely recommend 👍

27/08/2024

🌹💮 Fusion Wedding 💮🌹

One of the brilliant things about having a celebrant conduct your wedding is that you can truly celebrate not just your love and commitment but also your cultural backgrounds

Respectful versions of cultural traditions can be included before, during and after the ceremony and the result can be amazing

Today I'm remembering Avani and George's blended wedding - which celebrated Avani's Indian heritage as well as George's British & Brazilian background

Highlights included George being carried to the venue with cheering and dohl drummers; the exchange of paper garlands made from the pages of their favourite books; a fire ceremony (phera); and George's mum singing a song in Portuguese

Happy anniversary! 💃❤️🕺

25/08/2024

21/08/2024

🍂 The Luddenden Shroud 🍂

Thanks to Rosie Grant at Natural Endings in Todmorden and to Margaret at for hosting a fascinating and moving talk by artist and shroud-maker Rachel Hawthorn last night

Rachel has hand-crafted a beautiful shroud for her friend Janet which, as well as being practical is also a deeply personal work of art, using natural materials gathered in Janet's beloved Luddenden valley in West Yorkshire.

The cradle is woven from bramble and ivy branches and the shroud itself was made from local wool which Rachel carded and felted

The film show last night about the making of the shroud was truly inspiring. If you get a chance to see it - do!

19/08/2024

🌹🌹 Ashes Interment 🌹🌹

101-year-old Nellie was given a touching, personal and family-led send off at Woodcock Hill Cemetery in Hertfordshire

We celebrated her long, happy and full life before the family placed her ahses in the grave alongside her beloved husband George - reunited at last

There were laughs, tears and red roses (her favourite)

And we ended the ceremony by listening to Ella Fitzgerald as the sun burst through the clouds 🌹🌹

13/08/2024

To all the out there on , I salute you 🤌

Being a lefty in a predominantly right-handed world isn't always easy. My old dad was frequently rapped over the knuckles by teachers for 'insisting' on writing with his left hand. Thankfully, times have changed

But when it comes to weddings, in the Western world the left hand gets all the attention. The fourth finger of the left hand is called the 'ring finger' and is the one used to wear engagement and wedding rings

Fun piece of trivia: The Romans believed the fourth finger on the left hand had a vein (vena amoris - vein of love) which ran directly to the heart. Hence the tradition of placing rings on that finger to symbolise the union of two hearts 💕

Modern science tells us the vena amoris doesn't exist but the cultural tradition persists

In all the I've conducted, only one couple hasn't exchanged rings - they had a fabulous hand fasting instead

Did you exchange rings? 💍💍

07/08/2024

🎉🥂 One year on ... 🥂🎉

Exactly a year to the day that .cara and Rob got showered with confetti at in Sussex

Such a huge pleasure to have conducted their wedding and to get to know them over the course of two years - including conducting the naming ceremony for their beautiful boy, Henry

Stay well and happy!

01/08/2024

Owdo. It's 💮 (Closest emoji to a white rose 😉)

To celebrate my recent move to God's Own Country, here's a view to breathe in. Absolutely nowt wrong with that 😊

I'm settling in and can't wait to start conducting ceremonies here in beautiful Calderdale and beyond

Si'the for now!

30/07/2024

🥀 Kind words 🥀

Kindness is an often overlooked and underrated quality and is something we definitely need more of

Being tolerant, empathetic and kind comes with the territory of being a celebrant. But it always amazes and touches me how often bereaved and grieving families take the time to offer kind words of thanks following a funeral ceremony

What a privilege to help families say a fitting goodbye

17/07/2024

🌺🌹🌷 Garden weddings! 🌺🌹🌷

Happy third anniversary Ruby & TK! I can't believe it's been three years since that glorious garden wedding in the heart of beautiful Kent.

The sun shone, the family dachshunds wore bow ties and tiaras, Ruby's brother played the kora, heartfelt vows were made, and then we all belted out Can't Take My Eyes Off You before confetti was strewn and corks were popped.

I hope the past three years have been filled with love and laughter - here's to many many more 🎉💃🕺🎉

05/07/2024

🏡🚚 A Big Move! 🏡🚚

I've been quiet on here for a good reason - I'm in the throes of moving from North London to West Yorkshire. A HUGE and unsettling change but also an exciting adventure in the beautiful Calder Valley

Here's me on the day I picked up the keys to my new home

I'll still be taking some ceremonies in London and surrounding counties but from next week I'll also be a Yorkshire-based wedding, naming and funeral celebrant

My new direction co-incides with a new and hopefully improved political direction for the country. Here's to more kindness and respect ...💓💃🥳

Hope you all have a lovely weekend. Me? I still have a million boxes to fill and several more trips to the tip 🤣

19/06/2024

It was a total pleasure to conduct Peggy and Ronnie's naming ceremony - a true celebration of family and friendship. Blurred pic as we were moving around so much ...😅

Laura and Jason talk about the ceremony on the lates Humanist Ceremonies blog...

In our new blog post Laura and Jason explain how, with the help of , they created a fun and meaningful humanist naming ceremony for five year old Peggy and three year old Ronnie. 💛

“For us, it’s special relationships and friendships that bring meaning in life. We wanted our children to see that too. We didn’t want to have them christened or to feel like we were tying them to god, or to anything. We simply wanted to celebrate our family and our friendships together!"

Click the link in our bio to visit the naming blog.

18/06/2024

💕🥂🎉 Happy 2nd Anniversary to Alice & JJ! 🎉🥂💕

🌿🌳🌿. How can it be two years since these two got Hitched at the lovely woodland grove at ?

🌳🌿🌳 A day full of love and laughs - and just the occasional sprinkling of rain, which definitely didn't dampen any spirits

🌿🌳🌿 Here's to many more happy years adventuring together 💕🥂🎉