Michelle Taylor Your #FunkyCelebrant

16/12/2024

My latest podcast has landed!
A very vulnerable and realistic share about resilience and work life balance from celebrant colleague and friend, Deborah Page
https://flowiththefunk.podbean.com/e/in-conversation-with-deborah-page-resilience-work-life-balance/

Find it on my website funkycelebrant.co.uk
or Amazon, iTunes and Spotify

16/12/2024

A powerful conversation about achieving resilience and some work life balance. A huge thank you to Deborah Page who was so vulnerable and realistic in her sharing of her life experiences. You can find Deborah via her website truetoyoucelebrancy.com or her socials Facebook Instagram And the links as....

09/12/2024

Such an epic last wedding of 2024!

30/11/2024

A cheeky press release
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/qYi9i8s6jcwMi2bV/?mibextid=WC7FNe

A LAWFORD wedding celebrant has been won the top prize for being the quirkiest with her inclusive ethos.

29/11/2024

https://funkycelebrant.co.uk/why-celebrants-should-enter-industry-awards/

Why Celebrants Should Enter Industry Awards: A funky fun guide to boosting your biz

22/11/2024

FUNERAL CELEBRANT DAY//
Organised by the and
22nd November is the inaugural Funeral Celebrant Day, so let's show some love for your local funeral celebrant (psssst.... I'm one of them)
I've adopted the accord as set out by the FCC in 2019

The Funeral Celebrant Accord

The Funeral Celebrant Accord defines the attributes and skills required of an excellent funeral celebrant and is intended to set the standards by which all celebrants offering funeral services should be measured.
The role of a funeral celebrant is to serve the bereaved and their community by creating and leading a personal, accurate and respectful funeral ceremony.
Their work should clearly reflect the life, values and beliefs of the person who has died, acknowledge and give time to their community of family and friends, and create an environment in which the grieving process can be held and supported.
An excellent funeral celebrant:
1. Is professional
2. Cares for their clients
3. Is calm and shows natural leadership
4. Writes personalised ceremonies
5. Cares about their self-development

1. Is professional
● They are easy to contact, friendly, approachable, and communicate well with fellow professionals. They are prompt, reliable, efficient and organised. They are able to remain open and empathetic, at the same time as recognising the professional stance necessary to lead the funeral appropriately.
● They have good computer and IT skills that support effective communication and produce professional looking scripts that can be offered as keepsakes.
● They are GDPR aware and compliant; work confidentially, and have Personal Liability Insurance and Indemnity Insurance.
● They are well groomed and appropriately dressed.
2. Cares for their clients
● They offer to visit clients at home, and give as much time as is needed for the interview and to create the funeral ceremony.
● They are inclusive, flexible and non-judgmental.
● They engender trust through openness, sensitivity and confidentiality.
● They are willing to involve family and friends in creating the funeral, and offer to send
the script for approval before the funeral.
● They meet and greet their clients at the venue, and are available immediately after the
funeral ceremony.
● They understand that a successful funeral is one that serves and supports the bereaved
and reflect the life, values and beliefs of the person who has died.
3. Is calm and shows natural leadership
● They have a calm and reassuring presence, providing gentle leadership without seeking to be the centre of attention.
● They are a clear, confident and engaging speaker with a range of pace and intonation.
● They are responsive to what is happening in the room and the environment, and are
able to think on their feet and adapt where necessary.
4. Writes personalised ceremonies
● Every ceremony is unique, and created following a detailed and extensive interview with the relevant family and community of the person who has died, whenever possible.
● Every ceremony draws out and encourages the family’s own tastes in culture and
literature, using the celebrants own knowledge and resources as appropriate.
● Every ceremony is meaningful, inspiring and well structured, with a script that accurately
reflects the life, values and beliefs of the person who has died.
● Every ceremony includes language and ritual that is appropriate to the family they serve.
5. Cares about their self-development
● They are on a continuing path of personal and professional development to keep
informing and improving the profound and varied demands of celebrancy work.
© The Funeral Celebrancy Council 2019

I pride myself with listening to families and creating a fitting goodbye for their loved one. This is what a good celebrant does. This is just one reason to support what we do and find out how we can best support you.
Don't settle for less, and don't forget you are in charge of who you book to carry out the ceremony, you have choices, find the celebrant that fits you best.

12/11/2024

Planning a Ceremony over this festive period?
Here are my 4 top tips for including a festive ritual, whatever the ceremony.
Read my full blog over on my website
Funkycelebrant.co.uk
Want to know more? Get in touch soon

https://funkycelebrant.co.uk/4-heartfelt-christmas-ceremony-rituals/

07/11/2024

Mentoring for the modern celebrant.
Are you a UK based wedding celebrant and feeling a little bit stuck?
I am the Savvy Celebrant.co.uk and here to assist you demystify some of the basics for you.
With access to a wealth of my paperwork and the opportunity to pick my brains in directed 1-2-1 mentoring sessions.
I have it all covered for you.
Along with a 101 basic diversity and inclusivity course for wedding professionals, designed by people with lived experiences this will start you on your inclusivity journey within the wedding industry.
Visit my website for more information and book a discovery call now

Come on in and take a look around... learn all there is to know about how I can help you take your celebrancy to the the next level.

04/11/2024

Turn that frown upside down. Have you completed your initial celebrant training and feeling a bit lost wondering what you need next and where to go to get that support? I mentor and celebrants. Whatever stage of the journey you are on I can help with a friendly ear, words of wisdom and years of knowledge. Get in touch soon to see how we can work together

03/11/2024

Why You Need a Celebrant Mentor: A Reintroduction to The Savvy Celebrant

17/10/2024

Interesting!

Since the election of the Labour Government- who expressed support for marriage reform in Opposition and who pledged to introduce cohabitation reform in their manifesto – a number of question…

20/09/2024

IT'S NOT JUST A TREND
Caring for our planet and ensuring you wedding is as sustainable and eco friendly as possible IS the new way to plan your special day!
Are you onboard?
Plenty of suppliers are, come find us
at naturalwedding and Sustainable Wedding Alliance

How can we help you make your day greener?
Let's talk

20/08/2024

PHOTO DUMP PT 1 //
with today's blog. Either follow the link or go and check it out on my website
Pete & Denise from FINALLY got married, they set some time aside from their busy wedding and event catering business to get married themselves.
AND WHAT A DAY IT WAS!!!

https://funkycelebrant.co.uk/if-you-go-down-to-the-woods-today/

SUPPLIERS aka THE DREAM TEAM

Venue:
Celebrant :
Caterers :
Props :
Flowers:
Cake:
Band:
Glamping:
Glitter Artists:
Candy Floss:
Cheese Table :
Pizza Van:
Breakfast:
Photobooth:
Magician:
Hair:
Make-up:
Bride’s make-up and hair:
Ice cream Bike:.creamdreams
Rings:
Dresses:
Suits: Chimneys of Bassingbourn
Photographer:.foxphotography
Tableware: Banqueting Hire Service

16/08/2024

FRIDAY TESTIMONIAL//
It's so important to say goodbye in a way that truly honours the person and their life. D loved Kylie, so his sendoff was full of her music, which was both uplifting and poignant. His mum, dad and brother did D proud and it was an honour to put together and deliver his au revoir.
Sleep easy D

02/07/2024

AN ADORABLE ESSEX WOODLAND WEDDING//

My latest blog over on my website now.
Celebrating the nuptials of the new Mr and Mrs Stubbs at Captains Wood Barn in Essex.
We had so much fun, mixing books, films and tv shows into a ceremony that perfectly reflected our happy couple and their family.
thank you for entrusting your ceremony to me.
https://funkycelebrant.co.uk/an-adorable-essex-woodland-wedding/

22/06/2024

WINDRUSH DAY - 22ND JUNE
Commemorating and standing on the shoulders of the giants who answered the call of the Motherland and have helped shape our country ever since.
Scandalous they are still awaiting compensation for the wrongdoing of Governments, but we see you, we salute you and I am proud to be a generation given opportunities because of your sacrifices.

15/06/2024

MANNINGTREE HAS PRIDE//
Today I was given the privilege of conducting a blessing for our local Pride event.
We gathered on the beach, holding hands & dodging rain showers with smiles and love.

Welcome to Manningtree & our, YOUR 2nd Pride Festival.
My name is Michelle, your Funky Celebrant.
Please join hands because in a mo we will pass the heartbeat of hope, friendship & connection.
Let’s remind ourselves before we do though that…
Pride was & remains a protest, a call to arms & a reminder that we are all unique & we should be allowed to live our truth & reality without fear, prejudice or malice.

Pride is about acceptance, it's ok to be perfectly imperfect, please accept me as I am with all of my flaws. Just as I accept you with yours

Pride is about celebration, let’s shout it from the roof tops, not just for a day, or a month, but every day of every month as we celebrate our beautiful individuality

Pride is about understanding & education, keep on talking, sharing & teaching our friends, families & more importantly those who wish to detract from our lived realities.
Pride is about LOVE….it’s always about love. Love stories can be a sentence, a paragraph, chapter or a volume of books. Everyone is worthy of love, never forget that!

Embellishing on a quote from the great Lady Gaga, do not allow people to dim your shine because they are blinded, tell them to put on some sunglasses because my darlings you were born to stand out, to shine & to be authentically yourselves.
After all….everyone else is already taken.

Pride is about Allyship, supporting each other, not regardless of our differences,
but BECAUSE of our differences

Pride is about community, we are one when we come together in moments like now, connections blossom & communities expand
Pride is about tolerance, be kind to each other, & give out what you hope to receive back.
Let’s form that connection now. I am going to start by passing the heartbeat of hope, look out for it, pass it on, ramp up the energy & let the love flow.

And remember as Ru Paul always says, if you can’t love yourself,
how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else, can I get an amen up in here
AMEN