"No body could hear everything over someone's crying, it was really depressing... and Sean entered the room, walked to the podium, clapped his hands, and said 'Alright, who thinks they have the funniest story about Thomas?'  He tried to break the ice, and it worked." - Monica, funeral attendee in brooklyn

I officiate funerals that are:

• Secular and inclusive
  
  

• Calm, dignified, and steady
  
  

• Thoughtful without being impersonal
  
  

• Respectful of complex family dynamics
  
  

Funeral ceremonies may include:

• Spoken remembrances
  
  

• Readings (secular, literary, or personal)
  
  

• Music or moments of silence
  
  

• Ritual elements meaningful to the family
  
  

• Clear guidance through the service so nothing feels uncertain
  
  

Celebrations of Life

A celebration of life centers remembrance as an act of love.

While grief is always present, these gatherings often focus on storytelling, personality, and the legacy someone leaves behind — honoring who they were and how they lived.

Celebrations of life can be:

• Formal or informal
  
  

• Intimate or larger gatherings
  
  

• Held days, weeks, or months after a death
  
  

• Designed to reflect humor, warmth, and individuality
  
  

I help families shape ceremonies that feel authentic — neither overly solemn nor artificially upbeat — allowing space for complexity.

Serving Families of All Kinds

Loss does not look the same for everyone.

I work with:

• Traditional families
  
  

• Chosen families
  
  

• LGBTQ+ partners and communities
  
  

• Estranged or blended families
  
  

• Families navigating unresolved dynamics
  
  

As a gay officiant and secular master of ceremony, I am especially mindful of situations where relationships may not have been publicly recognized, where grief may feel complicated, or where language needs to be chosen carefully.

My role is to create a ceremony that honors the truth of the relationships involved, not a simplified version of them.

How I Work

During a time of loss, clarity matters.

I provide:

• Clear guidance through the planning process
  
  

• Thoughtful questions that help shape the ceremony
  
  

• Custom-written remarks, never templates
  
  

• Calm leadership during the service itself
  
  

My approach is steady and compassionate, without relying on platitudes or spiritual assumptions.

Why Work With Sean Champagne

Families work with me because I offer:

• Presence without intrusion
  
  

• Structure without rigidity
  
  

• Emotional fluency without therapy language
  
  

• Respect for grief in all its forms
  
  

I understand that funerals and celebrations of life are not performances. They are acts of care — for the person who has died and for those who remain.

Inquire Here

If you are planning a funeral or celebration of life and are seeking a secular officiant who can guide the moment with dignity and clarity, I would be honored to help.

👉 Inquire here to begin the conversation.