Whether you are planning a funeral, memorial, or celebration of life, the role of the ceremony is not to explain loss — it is to hold it. To create space for remembrance, grief, love, and meaning, without forcing belief or resolution.
As a secular master of ceremony, I work with families, partners, and chosen families to design and officiate services that are honest, grounded, and deeply respectful — without religious language, dogma, or expectation.
A funeral is a moment of collective witnessing.
It marks the transition from presence to memory and allows those gathered to acknowledge loss together. A well-crafted funeral ceremony offers structure at a time when structure is hard to find.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.