Events to Celebrate Life
I specialise in celebrating people who lived life a little bit differently..
..those who loved music and nature, who broke the mold, who died young, or would like to play a part in designing their own funeral.
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Planning Ahead
1:1 or small group sessions to talk through and record your choices so you can get on with living
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Funeral Celebrant
Book Laura to deliver a service at a venue of your choice, a crematorium or burial ground
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Celebrant-plus
Receive support in designing a bespoke event, Laura will work with your ideas and advise you on your options
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Workshop Facilitaion
Group education and discussion to ‘design your farewell’ with resources from friends at Dead Good CIC
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Living Funerals
We will work together to design and host your funeral - while you’re around to be with your people
Nice Out events are for the weirdos, the queers, and the creatives.
For those who find that traditional funeral services just don’t serve them.
Hiya, I’m Laura
CIVIL CELEBRANT + WORKSHOP HOST
I work with the dying, bereaved and just curious to educate and advise on the options available for funerals in Newcastle and the surrounding areas.
As a funeral celebrant, I write and lead services to reflect and remember our loved ones, in a way that is both fitting to their personality and values, and to give those around them a suitable opportunity to grieve.
Compassion and respect doesn't have to look like a top hat, tails and hearse.
Nice Out events tend to be non-religious and non-traditional, but this doesn’t mean they lack ritual and meaningful tribute.
I specialise in funerals in alternative venues to crematoria and burial grounds (where the body or ashes may or may not be present), and funerals that follow a direct cremation. This allows you to hold your ceremony or event at any time after the death.
Our conversations can be a space for getting creative and challenging tradition, but you are free to choose the elements of a funeral you would like to include.
There are so many ways to create a personalised goodbye, but it can be overwhelming. I will chat through your ideas with you, make suggestions, provide guidance and help you create an event to celebrate life.
I founded Nice Out after my mum, her partner, and my grandmother all died in the space of 18 months. I saw the difference communicating your funeral wishes can make in the worst of times. Those early days of acute grief are no time to be learning the ins and outs of a whole new industry - what is allowed, who to call. There is no government Department of Death and Funerals and no way of asking your person once they are gone.
Mum was a busy, optimistic, intelligent woman who lived to learn. She was generous with her time and knowledge, her thoughts full of birds, plants and music, politics and a long list of books she couldn’t wait to read next. I was horrified that what was assumed was wanted for a funeral was so limited and old-fashioned, not particularly environmentally-friendly. A bit gloomy and unoriginal.
We held mum’s Celebration of Life at a local nature reserve, arranging the seating for the neurodiverse among us to sneak out when overwhelmed. We displayed her amazing crochet crafts and decorated outdoor tables with pots of flowers my auntie grew, which were distributed to guests at the end of the day.
Calm and considered, yet creative and colourful.
“Laura is a very caring, professional and articulate celebrant. She was very supportive during a particularly vulnerable time for us.”
Client Review
“She was extremely thoughtful, kind, and showed such compassion for our loss.”
Client Review
“She was full of empathy and took the time to understand our wishes for proceedings, and made sure the day passed off with nothing but positivity and happy memories - just what our family wanted.”
Client Review
Let’s talk about it
Whether you’ve no idea where to start or know exactly what you’d like, I’d love to hear from you.
Email me via this form or if you’d prefer drop me a message on the number below - I will get back to you as soon as possible.