Interested in becoming a funeral celebrant? Click the button below to learn all about my funeral celebrancy course.
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WELCOME
Some years ago, I had to cope with the loss of a family member. This would be the first time in my life I had had to deal with death. Like many of us, I had no precedent with how to cope with the feelings I was experiencing, nor do I subscribe to any faith as such with which to turn to for guidance and comfort. However, I was immensely fortunate. For I have a very special Godfather, who also happens to be an incredible Celebrant himself. As a lifelong friend of the family, we asked him to take the service for us. What followed was a turning point for me in my life. Not only did I learn what a funeral could be, but I discovered a love for something so deep and sincere, which I will forever be indebted to him for.
I had many preconceived notions of what I believed a funeral was; not only were all of these quickly proved to be wrong, but I learnt that a funeral can and should be, anything you want it to be. It is my belief that a funeral (when conducted with thought and respect), is a day of celebration. The loss of a loved one will always be a tragedy, and most times in our grief, it can be all too easy to focus on the darker side of death. That being said, I believe that it is my job to help you celebrate and cherish the memory of your loved one, with sincerity, compassion, humour and love. Grief is not only a natural step for us all, it is a vital one, and is the bodies way of healing the mind. Grief is a very personal thing; how we deal with it is a struggle we will all experience, as we try to find our own path through it. It is a journey we must all embark on, and in my services, you are in the safest place to take that first step in your own grief. To listen to your body and mind as it tells you what it needs. There is never a good time to lose someone, whether it is sudden and unexpected, or at the end of a long and full life. Pain is pain, and the grief it brings can at times seem like a monumental mountain for us all to climb. But climb it we must, for it is only part of the journey.
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WHAT IS A CELEBRANT?
As the name suggests, a Celebrant is one who celebrates a life. A person who is there to both put together, and conduct a service. A Celebrant will oversee and engage the congregation during the ceremony, whilst they speak about a person’s life, discussing their achievements and sharing special moments.
There are many different types of Celebrants out there to suit your specific needs. A traditional religious Celebrant, which is offered by many religious groups, for instance a Reverend at a local Church. They will conduct a funeral service in keeping with a specific faith, using psalms, bible passages and hymns for example. There is also the Humanist Celebrant, traditionally they steer away from religion and talk of after life, to focus instead on the very natural basis for a person's life. Celebrating the extraordinary avenues of their life, the people within, giving meaning on a much more personal level to the people who are in attendance.
Then there is the Civil Celebrant, which is where I come in. I like to see myself as the middle ground between Humunist and a traditional religious service. I have learnt over the years, that when some people say they are not religious, they still in fact have a deep level of spiritualty or even faith. For that reason, in my services, I am more than open to including religious readings if that is what is wanted. I myself do not subscribe to a particular faith, but I certainly would not call myself an atheist. Spirituality is a uniquely personal thing. Some families do not want any religious connotations, which of course is totally understandable, in which case there is a multitude of other sources to draw on. Not only stories and memories from those that knew the departed, but I also use poetry, extracts from novels and plays, and even speeches drawn from films, all of which will have a link to the person whom the ceremony is for. However, many also feel that they might like the Lords Prayer, or possibly a Psalm. This too is something I am more than comfortable in accommodating. Although the family themselves may not have a faith, there could be some in the congregation who do, whom this might be a comfort for.
The essence of what I do, at its core, is to build a unique service for every family I meet. Incorporating anything they would like, weather that is music, readings or hymns. I am there to help you build the perfect service, making everyone feel as comfortable as possible.
About me
About me…
My name is Leo Staar and I graduated from drama school nearly ten years ago. Since then I have worked as an actor, predominantly in television and theatre. Throughout my acting career I have appeared at the National Theatre and West End, as well as leading roles on television, such as in Call the Midwife (BBC), and MAIGRET (ITV), alongside Rowan Atkinson.
A few years ago, I decided to train as an independent funeral Celebrant. I was introduced to it by a very close family friend, who is himself, a superb Celebrant. Through him, I was shown just how beautiful a funeral service can be. I realised that my creative skills and training as an actor complimented the Celebrancy work perfectly. The ability to listen, to engage with an audience and to convey emotion with the utmost sincerity and warmth at all times. Most importantly however, was that I discovered a real love for this vocation. Seeing first-hand how your words can help those in need, and hearing how you’ve made a difference to a family’s grief, has brought me immeasurable satisfaction. I consider it to be a great privilege to meet with families and learn about the extraordinary lives of those I am there to celebrate; and together, creating a service that will do them justice.
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testimonials
“Thank you for the wonderful service you conducted last friday for my dear mum. She would have loved it as did we all. I have had numerous phone calls since the funeral and everyone sang your praises. We loved the reflection on mum’s life and your reading which was so mum. Everything about the funeral was so lovely. Thank you so very very much.”
“Thank you for capturing Vernon’s character perfectly even though you had never met him. You did a superb job throughout the service. You made us all feel comfortable and the mood was very upbeat, just how I wanted it. So many people praised you and said it was the best funeral they had ever been to and could they book you for their funeral!
I really appreciate everything you did. It was a great send off for such an amazing man and one that he deserved. I’m sure he would have been proud.”
“On behalf of my Mum, we would like to thank you so much for a beautiful service at my Dad’s Funeral yesterday. The whole day was made so much easier for us. Everybody said how beautiful it was and it was what he deserved.”
“We just wanted to say thank you so much for the tribute to Dad on Friday afternoon.
The whole service went better than we could have envisaged.
Everyone I spoke to was very complimentary about you, and they said it seemed as though you were a friend of the family, so you couldn’t have made a better impression. ”
“Thank you so very much for delivering a fantastic, fitting tribute to Dad today.
Our guests were all very complimentary about the gentle, amusing and superbly delivered service.
The only shame is that Dad wasn’t there in person to see what a terrific send off he had.
On behalf of all the family, friends and guests, thank you.”
(E) lstaar@me.com (t) 07534962556
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CONTACT
Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about my services. I am always more than happy to help and give advise if needed. If you wish to check my availability for a service, then do please feel free to call or email me directly. Thank you.