Independent Funeral Celebrant in Guildford

My name is Sarah Williams Lockhart and I am a qualified independent funeral celebrant in Guildford. I live in a small village within the Surrey Hills, and my home is usually filled with family, friends and animals! I also love to read and I have a wonderful collection of books. I appreciate the beauty of words and I take a great deal of satisfaction from writing, which will often include taking the time to find a quotation that speaks to us so perfectly when our own words are hard to find.

I have enjoyed participating in amateur theatre, both as an actor and director, over many years. I made the decision to join a choir around twenty years ago and this is something that I now also very much enjoy.

I have had a career spanning many years at a senior level in the corporate sector, so public speaking, communicating and relationship building are skills that are well developed within me. I am a very attentive listener and believe that I am easy to talk to and confide in. I am also a fully qualified Mental Health First Aid Responder, of which I am very passionate advocate. Embracing diversity in society is also a subject close to my heart so I am extremely respectful of the cultures beliefs and options of others. I am also a firm believer in treating each other as we would wish to be treated ourselves.

After losing three close family members within a period of just a few months, I was honoured to be able to write and deliver the main eulogies for each of their funerals. I also played an active role in arranging each of the ceremonies and it was very important to me that each of my loved ones had a ceremony that was unique to them and that reflected their lives.

At times, my journey of grief has been very difficult but I have been humbled by the care of many kind and caring individuals. Understanding for myself the pain we endure when we lose someone we love, it became important to me to try and help, support and guide others through their own painful experience of grief.

As a result of my experiences, I realised that I wanted to train to become a funeral celebrant. A funeral ceremony is a celebration of the life of your loved one and hopefully those present can leave feeling that the person they have lost was accurately remembered in a fitting tribute. A funeral ceremony should be completely unique and individually tailored to our loved ones.

As your Funeral Celebrant I would be happy to make an appointment to meet you and any other friends or family that you may wish to include. We can talk about what made your loved one special, their character, interests, achievements and talk about any funny stories and fond memories. We can also discuss whether you would like any readings, poems, music or personal touches. Sometimes family members or friends may like to recite poems, deliver readings or talk about their memories during the ceremony. It is entirely your choice as to whether you would like to include any prayers or religious content or not have any at all.

I will then create and deliver a unique, dignified, and meaningful ceremony to reflect the wishes of the deceased and their family and friends. I will write the story of your loved one’s life that is shared with me. After the ceremony I will give you a printed copy of the full ceremony for you to keep.

Organising a funeral can be a particularly stressful time for the bereaved, but be assured I will put you at ease and support you through the process.

Thank you for reading my page.