Sharon Wood – Independent Celebrant

Firstly, if you have arrived here because you are planning a funeral ceremony, memorial service and/or a celebration of your person’s life, I acknowledge this is a sad and rather overwhelming time and I offer my condolences to you.

If you are here to explore weddings or other ceremonies to celebrate life’s significant events or simply curious about who I am and what I offer, you too are warmly welcomed.

I am a fully qualified celebrant based in North Norfolk with over a decade of experience in this privileged role. I gained a NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy in 2016 and have continued to learn and develop further knowledge and skills since. I am a member of the Institute of Civil Funerals and The Good Funeral Guild.

I spent 30 rewarding years as a Registered General Nurse, and I always bring a warm, compassionate approach to everything I do. I run a local Grief Café each week, and my ‘Dandelion Library’ – a free lending service for books about death and bereavement – helps support my local community.

You can have every confidence in trusting me to listen to you, support you and create a meaningful and truly personal ceremony, capturing the very essence of a person and telling the story of the life that has been lived, with dignity and authenticity.

I have extensive experience in crafting traditional ceremonies, and those that are perhaps considered quirky or a little different.

Whilst not a religious ceremony as such, religious content may be included, a prayer or a hymn perhaps.

Please contact me directly or give my details to your Funeral Director. If you are booking me via a Funeral Director, please request that they confirm my availability before proceeding.

I also offer memorial services, scattering of ashes and living celebrations.

Memorial services often follow direct cremation. I believe a gathering to acknowledge loss is vital to the grieving process. I have independently managed the complete arrangements of memorial services across varied settings, including a rugby club and the rose garden in a local park. Please contact me directly to start discussing your ideas; I will collaborate with you to craft a beautiful occasion with attention to every detail.

‘Living celebrations’ or ‘living funerals’ are becoming more popular. These events are for individuals who wish to be present – and indeed be the centre of attention – at the last celebration of their lives. These occasions provide an opportunity to honour and appreciate those approaching the end of life through age or illness, enabling them to enjoy their own ceremony and to see, perhaps for the last time, their friends, relatives, former colleagues, neighbours and all those whose lives have touched theirs.

I also offer a ‘funeral wishes’ service for those who wish to be very well organised and would like to plan their own funeral ceremony in advance, perhaps with me documenting their life story and/or other details regarding how they wish their funeral ceremony to be.

Additionally I offer my expertise to craft and conduct other meaningful ceremonies including weddings and baby naming celebrations.  I love a good wedding and have developed a strong understanding of story-telling and elegant rituals which can make ‘a big day’ even more special!