Welcome to my website. I am Lisa Dundas, independent celebrant, covering the Coventry and Warwickshire area and beyond. I am trained with Civil Ceremonies Ltd in delivering couples ceremonies, naming ceremonies and funerals.
So, what is a celebrant? As a celebrant, I can produce and perform a personalised ceremony, whether it be for a wedding or a funeral, with the appropriate wording, readings and poetry. There are no rigid guidelines to conform to, making each ceremony personal and completely individual.
No matter which ceremony you are looking for, I can help plan, prepare and create the right ceremony for you. Let me take some of the strain away from your day and bring memorable moments and personal elements, to make it even more special.
If you don’t find exactly what you are looking for, please do not hesitate to get in touch and we can discuss what your needs and wants are, my contact details are at the bottom of my page.
“Happiness comes from helping others, by being with others, and by sharing, even if it's only a smile." ― Zain Hashmi
In 2021 I qualified in Funeral Celebrancy and then went on to train in Couples and Naming Celebrancy with Civil Ceremonies Ltd. Their excellent, extensive training has set me on my way in the celebrant world. Since qualifying, I have completed further courses including handfasting and other spiritual elements that can be included in weddings and other ceremonies. As an holistic therapist, this aspect of adding something spiritual and special to a ceremony really inspires me. I have also added spiritual and pagan elements to funerals when appropriate.
I feel my previous professions, as an Holistic Therapist and as a Nanny, have enabled me to have a calm, caring attitude, which is certainly needed when you are about to take part in a big life (or death) event.
I love my role as a celebrant, helping people during their darkest moments to see a little bit of light, to help families include personal aspects into their services and in helping those who are starting new lives together to have the best celebration they can.
I am a member of the Association of Independent Celebrants. I am fully insured and DBS registered.
I am currently undertaking my NOCN Level 4 Diploma in Advanced Practice Funeral Celebrancy and am signed up to take part in Advanced Funeral Celebrant Training with Sacred Ceremonies in Glastonbury in November 2024.
As an independent funeral celebrant, I can help and deliver a unique ceremony for your loved one. Every life on this earth is unique, as is every death, and every ceremony I do is centred and focused upon the unique life of your person. Together, we can shape and mould a service that celebrates the life they led to be as individual as they were. As an independent celebrant I am happy to follow the wishes of the family and perform the ceremony in a crematorium, burial ground, field or wherever you want the service to be. It can be person centred and contain religious, spiritual or pagan aspects if required.
As your funeral celebrant, I will help guide you through this sad time. During our initial meeting, I will gather as much information as I can about your person. I will then create a very personal ceremony where you can celebrate their life and also say goodbye. I can advise on appropriate music, poetry, and readings and we can work together until you are entirely satisfied that we would be doing your loved one proud.
Death and funerals are subjects that we very rarely speak about, that is until we experience it first-hand when a loved one dies. It can then become a rush to find a funeral director, choose a coffin, and select a venue. Do you choose a burial or cremation? These are questions very rarely raised and discussed until needed. I can help to advise you and your family on what options are available to you. You can contact me directly to be your celebrant or ask your chosen Funeral Director to contact me. I also run quarterly Death Cafés where people come together to discuss all things death and funeral related.
Each service and script will be individually tailored to your wishes.
My fee starts from £250, which covers the following:
Scattering of Ashes ceremony - prices start from £75
Interring (Burial) of Ashes - prices start from £75
Memorial Ceremony - prices start from £250
Weddings can be stressful days, finding the right venue, making sure it is licenced, ensuring they are available for the date and time you want and that a registrar is available. BUT there is another alternative - did you know you can have a marriage celebration ceremony after your legal ceremony?
For example, a registry office charges from £57 for Marriage and Civil Partnership certificate and £35 for your notice of marriage. This is for the couple and the legal 2 witnesses. It is a quick service which gives you the legal title of being married. But by using this option, you then have the freedom to book a wedding celebration ceremony with all the creativity that you want. You can still say your vows, exchange your rings and bring in other elements and people. We can make this the day of your dreams in a setting that you have always wanted. There is literally no limit to your imagination on your day. Indoors or outdoors, daytime or evening, your ceremony the way you want it.
Ceremonies could include:
I will script the ceremony for you, helping you with elements such as readings and poetry, and symbolic actions that would really bring your day to life. Together, we will make it memorable for you and all your guests.
Each service and script will be individually tailored to your wishes.
Couple’s ceremony costs from £650, which covers the following:
Renewal of Vows - Please contact me with what you’d like included. Simple renewal of vows is £400 a more elaborate ceremony will cost more.
Full pagan handfasting ceremony - an ancient Celtic and pagan tradition where the bride and groom’s hands were tied together and sealed with a knot. A full Celtic style handfasting ceremony holds many spiritual touches and is based upon nature and the elements. Each ceremony is bespoke. This would be a unique wedding for you to take part in and your guests to observe. A very special ceremony indeed.
A circle is made from plants and flowers and this space becomes a sacred space where the couple and celebrant reside, and special people taking part are invited into the circle. There will be rituals to cover the elements of air, fire, water and earth which make this a unique and intimate ceremony, finishing off with a handfasting which is where the phrase ‘Tying the knot’ originally stems from.
Each service and script will be individually tailored to your wishes.
My fee is from £750, which covers the following:
A name is the first identifying part of who we are. You are given a name from early on in life, and usually it stays with you. A naming ceremony is a chance to announce to your friends and family your child’s name and to make pledges as a parent to your child. You can bring in supporting adults, guides or Godparents and have significant people also make pledges in how they will be involved in your child’s life. I can help you to choose symbolic actions to make your child’s day more personal and meaningful and will help you to choose poetry and readings appropriate for you and your family.
The ceremonies can be to name a baby, to welcome children from different parents into a new family unit, for adopted children, people who have changed their names by Deed Poll, or transgender re-naming ceremonies. With these ceremonies, I will be offering the chance for the new name to be revealed in front of family and friends, marking a change in their lives and hopefully fostering greater understanding and acceptance. You could have a truly special day marking a seminal point in your life, saying goodbye to your old life and welcoming in the new.
Each service and script will be individually tailored to your wishes.
My fee is from £350, which covers the following:
Individually priced depending upon what is needed, starting from £250
You can have a celebrant led ceremony for anything that you want. A rite of passage ceremony, a coming of age ceremony, an engagement ceremony, divorce ceremony, new home, retirement, clean bill of health, return to work after maternity leave, graduation, homecoming, sobriety, harvesting, spring arriving, or 'just because it is a Tuesday and you can' ceremony.
If you want to get in touch to discuss how I can help then please feel free to on the details below.
