Susanna Watson

Independent Funeral Celebrant In Bath - Celebrations of Life

Hello. My name is Susanna Watson and I work as a independent funeral celebrant, helping to plan and lead funerals ceremonies and celebrations of life in and around Bath.

As an independent funeral celebrant, I'm not attached to any funeral director or religious tradition and I'm happy to lead secular, humanist, religious and spiritual ceremonies.

There are many different ways to plan a funeral ceremony or celebration of life. You may want to hold the service at a crematorium or church. You may like the idea of a natural burial ground. Or you might decide to hold the ceremony in a barn, a field, village hall, local hotel or your garden and have a separate cremation or burial.

There's no right or wrong way. My role as an independent funeral celebrant is to help create a ceremony that weaves together the threads of a person’s life and captures something of their essence.

I’ll support you, your family and friends to participate, but can also write and lead the whole ceremony if that’s what you prefer. I work closely with funeral directors to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Funerals can be immensely difficult occasions. But saying goodbye in a meaningful place with words, music, flowers and actions that speak of that particular person, can also be deeply moving, uplifting, celebratory, imaginative and beautiful.

Contact Susanna For Information About Funeral Services

Pre-Planning your own Funeral Ceremony or Celebration of Life

Most of us try to avoid thinking about dying and are unprepared when it comes to arranging a funeral service or celebration of life. So it can be very helpful to have thought in advance about the ceremony you would like for yourself.

I can help you think through all the options and document your wishes. I can also work with you to write your life story/tribute or the whole ceremony script.

A funeral or celebration of life can end up being very expensive, but a good funeral doesn’t depend on how much you spend. Some costs can’t be avoided, but others can.

So, whether you’re arranging a funeral service or celebration of life for someone else or wanting to plan your own in advance, please get in touch.

What Is A Funeral Celebrant?

How To Prepare A Funeral

Feedback About Remembered Lives

Here are some of the things families have said about the work I've done as a funeral celebrant in and around Bath. To maintain privacy, I haven't included names.

Thank you so much for everything you did for us today. We've had such a great response from all the relatives in far flung places and of course from those who were at today's funeral, and you were the very core of this. You have an art in piecing together the information that we discussed with you and as a result we could not have happier with the end result.
A big thank you for all you did for us. A service delivered with love and compassion. Perfectly framed to convey my father's spirit. I think I had five people come up to me afterwards who said it was the best funeral they had been to.
We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts….you were so attentive to our needs…and helped us to craft a ceremony which was truly a worthy tribute to our mum and dad…and you delivered their story with such clarity, dignity and genuine expression….You made that part of the process of dealing with their passing so much easier and lighter for us. Thank so, so much.
I would like to say a huge thanks for all your support & kindness shown before & throughout my father’s funeral. Guiding us through what was always going to be a difficult day was so helpful & your calmness most definitely helped me get me words out!! You were amazing- thanks so much.
Thank you for your letter, copy of the script and the excellent & caring manner that you conducted A’s funeral.
Our families would like to thank you so much for all the help you gave us in organising and in leading the celebration of our father’s life. It was truly a fitting tribute to Dad and we couldn’t have done it without you. We are forever grateful.
I just wanted to say thank you for your wonderful job in putting together a most beautiful service for Mum. Everyone said how lovely it was and meant it. It was very moving, sensitive and absolutely right. I feel that we were all very lucky that you were able to arrange this for us. Thank you again, very sincerely.
I cannot believe you summed her up so well and everyone said how wonderful you were. My Mum would have loved you as a person too, I cannot thank you enough for the most amazing service.... I feel so pleased that her send off was so lovely.
Well done on a fantastic job yesterday. Nothing but positive feedback from the family and ourselves.
Funeral Director

And this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart. I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)
E.E. Cummings

Contact Susanna

Frequently Asked Questions About Independent Funeral Celebrants

Below is a summary of my charges. Other arrangements can be discussed on a case by case basis and in some circumstances I can offer a reduced fee. Please discuss this with me if needed.

To create and conduct a funeral or celebration of life at a crematorium or burial ground:

Initial information and advice over the phone: free of charge
for a ceremony up 30 minutes: £230
for a ceremony up to 1 hour: £250
for a burial of ashes at a graveside: £100
mileage over 20 miles is charged at 45p per mile

To create and conduct a funeral or celebration of life at an alternative venue

Initial information and advice over the phone: free of charge
creating and conducting ceremony: £250
mileage over 20 miles is charged at 45p per mile

To pre-plan your own funeral or celebration of life:

Initial information and advice over the phone: free of charge
Meeting to discuss your wishes and writing up notes for you to keep: £50
Writing your life story/tribute or helping you to do this: £80
Creating a draft of the whole ceremony with you including a tribute: £150
If you would like me to conduct the ceremony when the time comes, I will reduce my fee to reflect the planning we have already done.

Most people choose use a funeral director to care for the body, arrange the cremation or burial and complete all the paperwork.

Funeral Directors can also take care of other practicalities - ordering a coffin and flowers, arranging alternative venues, printing orders of service and providing transport and bearers.

A funeral celebrant is responsible for helping families plan and lead the ceremony itself, working closely with the funeral director and liaising with the venue as needed.