Top Note Ceremonies blog
with Steve Pritchard-Jones
Funeral Music
Choosing funeral music can be a deeply personal and meaningful decision, as it can evoke emotions and memories associated with the departed loved one. Here are some common choices for funeral music across different genres:
Funeral Photography
Although funerals and celebration of life services unquestionably carry a weight of sadness, they can also be emotional rewarding and uplifting with many heart-warming moments. A specialist funeral photographer will capture these moments, discreetly and from a distance, ensuring the genuine emotions of the day remain unbroken. The photographs will show the love, shared memories and compassion of the mourners present who have assembled to bid a fond and heartfelt farewell to a family member, friend or colleague.
FLOWERS TO GRAVE
I know from personal experience it can be difficult sometimes to get to your loved one’s grave. You may have moved away, been too busy, you find visiting too emotional or simply can’t get there anymore. For whatever reason, I now offer a new service to help you. ‘Flowers to the Grave’ will launch under the umbrella of Top Note Ceremonies and it aims to make life easier for busy people who struggle to find the time to attend the grave of their loved one. I will purchase and then place flowers or wreaths by the grave. As part of the service, I will clean the headstone at no additional cost. As soon as the job is complete, I will follow this up with a photograph. I offer this service as a one-off, regularly or at seasonal times i.e. Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries or Christmas in the knowledge that the work will be conducted with both care and dignity.
Wedding & Cocktail Pianist Blog
What is a wedding or cocktail pianist?
A wedding pianist is a musician who specialises in playing wedding or cocktail lounge music and is able to create the perfect ambience.
You can book a wedding pianist for the ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast, during the photographs or any combination of these.
A wedding pianist will play music with a romantic theme and they will play a range of music that appeals to guests of a variety of ages.
A wedding pianist has experience in playing music that your guests will recognise and will include modern and older pop tunes, music from stage and screen, romantic ballads, jazz music, and light classical music.
Most wedding musicians will be more than happy to learn requests for your wedding because they understand the importance of adding a personal touch to the music.
Traditional Wedding Ceremony Elements
Processional: The “wedding procession” is simply an elaborate way of referring to the beginning of the ceremony when the bride or bride and groom walks down the aisle and is typically accompanied by either recorded or live music.
Baby Naming
The birth of a child is a time of happiness and celebration for the parents, and the majority of parents want to share that joy with their family and friends.
In modern times, many parents do not necessarily want a traditional religious
christening, either because they do not hold any religious beliefs or because they may want their child to be able to choose their own beliefs later in life.
A celebrant led baby naming ceremony offers a meaningful and beautiful alternative, giving parents the chance to welcome their child and confirm their commitments and love to their child surrounded by their family and friends.
As a celebrant I’m asked to conduct ceremonies for married couples, unmarried parents, single parents, adoptive parents, parents who are of different religions and cultures, and same sex parents.
Funeral Poems
Many families like to include one or two poems or readings at a funeral service or celebration of life because it helps to provide a beautiful and emotional addition to the service.
You may already know which poem you would like; perhaps the person had a favourite poet or author. But if you need a little inspiration, I have put together a selection of poems that may inspire you.
Transgender or Renaming Ceremony
You may consider a Naming Ceremony an alternative to a religious ceremony for babies or children to welcome them into the family and to celebrate their chosen name. However, a naming ceremony is for people of any age who wish to present themselves to their family and friends with a new name and new identity. In this blog I will address the transgender and renaming ceremonies.
A transgender or renaming ceremony is a beautiful way to tell the most important people in your life that you wish to be known by your new chosen name and preferred pronoun.
A transgender naming ceremony marks an important milestone in your life so why not shout from the rooftops to let your family, friends and colleagues know you’re leaving behind the old and looking forward to a more realistic and comfortable future.
Scattering or Interment of Ashes
The great thing about the scattering of the ashes ceremony is that it is entirely up to you, a special occasion to remember the life of a loved one. The short ceremony to scatter their ashes, will be memorable, heartfelt, meaningful, and dignified. It is a most fitting and brilliant opportunity to give your loved one the final send-off they would have wished for.
Adoption Welcoming
Have you received the delightful news your adoption is finalised and you’d like to celebrate to officially welcome your child to your loving home and to their new life?
The adoption welcoming ceremony could be a quiet and intimate occasion for just you and the children or maybe, you want to celebrate and involve family and friends.
Your ceremony can be held at an indoor or outdoor venue of your choice and on a day of your choice. Venues can include at home, hotel, hall or at a favourite venue of your choosing. It’s your day and you have total freedom when and where to hold this special celebration.