Lucinda Inglis. Celebrant.

Lucinda has a warmth that was both comforting, consoling, and infectious. From start to finish, she was a truly welcome presence when navigating the sudden passing of my late father. From the moment we first spoke, to our face-to-face meeting, to the various emails we sent back and forth, Lucinda attentively and patiently listened to all the stories about my dad, welcoming relatives to choose whatever format they found easiest to share their memories: face-to-face, a phone call, writing out bullet points, etc. Like a wizard, she then took all these sources and weaved them into a service that celebrated my dad’s life in a way that respected and celebrated his memory, while balancing the love of everyone involved.

Do not hesitate to work with Lucinda. Having her on your side as you navigate losing a loved one is a gift you won’t regret.

As many have described here, Lucinda is a very special celebrant. In fact, a very special human being and one I can gladly highly recommend.

I felt personally blessed when the winds carried Lucinda our way as I was faced with the seemingly impossible task of planning my beloved mother’s funeral within 2 working weeks of her death, in the run up to the Christmas holidays. Perhaps those reading this feel like we did, exhausted after my mother’s painful and protracted decline, and needing a truly compassionate soul with whom to collaborate on the complex task of creating a timely and meaningful ceremony. Lucinda engaged fully with my strongly-felt aim to honour in fullness who my mother was: her personality, humour, interests, depth of character… from a perspective beyond those directly mourning her and so represent my mother’s whole life experience, from her beginnings to the end of her life. Importantly, we needed wise and compassionate hands to navigate the diverse needs of those left behind, some only beginning to face up to their individual losses at this very early stage of the complex mourning process, one that takes a different path for each individual depending on their own relationship with those that have passed.

As a therapist myself, who has witnessed the profound and lasting impact on people whose mourning has not been well supported or managed, I found Lucinda to be exceptionally generous and empathetic especially with her time and focus. Her background in palliative care was both reassuring and at play throughout. Like a ‘Good Mother’, she was highly attentive to capturing the thoughts and wishes of immediate family via email, telephone or video, with authenticity and gentleness. Lucinda’s initial meeting around my kitchen table was memorable and wonderful; we invited my mother to join us in spirit and the visit was full of laughter, stories, tears and even good initial planning – in sum, like a visit from a very good friend.

The day went seamlessly, Lucinda masterfully navigating any hitches caused by Storm Darragh, ensuring that all – those reading or live musicians, as well as attendees – were as comfortable as they could be and invited to focus their attention on their own relationship with our mother.

So many of those that attended my mother’s funeral, in person or by video link, described it is ‘a beautiful ceremony’. And that was just like my mother – full of beauty. Lucinda is, in my view, a beautiful person whose contribution was immense in ensuring such a challenging process and event would become a supportive and beautiful resource as I remember my mother.