Following a glowing recommendation as a wedding celebrant, I hesitatingly contacted Sarah, wondering if this endorsement would translate for the deeply upsetting occasion for which I would be requiring her services: the loss of my beloved Dad.

Sarah had a massive impact from the very first words shared over the phone. She has a quite extraordinary, natural ability to calmly and gently reach out and envelope you with a rare warmth, empathy and care; I didn’t doubt that she was the person to navigate my family through this hugely difficult and emotional event. Our conversations were always conducted with the level of care, concern and kindness that you come to expect from a long-standing friend, but always with uncompromising professionalism and efficiency. There were many, many times where she has gone way above and beyond to create a feeling of safety and comfort in a territory that is hugely emotional, frightening and unfamiliar and she was never unavailable for reassurances and conversation.

When we first got to meet Sarah there was a massive compulsion to hug her, such was the relationship she had already built! This lady with an undeniable poise and grace, warmth, humour and authenticity listened intently for hours, quite obviously keen to understand who my father was and to do him justice at the conclusion of his life. This was evident to all my family and we felt at ease with sharing our feelings.

When the day arrived, Sarah gave my father an opening tribute that was a wonderfully accurate reflection of all that was conveyed during the time she spent quietly, but with complete presence, absorbing our anecdotes and history. What was remarkable was that Sarah had picked up on all those subtle aspects of personality that were inferred from our stories and emotions, not just what was said; she had understood who he was, what he represented to us as a husband, father and grandfather (unique in every family) and had reflected exactly the right amount of humour, pride and emotion.

What an incredible send off she presented on our behalf and we will be forever grateful for this gift. We welcomed her presence with us as a friend in our small and intimate circle as much as a professional and very wanted her to stay as long as she felt she would like.

I cannot thank Sarah enough. If you need someone to carry you through one of the most emotionally difficult experiences of your life – or it appears, one of the most joyous occasions – please don’t hesitate to contact Sarah; she will ease your journey and deliver you safely to more comfortable and peaceful shores with pride and relief. Thank you so much Sarah. 💕