Find an IoCF Celebrant
When you choose a funeral celebrant who is a member of the IoCF, you are choosing someone who will help you create the most beautiful ceremony possible for the person you have lost.
Why choose an IoCF celebrant?
Each of our members:
- understands that the funeral is your final gift to your loved one - a special day to remember and mourn;
- will work with you to make the ceremony unique and memorable - a true reflection of how important that person is to you;
- has achieved the highest celebrancy qualification and undergoes continuous professional development to ensure they are always working towards the standards of excellence;
- is regularly reviewed to ensure that they are working with you and with all families professionally and compassionately.
We are confident that all of our members give you the best possible caring and professional service. We have a rigorous complaints process if you have any concerns.
This is what you can expect from an institute member
- Prompt response to your enquiries.
- Meetings at your convenience, including evenings and weekends where necessary (for your safety, all meetings for the duration of the pandemic are by phone or video call).
- an open and understanding discussion about how the funeral ceremony should best remember your loved one.
- Suggestions, if needed, on tributes, music, readings, ritual and symbolic actions.
- A full draft of a ceremony, completely unique to your loved one, submitted for your approval or amendments before the funeral.
- A printed keepsake copy after the ceremony.
- Guidance throughout on all aspects of funeral procedures and information about the crematorium, cemetery or chapel chosen for the ceremony.
All members adhere to the Institute’s Code of Practice
*We welcome your feedback at any time. Please use the button at the top of page to provide comments on your chosen celebrant.
Di Gilbranch
When we lose someone we love, we begin the difficult task of planning a funeral service and a very personal farewell that specifically suits that unique person now gone from our midst. I offer a ceremony which reverently but warmly celebrates a life now ended, an opportunity for a great send-off and fond memories amidst some kind of hope and even joy for the bereaved. This can be through music, poetry, readings, eulogies and ritual, whether religious or secular. My name is Di Gilbranch and I trained with Civil Ceremonies Ltd, I have achieved the National Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy which is the highest qualification for this profession in the United Kingdom. I had previously been a pet food distributor and a weight loss counsellor for twelve years and, before that, I worked in London with the Ministry of Defence. I live with my husband and dog near Colchester. I will use my skills, old and new, to create and deliver personalised ceremonies that meaningfully mourn a death and bring comfort to the living. I will work closely with you and liaise with your Funeral Director to sensitively assess your wishes and plans to create a ceremony which your loved one would be proud of. You can have as much or as little religious content as you wish – the choice is entirely yours and I will do my very best to honour your wishes and help you to produce a memorable celebration of your loved one’s life. My belief is that it is so important that your loved one’s funeral is conducted in exactly the way you and the family want it. I have attended funerals in the past when I have often thought that perhaps the family was not given enough choice for their ceremony and various influences have often taken over. This should not happen and this is why I wanted to become a funeral celebrant.
