Alex Collis Celebrant

Alex Collis Celebrant 🌈 🧡 Creative, colourful and down to earth humanist ceremonies for weddings, namings and funerals 🧡 🌈

Planning a funeral is hard. There are so many decisions to be made, which becomes even harder to do when you're in those...
07/06/2026

Planning a funeral is hard. There are so many decisions to be made, which becomes even harder to do when you're in those early stages of grief.

Faced with these decisions, we frantically search our memories for any clues to what a funeral should look like. Any reference points from funerals we might have been to before.

Often people feel they need to make those decisions quickly, without being able to take the time to really think about what their person might want or what would best reflect them.

But you don't have to rush.

Slow down enough to give yourself time to think and reflect. To make decisions and plan with intention. To ask questions.

And remember, there are no silly questions. You're navigating your way through a foreign country, more often than not without any sort of map or directions. Give yourself a break. Make lists if you need to.

You will meet people along the way who are there to help, to guide and to make suggestions. Take your time in finding the right people, who will help you create the farewell you need.

Swipe to see some of the other things I've learned it's important to remember when someone dies...

🌻🌻🌻

I'm Alex, a Cambridge based creative death worker and funeral celebrant and I help people plan down to earth, authentic and colourful farewells. Follow along for more ideas and inspiration 🧡🌈

Photos by for

What could be more Cambridge - and more perfect for than making your final journey by cycle hearse? It looks perfect m...
03/06/2026

What could be more Cambridge - and more perfect for than making your final journey by cycle hearse? It looks perfect making its way up the winding path through Barton Glebe Natural Burial Ground...

Big shout out to Tracy and Andy for bringing this to local families 🚲 🌿 (they hire it out across the country too)

Lovely first time working at Forest Park Hainault Crematorium this week. The grounds are absolutely stunning.
30/05/2026

Lovely first time working at Forest Park Hainault Crematorium this week. The grounds are absolutely stunning.

14/05/2026

I want to talk about death work and self care, and how we need to make time to rest and recover.

It’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over seven years of being a celebrant. Two very simple words.

Rest matters.

Rest and practicing self care are radical acts in a capitalist society like ours, where our worth is so often judged by how busy we are.

Doing this work is the biggest privilege, but at the same time, holding space for bereavement and all the emotions that come with it can take its toll.

Our bodies know. They tell us all the time when we need to rest, but we don’t always feel free to listen. That needs to change.

An important reminder for

I’ve always tried to do one of three things after each funeral that I lead.

🌿 Spend some time outside, often just being still. No phone, no distractions. It’s the best medicine.

🧵 Half an hour of stitching. Doing something creative, using my hands to make something… that taps into the part of my brain that helps me switch off.

🐾 Spending time stroking my small army of guinea pigs, and listening to them chatter away to each other. It never fails to calm me.

What’s your favourite way to rest and recover?

🌻🌻🌻

I’m Alex, a Cambridge based creative death worker and funeral celebrant, and I help people plan down to earth, authentic and colourful goodbyes. Follow along for more ideas and inspiration 🧡🌈

11/05/2026

Today we are incredibly excited to announce our brand new website, Dying to Go Green - the UK's new directory for green funeral planning brought to you by the Natural Burial Alliance.

Whether you're thinking ahead, arranging an eco-friendly funeral for someone you love, or a green funeral professional looking to spread the word about what you offer, this is the place for you.

How we say goodbye matters - to the people we love and to the planet. In a profession still dominated by cremation and plastic products, we're on a mission to change the way people approach funerals. This is no small feat, but by working together, we can make funeral planning as sustainable and meaningful as possible.

Visit our website to find natural burial grounds, green funeral directors, biodegradable coffins, eco-friendly florists, funeral celebrants and more. All in one, searchable directory 👇

https://dyingtogogreen.co.uk/

Natural Burial Alliance

09/05/2026

“I like you, you’re not AI. That’s exactly what we want for mum. We want it to be real”.

I’d packed up my bag and was standing on the doorstep, getting ready to shake hands and say my goodbyes. And then R’s son said this to me.

I thought about it all the way home on the bus.

Like lots of celebrants and death care workers, I’ve noticed elements of AI creeping into the way we say goodbye. Asking ChatGPT to write a funeral poem. Enhancing photos to bring people back to life.

I’m not criticising anyone’s choices, but for me there are a few things that AI can’t do when it comes to funerals.

It can’t bring…

Deep, active listening. The most important skill we need as celebrants.

Creative storytelling.

Holding space for grief.

Human connection. AI just can’t replace what’s right at the heart of this work that we do. We keep it real.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on AI and its place in funerals (or weddings too, for that matter!)

🌻🌻🌻

I’m Alex and I’m a down to earth, Cambridge based death worker and funeral celebrant. I help people create their ideal way to say goodbye. Follow along for more ideas and inspiration 🧡🌈

06/05/2026

More and more people are deciding that they don’t want a funeral at all, and - for some - that can absolutely be the right decision.

It’s not always that simple though. So, what do people really mean when they say that?

“I don’t want a fuss”

So often we have in our heads a picture of what a funeral should be like - because that’s how things have always been done. But a funeral can be whatever you need it to be and some of the most beautiful, meaningful and moving funerals I’ve been involved in have been the simplest - and the smallest.

“I don’t want to burden my family”

Again, completely understandable. Planning a funeral when you’re in the early stages of grieving can be so tough. All of a sudden you’re being asked to make decisions that you have no idea how to make. That’s exactly why writing down your funeral wishes is so important. It takes away a lot of that stress, and can be a gift to the people you love. Let them know what you want.

“I don’t want a traditional ceremony”

There’s absolutely no right or wrong way to arrange a funeral. No rules. Nothing that you have to do, or that you’re ‘not allowed’ to do. You can make it entirely personal to you, and include your own traditions - ones that hold meaning for you.

“It’s too expensive”

Funeral costs are rising, there’s no denying it. Cost is probably the biggest reason why so many more people are opting for direct cremations. But there are also ways to create a farewell that’s equally meaningful, just without all the expense. A simple gathering, in an informal or home setting, can be just as - if not more - beautiful. You don’t need all the bells and whistles. Just the love.

“It’s morbid and depressing”

It doesn’t have to be! Funerals can be all about joy and colour and love. They can be uplifting, not a sad, sombre, mournful occasion. And they don’t have to be all about just sitting and listening. They can also be about joining in and taking part, for example by decorating the ceremony space or coffin.

🌻🌻🌻

I’m Alex, a Cambridge based creative death worker and funeral celebrant, and I help people explore what kind of farewell works for them. Follow along for more ideas and inspiration 🧡🌈

Next week is Dying Matters Awareness Week, an initiative led each year by to raise awareness of death and dying… This y...
02/05/2026

Next week is Dying Matters Awareness Week, an initiative led each year by to raise awareness of death and dying…

This year’s theme is a great one - Let’s Talk About Death And Dying

People just don’t talk about it. Maybe it’s superstition, maybe we think if we talk about it then it’ll somehow magically happen.

The thing is, it is going to happen.

Someday.

To all of us.

And, if we can talk about it more, even just a little, and share some of our thoughts and feelings - and our worries - then wouldn’t that help lessen our fears?

This year I’ve committed myself to opening up these conversations.

I’ve taken a fresh look at my funeral pre-planning service and taken the plunge to start running a series of Get Mortal funeral planning parties. If that sounds like something you’d to get in involved in, swipe to see details of my summer and autumn sessions 📲

I’ve also been running a series of free Grief Walks, where people can share their experiences while spending time in nature and community 🌿

I’d love to share as many events like these as possible, so if there’s something you’re doing to get people talking about death and dying, post it in the comments 👉🏼

🌻🌻🌻

I’m Alex, a Cambridge based creative death worker and funeral celebrant. Follow along for more ideas and inspiration 🧡🌈

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