About Me

Al Mayfield is a fully qualified life celebrant, as well as a counsellor and therapist, and has spent many years presenting and hosting events, including being a master of ceremonies.

These experiences make Al a natural choice for leading any occasion, whether to celebrate the birth of a new life, a happy union or the passing of a loved one.  His ability to tune in to the different emotions surrounding each of these different occasions means he can help you create the most unique, thoughtful and memorable event

What is a Celebrant?

A civil funeral celebrant is an individual person, who offers to perform civil funerals in a dignified and culturally acceptable manner, for those who, for whatever reason, do not choose a religious ceremony. Civil funeral celebrants also serve people who have religious beliefs but do not wish to be buried or cremated from a church, temple or mosque. More frequently, people choose civil funeral celebrants because they wish a professional person to co-create a service centred on the person, their history and their achievements.

This is often in contrast to the established set-ritual ceremonies of most religions. In celebrant ceremonies decisions about the content of the ceremony are made by the family of the deceased in consultation with the celebrant. Therefore, the civil celebrant can be defined as a professionally trained ceremony-provider who works in accordance with the wishes of the client. Depending on circumstances, best practice is usually for funeral celebrants to meet the family, carefully prepare and check the eulogy, brief those persons chosen to give reminiscences, and finally to provide resources and suggestions that will assist the client family to choose the most appropriate music, video/photo presentations, quotations (poetry and prose), symbols and movement or choreography. Sometimes a rehearsal is indicated for a funeral. More often a planning session is sufficient to ensure that the ceremony that is delivered is the one that is planned. In this task the funeral celebrant works in cooperation with a Funeral director.

A celebrant, by this definition, does not come from the standpoint of any doctrinal belief or unbelief. A trained celebrant usually operates professionally on the principle that their own beliefs and values are not relevant.

Ceremonies

Funerals

Not everyone feels a fully religious ceremony in a church would be appropriate at the end of their life, a celebrant gives the opportunity to have a dignified service and allows your family and friends to reflect on your life in an appropriate way.

The ceremony can be traditional or contemporary, formal or relaxed and semi-religious or non-religious, to reflect your wishes and the wishes of the deceased.

The service doesn’t always have to be at a crematorium or cemetery, it could include favourite music, readings, poetry, a eulogy and family memories along with prayers and hymns if you wish to include a religious element.

Many bereaved families have not had to organise a funeral before and I am able to provide practical help, support and advice with any part of this journey from your loved one’s death to the final goodbye. I am available to help you to plan, guide and deliver as much or as little of the funeral as you wish.

There are times when a face to face meeting is not possible, Zoom and Facetime meetings available to facilitate such occasions

I have listed details of some groups that are able to offer support at this most difficult time.

Care for the Family – UK charity working in all areas of family life, including bereavement support

tel: 0292 081 0800

email: [email protected]

Age UK – Fact sheets and information on all aspects of death & bereavement

tel: 0800 169 6565 (8am-7pm) 

email: [email protected]

 National Association of Widows – Information and details of local branches

tel: 0845 838 2261

email: [email protected]

National Association of Bereavement Services – Information about Bereavement Counselling Services in all areas

tel: 0207 806 4013

email: [email protected]

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide – Information and help for Families bereaved by suicide

tel: 0115 944 1117

email: [email protected]

Counselling Directory – a confidential service that encourages those in distress to seek help. The directory contains information on many different types of distress, as well as articles, news, and events.

http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/

Weddings

The days of Traditional Weddings are now over, if it’s not what you want, you don’t have to have it. The choices are now endless.

If you decide to choose a Celebrant to conduct your Ceremony, you can get the exact dream wedding that you want, and I can help you plan the ceremony, the only limits are the ones in your mind.

However, on a legal point you must ensure that to be legally married you visit a registrar to obtain your marriage certificate. This is something that Celebrants are at this point unable to do. You can do this either before or after your chosen wedding ceremony.

If you choose to tie the knot abroad you may want a service held in the UK on your return for those that couldn’t make it.

Baby Naming

More and more people are choosing a secular ceremony to welcome babies and children into their midst, perhaps to celebrate their older children and family or to declare their commitment and love in front of their family and friends, it may also be to welcome step children into their family circle

Contact Me

If you have an upcoming occasion, whether to celebrate the birth of a new life, a happy union or the passing of a loved one, I would love to help. Please give me a call or fill out the form below and I will get back to you.

07768 844484

4 + 2 = ?

Testimonials

I wanted to say a big thank you for your help and support in sorting out Alex’s funeral. Without your help I would have honestly been lost!

The service was lovely and your closing words were thought provoking to all.

I didn’t get to extend appreciation on Monday for conducting a lovely, respectful, service for Allison.  Thank you.

On behalf of all the family, we want to thank you for such a lovely service yesterday.  We all thought it did Dad justice and that he would have approved and been pleased! Thank you for your guidance with the preparations, and your warm, calm presence and delivery of the words on the day. Thank you for being part of our goodbyes to Dad.

I absolutely feel that no one could have done it better and Ida really did recommend the perfect person for our family.

We will always be grateful and think of you fondly, Thank you doesn’t seem enough!!

Your calm, supportive, caring and understanding presence was so comforting to be around.

Just wanted to express our thanks again for the excellent reading at my Mothers Funeral There were some truly moving moments.

Thank you again for your guidance throughout the service.

My family and I honestly can’t thank you enough for the perfect send off for my Baby Han! My head was all over the place but your calm presence helped me stay together.

Thank you so much for the care, kindness and respect you have shown my family.  I am so grateful for all that you brought to my Dad’s service last week

Billy and I would like to say thank you again for leading the celebration of our daughter Ottilie and her twin. Whilst it was a very hard day for us, your words were supportive and reflective of the love we have for our babies

May I thank you on behalf of myself and family members for your assistance in arranging my father’s funeral and acting as the celebrant.

Your input was greatly appreciated and comforting at a time of great difficulty.

Thank you so much for yesterday. For all your patience and help. We all agreed that although very sad for us it was a wonderful service. Thank you so much for everything you did and for helping us get through such a difficult time.

I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the wonderful work you did as a celebrant at mum’s funeral.  Many of our attendees ( both at the Crematorium) and online commented on your sensitivity and guidance throughout the proceedings.

I just wanted to say what a beautiful eulogy you delivered.  Everyone remarked on how wonderful you were and how mum would have been so pleased.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,  it meant so much to me.

I just wanted to say thank you so much for the service today. I thought your tone was just right and we were both very grateful for the way in which you conducted things

On behalf of my family and I we wish to thank you for your wonderful presentation of the service today. I had many compliments from those present on how impressed they were with the way you conducted the service and recited the readings.

We couldn’t have asked for more!

It was lovely to meet you today and we can’t thank you enough for helping us get through a somewhat stressful day.

Everything went very smoothly from beginning to end and the delivery of the tributes , opening and closing words was perfect.

Thanks once again for everything

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for yesterday’s service. It hit just the right tone and there were some wonderful memories of my Dad.

You really made it a very special event!

Your words were just lovely and captured the real essence of Mum.  So many folk commented on them, and we would like to say thank you for all your help and guidance you gave through this difficult time.

May we wish you all the best and, rest assured, everyone there will be reflecting on your words and the ways you suggested to go forward.

Just wanted to say thank you for taking the service for my dad’s
funeral.

I have had lots of nice comments from family and friends who were there
that they thought it was a lovely service.

Mr Mayfield – Al –  was quite simply much more than we could have hoped for.

Prior to the Funeral Al made regular contact with us.  He was generous with his time and we were never rushed.  As a result, Al was able to take the information and little anecdotes we gave him and capture every nuance of our dearly departed Relative

Al was so understanding,  his rapport with Susan and myself was truly warm and very professional.

Al conducted the funeral service with sensitivity and with the greatest respect for our dad

You did an amazing job conducting mum’s service. You showed mum great respect, you often faced mum and even bowed to her when you were speaking to her. Your voice was very clear and your timing was perfect.

After the service five people came up to me and said what a lovely service you conducted and they were very impressed by you.

I would not hesitate in recommending you to anyone who requires this service, thank you.

We found your oration to be uplifting and gave us all the inspiration to carry on as Norma would want us to do remembering her life and times.

Many thanks for all that you have done for us since we first spoke.

On behalf of all of us, we wanted to say a big thanks to you for making yesterday so lovely with all your kind and respectful words.

Everyone said what a lovely personal service it was and it was so special for dad.

Forever grateful to you for making sure it went well.

Colin and I wanted to say thank you so much for the lovely service you conducted for Ron yesterday.

I just wanted to say how much we all appreciated the way you handled the service at the West Herts Crematorium.

We could not have wished for a better send off for Ted and that was due, in no small measure, to the way in which you prepared so carefully for the service in general and the eulogy in particular. Preparation alone however is not enough. It is one thing having all the facts at your disposal for the eulogy but quite another being able to deliver them in the manner in which you did.

We are all extremely grateful to you.

Thank you so much for the way you conducted the service.

Everybody has been extremely complimentary about the service and your part in it

My family and I would like to thank you for all you’re support, kindness and understanding during our most difficult time of our lives.

I / we always felt from you, a real sense of being heard, felt and understood which was so important for me and my family.

Whilst we were in the depths our own  grief, trying to make sure everything was in  accordance with  Dads wishes, you were there you understood, and we felt held.

You helped me and my family give our father a brilliant farewell.

Thank you for great work yesterday it was a perfect positive and happy send off for mum and thank you for your professional and friendly way of making it light and serious, sad and happy all at once !!

Just a quick note to thank you for the service for my dad yesterday, it went very well and everyone present as well as those watching online have been very complimentary about the service and your part in it.

So again thanks for your efforts

I just wanted to say a massive thank you for Monday.

The service was spot on and we couldn’t have asked for anything better. Thank you for all your help in making our celebration of Mum’s life so special.

I would just like to thank you so much for the excellent way you conducted the funeral service for Tony on Friday. It was absolutely perfect.

You delivered the eulogy with such care and made it very meaningful. After the service was over everyone did nothing but to sing your praises.

I just want to reiterate on behalf of my family our thanks for your help in producing a wonderful ceremony for my aunt Jean. She was a lovely lady who deserved the best and that is what she got.

You were very helpful and knew when to actively guide and support from the start to the finish.

With regard to the service itself you helpfully steered us through all the practical and timing matters whilst giving my uncle and cousin the scope to deliver their own special messages to us all

My family and I would like to thank you for all you’re support, kindness and understanding during our most difficult time of our lives.

I / we always felt from you, a real sense of being heard, felt and understood which was so important for me and my family.

Whilst  we were in the depths our own  grief, trying to make  sure everything was in  accordance with  Dads wishes, you were there you understood, and we felt held.

You helped me and my family give our  father a brilliant farewell.

Al Mayfield | Life Celebrant
Based in Buckinghamshire | 07768 844484