About Me

 I’m Susannah Clayton.

Prior to training to become a celebrant, I was a Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development adult lecturer for many years. I have discovered my métier in celebrancy and have led over one thousand funeral ceremonies since August 2011.

I attained my Certificate in Civil Funeral Celebrancy with the leading provider, Civil Ceremonies Ltd., as I wanted to specialise in funeral celebrancy.  Since then,  it’s been my privilege to have led funeral ceremonies at Medway, Kemnal Park, Charing,  the Garden Of England (Bobbing), Vinters Park (Maidstone), Barham, Thames View (Gravesend) and Eltham crematoria and most cemeteries in my local area, including Deerton Natural Burial Ground, Chatham, Strood, Rochester, Gillingham, Halfway,  Gravesend,  Northfleet, Stone, Erith and Sittingbourne.

There have been memorial ceremonies, services attended by very few and very many. Ceremonies needing the utmost sensitivity due to fractured families, loss due to alcohol or drug abuse, suicide or baby loss.  A ritual of remembrance and celebration might be arranged some time after a simpler, low cost funeral, such as a direct cremation.

Having established my reputation, I am not presently affiliated to any of the plethora of trade associations claiming to represent celebrants – this allows me to focus solely on the needs and wishes of my families.

My belief is that families should have a genuine choice when deciding who should lead their ceremony, unfettered by the consideration of cost. You will find that this is an element where not all celebrants are the same. My fully inclusive fee for a local, bespoke ceremony lasting not more than an hour compares favourably with fees charged by clergy, yet extends what I believe to be a finer level of service.

For example, I will not conduct our funeral planning over the telephone unless distance prevents us meeting, which is rare; you will receive a bound copy of the complete service in a bespoke folder, usually as the ceremony ends; friends and relatives will be encouraged to speak and given every opportunity, within the constraints of available chapel time,  to do so, should you wish.