Local women who formed Hastings Coffin Club are named Funeral Celebrants of the Year

A Battle-based business partnership has won the title Funeral Celebrants of the Year in the national Good Funeral Awards for 2019.
Kate Tym and Kate Dyer SUS-191022-104601001Kate Tym and Kate Dyer SUS-191022-104601001
Kate Tym and Kate Dyer SUS-191022-104601001

Kate Tym and Kate Dyer, who together are Kate and Kate Celebrants learned of their success at an awards ceremony at Port Lympne, Kent, last week.

As independent celebrants they perform weddings, baby naming ceremonies and vow renewals, but they are particularly passionate 
about changing the face of funerals in the UK. The pair set up the UK’s first Coffin Club, in Hastings, which encourages people to talk about and plan their funerals.

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The pair said they were: “Absolutely thrilled to bits,” to win the award.

“It really feels like validation of years of hard work trying to change the face of funerals locally,” says Kate Dyer. “There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach with us,’ adds Kate Tym, “we are passionate about tailoring each ceremony perfectly to the person who has died and to those who will be attending. There’s no right or wrong, it’s whatever works for them.”

“Funerals aren’t fun,’ says Kate Dyer, “and we’re not trying to make light of what is a really tough situation. But we are trying to find a way to make the funeral a useful part of the grieving process, to make it individual and meaningful and to really represent the person who has died.

“We’ve worked as funeral celebrants for nearly four years now – and wedding celebrants for over twelve – and, right from day one, we felt absolutely driven to make our approach to creating ceremonies absolutely bespoke.”

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Kate Tym said: “When families come to us directly, we’re able to talk them through all their choices from a celebration of life at their local crematorium through to a gathering in a barn, village hall or hotel. Changing the venue really changes the atmosphere,‘You’re able to take your time, there’s no break in the flow of the day and the person who has died can be completely central to proceedings.

“It may seem odd, but we absolutely love what we do. It is so rewarding – and when people find out that there are no rules around end-of-life celebrations and we can help them to do whatever they would like to truly honour the person who has died, we can see how much that means to them and that’s what it’s all about.”

If you’d like to get in touch with Kate and Kate and find some more information visit www.kateandkatecelebrants.co.uk or email at [email protected] or phone Kate Tym 07985295373 or Kate Dyer 07790128592.

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