Trusted Independent Celebrant for Funerals

Funeral Celebrant — Lake District & Cumbria

Losing someone you love is one of the hardest things a family can face. When the time comes to say goodbye, that farewell deserves to be as unique as the person at the heart of it — not a template, not a standard script, but a ceremony that truly reflects who they were.
I’m Clive Burgess, a Fellowship-accredited funeral celebrant based in Wigton, Cumbria. I’ve been privileged to lead more than 1,500 funeral ceremonies across the Lake District, Cumbria, and beyond. Every one has been different. Every one has mattered.
Whether you are arranging a funeral right now, supporting a family through the process, or planning ahead for the future — I’m here, and I’m ready to help.

Call :+44 7838 921491 clive@specialmomentscelebrant.co.uk

A life story told well. A farewell felt deeply.

Before I was a celebrant, I spent years in stage, film, and television — and before that, in the third sector. That combination has given me something I bring to every ceremony: the ability to hold a room, to speak with warmth and real presence, and to tell a person’s story in a way that genuinely moves people.

I don’t arrive with a script I’ve used before. I arrive having listened — to you, to those who knew your person best — and having written something that could only ever be about them.

“Whether celebrating a new beginning or honouring a life lived, my aim is to create a befitting tribute that feels authentic to you, your family, and the person at the heart of the ceremony.”

That’s what a ceremony with me looks like: unhurried, deeply personal, and delivered with the care and skill that only 20 years and more than 1,500 funerals can bring.

CREDENTIALS AT A GLANCE

  • Fellowship of Professional Celebrants (FPC)  — one of the highest professional accreditations available to a UK celebrant
  • 1,500+ funeral ceremonies conducted  — across crematoria, gravesides, woodland burial sites, and chapels throughout Cumbria
  • 20+ years of experience  — including a background in stage, film, television, and ordained ministry
  • Based in Wigton  — serving Carlisle, Penrith, Keswick, Kendal, Cockermouth, Whitehaven, Workington and beyond
Contact Clive
Celebrants for Funerals

From first contact to the ceremony itself — I'm with you every step of the way.

Planning a funeral while grieving is one of the most difficult things a family ever has to do. My job is to make the celebrancy part of that feel as simple, gentle, and unhurried as possible.

Here’s what happens when you get in touch:

STEP 1

You reach out — however feels right

A phone call, an email, or a message through this website. You don’t need to have everything sorted. You don’t need to know exactly what you want. Just get in touch, and I’ll take it gently from there.

STEP 2

We meet and I listen

I’ll come to you — at home, at the funeral director’s, or wherever feels most comfortable. We’ll talk about your person: who they were, what they loved, the things that made them laugh, the life they lived. There’s no rush. This is the most important part.

STEP 3

I write the ceremony

From everything you share, I write a ceremony that is entirely about them. I’ll send it to you before the day so you can read it, suggest changes, and feel confident that it says everything it should.

STEP 4

The day itself

I arrive early. I ensure everything is in place with the funeral director and venue team. And I deliver the ceremony with the calm, warm presence that lets your family grieve and remember — without worrying about what comes next.

Whatever your beliefs, your background, your wishes — I can create a ceremony that feels right.

I hold no personal agenda about how a funeral should look or what it should contain. My role is to reflect your person — their values, their faith or lack of it, their sense of humour, their passions — without imposing anything of my own.

Ceremony Types I Offer

Non-Religious & Humanist Funerals

For families who want a ceremony that is meaningful, moving, and entirely free from religious content. Focused completely on the person — who they were, what they valued, the lives they touched. These ceremonies can be every bit as profound as any other, and often more personal.

Multi-Faith & Reflective Ceremonies

Where family members hold different beliefs, or where your person drew meaning from more than one tradition, I can create a ceremony that makes space for everyone in the room — without excluding anyone.

Celebration of Life

For those who wanted laughter as well as tears. A ceremony that takes joy in a life fully and well-lived, that shares favourite stories, includes music your person loved, and sends them off with warmth and celebration as well as love.

Graveside & Burial Services

For natural burials, woodland settings, churchyards, or private graves across the Lake District and Cumbria. Quiet, intimate, and as personal as you wish.

Crematorium Services

Fully personalised ceremonies at crematoria across Cumbria — including Carlisle, Penrith, and Workington. I’m familiar with all the main venues, their timings, and their technical facilities.

Memorial & Scattering Ceremonies

When time has passed and a family gathers again — or to mark the scattering of ashes in a meaningful place, perhaps in the Lake District fells or on the Solway shore — I can lead a ceremony that brings comfort, connection, and a sense of closure.

Clive Burgess FPC — Funeral Celebrant, Lake District & Cumbria

I came to celebrancy through an unusual path — and I think that’s why I do it the way I do.
Years in stage and screen gave me an understanding of how words land in a room, how a voice can hold people, and how telling a story well can open hearts. Time as an ordained minister gave me a deep sense of what it means to sit with a family in grief, and to stand at the front of a room and speak on behalf of those who can’t. More than twenty years of funerals have given me an instinct for what a ceremony needs — and the quiet confidence to deliver it.
I’m based in Wigton, in the north of Cumbria, and I travel throughout the county and into the Lake District. I’ve conducted ceremonies in remarkable places — from the grandest crematoria to the simplest gravesides in the fells — and I’ve never lost sight of the fact that every single one of them was someone’s person, and someone’s only chance to say goodbye properly.
If you’d like to talk — even just to ask a question, or to understand what working with me would look like — please call or email. There’s never any pressure, and I’ll always answer with care.

Funeral Celebrant — Serving the Lake District, Cumbria & North West

Based in Wigton in north Cumbria, I regularly travel throughout the county and into the wider Lake District. Areas I serve include:




  • Carlisle & North Cumbria



  • Wigton, Aspatria & the Solway Plain



  • Penrith & the Eden Valley



  • Keswick & Borrowdale



  • Cockermouth & the Western Fells



  • Workington, Whitehaven & the West Cumbrian Coast



  • Kendal & South Lakeland



  • Windermere, Ambleside & Central Lakeland



  • Brampton, Longtown & the Scottish Borders



  • Appleby-in-Westmorland & the Eden



  • And surrounding areas — please ask if you’re unsure

If you’re not sure whether I cover your area, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’ll always do my best to be there.

Frequently Asked Questions

As soon as you feel ready — there's no wrong time. If someone has just died and you're in the early stages of making arrangements, I'm here. If you'd like to plan ahead and explore your options before the time comes, I'm equally happy to talk. I'll always take my lead from you.

No. You can contact me directly, and I'm happy to speak with you independently of any funeral director. That said, I work alongside funeral directors across Cumbria and the Lake District, and if you already have one in place, I'll liaise with them directly on your behalf.

A celebrant creates a completely bespoke ceremony based on the person's own life and the family's wishes — with no religious content required (though it can be included if you wish). A vicar or minister leads a ceremony within a religious tradition. Many families today choose a celebrant because they want the ceremony to reflect who their person actually was, rather than following a set structure.

That's completely normal, and one of the most common things I hear. We'll talk it through together, and I'll ask gentle questions that help you discover what feels right. You don't need to have answers before we speak — that's what our conversation is for.

Absolutely. Many families want readings, personal tributes, poetry, or music that holds special meaning. I'll help you plan these contributions and, if anyone is nervous about speaking, I'll support them in whatever way helps most. It's your ceremony — everything in it should feel right to you.

Yes. I've conducted ceremonies at several natural and woodland burial sites across Cumbria and the Lake District, and I'm experienced in the particular character of these settings — often more intimate, outdoors, and beautifully placed in the landscape. If you have a specific venue in mind, please mention it and I'll confirm I know it.

As soon as possible is always best, though I understand that funeral arrangements sometimes move quickly. I'll always do my best to accommodate your timeline. Please call me as soon as you know the date and I'll confirm my availability straight away.

My fees are listed on the Fees page of this website. I'm also happy to discuss them directly — just call or email. I believe every family deserves a ceremony that truly honours their person, and I'll always be transparent about cost from the outset.

Let's give them the farewell they deserve.

Reach out today — by phone, by email, or through the contact form below. I’ll respond with care and without any pressure whatsoever.

Call:+44 7838 921491 clive@specialmomentscelebrant.co.uk