MEET MANDY

A little background on me

A bit about me…

My name is Mandy Hawkes, and I am a fully certified celebrant. I am the proud mother of two wonderful grown-up children. I enjoy life and bring great passion to everything I do. I am a qualified coach and love performing stand-up comedy.

As your celebrant, I can offer my time and skills to you, bringing your loved one’s story to life and being there with you, on the day of the funeral, with your family and friends all around.

Two funerals impacted me in different ways. The first was my mum’s celebration of life ceremony. I created a beautiful and fitting service where she had a most fabulous send-off. That day, I had so many lovely comments and thank yous for sharing Ann’s stories. This put me in mind that maybe being a celebrant was a great vocation for me moving forward.

The second was my baby brother Mark’s celebration of life in 2024. He had sadly received a terminal diagnosis, aged just 50 years’ old, and we spent 3 months together whilst he stayed in Birmingham Hospice. This was a time to laugh, a time to share tears together, and to chat about all the great things he had done in his life. Planning his ceremony was a pleasure and it was full of love and fun. He was a cheeky fellow with a great love of all music. What better than a one-off puppet show – a nod to Coldplay’s ‘Biutyful’. He would have howled with laughter and family and friends giggled and cried at the same time. Comments afterwards included ‘that was the best funeral ever!’

It would be my honour to have a conversation with you and to collaborate and plan a beautiful and memorable send-off for your loved one.

Together, we can create an occasion filled with love, laughter, respect and dignity.

I am very happy to speak with those who, like my brother Mark, find themselves with a short time to live, and would like others to hear and understand their story….

Funeral Ceremonies with meaning

There is no doubt that a carefully planned funeral ceremony marks a very important commemoration of the life that has been lived and the chance for you and your family to say goodbye in a way that is unique.
 
As a qualified Independent Funeral Celebrant I am able to offer a high level of quality in the ceremonies I conduct on your behalf. My priority is to create and tailor a ceremony that meets your needs and wishes and which fits with your philosophical, cultural or spiritual values.
 
I will spend time with you to create a ceremony that with thought and care will provide a fitting tribute and which is able to capture the essence of your loved one; creating a story which brings together the many strands of their life.
 
An important aspect of the ceremony will be to capture the memories, voices and feelings of your family and friends, some of whom may wish to speak, read a poem or share their own words during the service. Alternatively, I am able to lead all aspects of the ceremony according to your wishes.