“You delivered the right amount of helpful information whilst still allowing it to be a discussion between us with plenty of time to take on board our thoughts too. Rather than it being lectures it was lovely that it included so much ‘audience participation’ in a very relaxed informative manner. So thank you once again for what I felt was a very enjoyable conference. Looking forward to the next one.”

“Emma is leading the rebellion against the generic template celebrant. She begins each ceremony with a blank piece of paper. She actually listens to families, facilitates difficult conversations and puts together ceremonies that do what they need to do. She also does the difficult thing that most celebrants avoid – goes the emotional distance with the bereaved and doesn’t just give them what they think they need (ie just going with a celebration of life for a young person who died by suicide but actually making the bereaved think about what it is they need from the funeral).

She has played a huge role in developing the philosophy and approach behind Poetic Endings, where ceremony is front and foremost of the work we do as funeral directors.

Emma also held space for me, whilst I learnt to hold space for others.

When I imagine the celebrancy profession of the future, I’d like to think that Emma has been able to contribute to it with her dedication to improving standards, offering proper training and providing actual emotional support to the people who are doing this work.

Poetic Endings wouldn’t be what it is without Emma Curtis. “

“Emma delivered with sensitivity, passion and fun, keeping everyone fully engaged from start to finish.
The practical exercises that she gave the celebrants to do were stimulating, thought provoking and challenged them to think outside of the box and stretched their creative writing skills to new levels, with those present even saying that they produced levels of writing which they didn’t know they could deliver.“

“Thank you Emma Curtis for your wonderful and inspiring creative writing session at the Conference. It encouraged me to try a new opening today, slightly out of my comfort/safe zone and ‘stretch myself’. At the funeral today it worked so well… The widow said that service was ‘brilliant’ and it was as if her husband was actually there.”

“Overall it gave me confidence in what I am doing already which was needed. it also gave me inspiration and ideas for some new approaches. Plus the rare opportunity to talk with other celebrants – bringing us together for collaboration rather than competition.”