FUNERAL OFFICIANT
I’m so much more than a funeral officiant!
You likely landed here because you googled “funeral officiant” (or you were checking out my celebrant service info).
The word celebrant hasn’t caught on everywhere just yet, but that’s my technical title.
Life-Cycle Celebrant to be exact. Simply put, all Life-Cycle Celebrants are officiants but not all officiants are celebrants.
So what sets us apart? I don’t just stand at the front of the room and speak the same words I’ve spoken at all the services that came before.
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CUSTOM CEREMONIES
I’m a writer. A storyteller. A wordsmith.
I co-create custom ceremonies with input from you.
I craft and I curate.
We will take a couple hours together exploring what’s important to you to include in the ceremony. We’ll talk about logistics, but mostly, we’ll talk about the life and legacy of the person that we’re honoring so that I can then take that valuable information and weave it into something that is a true testament to a life lived.
I work hard to capture and showcase the essence of a person, leading you and yours through a meaningful ceremony.
I’ll share with you my expertise around various ceremonial elements.
I’ll write a script and let you review it to make sure it hits the mark.
And, of course, I’ll officiate.
Want reverence? Want humor? Want spunk? Want class? I can make that happen in the location of your choice! I’ve done celebrations-of-life at the Denver Art Museum, The Botanic Gardens, in parks and bars, in a barn, in a bowling alley, and more. I do virtual ceremonies, too!
Let me be your funeral celebrant! Check out my testimonials below, if that helps.
How did I get into this work?
I’ve had a lot of personal loss and often found that I’d leave funeral wanting more, or wondering whose funeral I was even just at.
I wanted personalization. I wanted story. I wanted reverence. I wanted humor, and real talk.
And, I knew others want and deserve that, too, so I got trained.
Here we are many years and many thoughtful and personalized ceremonies later.
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CEREMONIES INCLUDE:
~interview session to gather information (up to two hours)
~drafting of custom ceremony script and edits (if time permits) prior to ceremony
~consultation/coordination with ceremony participants (eulogists, musicians, etc.)
~officiating the ceremony (up to two hours on site)
$800.00 ~ Free 20 Minute Consultation
Add-on ceremonies for ash scatterings, graveside services, headstone unveiling etc. available for an additional charge.
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In addition to funerals/memorials my specialties include:
- pregnancy & infant loss
- living funerals – when the person who is dying has an exit-party/farewell gathering (see FAQs)
- “it’s complicated” ceremonies – when the relationship with the dead was strained (see FAQs)
- “do-over” ceremonies – for people who never had or had an unsatisfactory memorial in the past and want a do-over (see FAQs)
- virtual ceremonies – virtual memorials online (see FAQs)
- community rituals
- cleansing & releasing ceremonies – for grief, deathversaries, and more
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You can reach me by talk or text at 719-430-5272 or by email at tawnya@deardeparutres.com
Learn more about additional services here.
We could not have asked for a better individual to be our Life-Cycle Celebrant. Working with Tawnya was a very smooth process. We were amazed at how talented she was at discovering and representing the core aspects of our family dynamic and what was important to us. Tawnya put our thoughts and feelings into meaningful words and stories to create a beautiful ceremony. While she gave us the freedom to have the ceremony the way we wanted, she took the work on her shoulders and it was apparent how important it was to her to get it right. Anyone would be lucky to work with her.
Tawnya is a good listener. From our conversation, she was able to glean and encapsulate my mother’s essence. Tawnya wrote about her and her life, with gentile eloquence. Tawnya’s care and attention to my mother and I, really helped me be at complete ease during a difficult time. I would most certainly recommend Tawnya as a officiant for anyone in need. Tawnya values fellow humans in such a way, that she dedicates her time and talent to comfort those of us in the loss of our loved ones. She is kind, diligent, caring, reliable, and now, for me; a good friend. Thank You, Tawnya.
Tawnya was thoughtful, professional, and exactly who we needed for our farewell. She helped guide our family, gathered stories and information with a comfortable process, and wrote a fantastic service for our mother that captured the true nature of her life and personality. Tawnya found a great balance between reverence and humor that worked well for our family. I would recommend Tawnya/Dear Departures without reservation and, should the occasion present itself, I would definitely reach out for her services in the future.
Tawnya was lovely to work with. I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for when I was seeking help with my mom’s celebration of life ceremony but knew I had found it after my first conversation with Tawnya. She was so understanding, empathetic, and helpful. She helped me understand her services in a very clear way with zero pressure. I felt relieved and supported which can be hard to come by when you are grieving the loss of a loved one. Tawnya’s process is low stress and very inclusive of all family members who choose to participate. I loved how she included a tidbit from everyone that participated in the process and crafted a ceremony that was absolutely perfect for my mom. I felt like she really captured and honored my mom’s spirit. The ceremony was beautiful and delivered so professionally and authentically. Those in attendance to the ceremony echoed those sentiments and their gratitude for Tawnya. I recommend Tawnya without hesitation to bring a gentle and personal touch to a ceremony so close to your heart!
I have taken some time to think through this. My loss was sudden and shocking and I didn’t know how to express my loss and still celebrate my husband. Tawnya did that for my family and I. She seamlessly wrote a better ceremony than I could have even though of. That day is a blur and the entire week up to the celebration of life was as well. I could not have even spoken if it had not been for Tawnya. She helped me put thoughts on paper and actually be able to speak in front of hundreds of people when I didn’t think I could even leave my home. The entire ceremony/celebration was flawless and Tawnya held the room even in so much grief. She also helped us form the words to talk about the death and things we didn’t know how to express but needed to share with so many. I would highly recommend anyone in pain and not knowing how to move forward or even make it through the week ahead (let alone plan a funeral) to reach out to Tawnya. She is caring… and willing to help!
When my mom passed we were in a tough spot because most of my family are introverts and finding someone to MC her ceremony was causing us some stress. However, we found Tawnya and she more than exceeded our expectations. Tawnya was able to sit down with the close family and get to know us and our mother on a very personal level. She really took the time to understand the dynamics and the life of our mom. Additionally, Tawnya presented us with several great ways to remember our mom through a ‘rock ceremony’. The day of the ceremony went off without a hitch and we received so many compliments about Tawnya. Some even asked how Tawnya was related since she seemed so knowledgeable about our family. She was able to put all of this together in just a couple weeks and with very short notice. Tawnya is amazing and I would 100% recommend!
Mentioning what went well or what skills Tawnya portrayed would diminish the overall outcome of what Tawnya contributed … not only to the event but also to the individual participants. Having helped the family through the process of reflecting on Mary’s life and being guided to navigate through the emotions of those reflections has resulted in Tawnya becoming the family’s adopted daughter, sister, and cousin. We would only recommend Tawnya to people worthy of her excellence.