FUNERAL CELEBRANT, DEATH DOULA, HOME FUNERAL, & GRIEF SUPPORT SERVICES

A word about my services: Dear Departures is not a funeral home, nor do I hold myself out to the community as if I were. I am an alternative provider of information, support, and ceremony. I am an advocate, liaison, consultant, and educator. Colorado state law does not require you to engage the services of a funeral home in any capacity, should you decide not to. You will, however, have to choose a method of final disposition (burial, water or flame cremation, composting, whole body donation, etc.) I can offer some suggestions for possible providers and you can decide where to go from there. 

Sliding Scale/Ability-to-Pay/Pay-What-You-Can Options Are Available. Please contact me for more information.

CUSTOM CEREMONIES

Have you ever left a funeral wanting more? I’ve had a lot of personal loss, and often found that when attending funerals most services were lackluster, at best. I’d often wonder,  “whose funeral was I just at?”  So, I embarked on a journey into celebrancy to give folks more. As a funeral celebrant I work hard to strike a balance in the attention given to the sorrow, the love, and yes, even the giggles during a ceremony.

As a Life-Cycle Celebrant I do weddings, baby namings, house blessings, community ceremonies, and more, but I specialize in funerals, living-funerals, memorials, and celebrations of life!

I will collaborate with you to craft an unique ceremony tailored to the dearly departed (or departing) and who they are/were in life. Celebrant ceremonies are not your run-of-the-mill ceremonies. They are thoughtful, personalized honorings. I take time, and care, to get the big picture, and tell a damn-good story while incorporating ritual elements (like candle lightings) that feel like a good fit.

Learn more about my funeral officiant services and pricing here.

COMMUNITY DEATHCARE/HOME FUNERAL GUIDANCE

I can guide you through the logistics of holding a home funeral (also known as family/community led deathcare). There is a wealth of free knowledge available on the National Home Funeral Alliance’s website and they have a robust guidebook I co-authored and it’s available as a pay-what-you-can download that walks you through planning a home funeral, body care, and more. 

For those that do not wish to go-it-alone, I offer guidance and planning around how to engage with community deathcare legally, and logistically.

I’ll teach you how to navigate a home funeral while encouraging you to trust in your abilities.

Sliding scale of $35-$120 hour for education, though no one will be turned away from home funeral guidance for lack of funds ~ 20 minute no-obligation phone meet & greet available upon request

Home funerals disclaimer: Tawnya is not a funeral director. Funeral directors will be required as of January 2026 to be licensed in the state of Colorado and the law (SB 24-173) is written in a way that puts death doulas and home funeral guides at risk of practicing funeral directing without a license if they accept compensation for anything that may be perceived as “indirectly being in apparent charge of a viewing.” Tawnya does not offer body care, nor does she oversee viewings for compensation. Any funds exchanged are for educational consultation purposes only. She will teach you how to access your rights to not have to hire a funeral home to have access to your dead.

END-OF-LIFE CARE & PLANNING

As a Death Doula/End-of-Life Doula, I offer:

  • advance care planning
  • care-calendar coordination
  • legacy projects
  • respite
  • end-of-life vigil planning
  • after-deathcare planning
  • legacy projects
  • down-sizing support
  • VSED (voluntary stopping of eating and drinking) support
  • MAID (medical aid in dying) support 
  • and more 

Like birth doulas, death doulas offer holistic, non-medical, emotional, practical and spiritual support. Death Doula services for the dying and their circle are offered as an added layer to hospice care, not in lieu of it.

Sliding Scale of $35-$120 per hour ~ Packages Available ~ 20 minute no-obligation phone meet & greet available upon request

LEGACY PROJECTS

Not interested in full death doula services? Just want someone to work with on a legacy project? Legacy projects are one of our favorite offerings!

And, you don’t have to be dying to create a legacy project!

Want to leave behind a special scrapbook? A video? A book of stories or recipes?

Let’s talk!

Starting at $150.00 

DOWNSIZING SUPPORT

Want help downsizing your belongings and getting organized so that others don’t have to go through all your stuff when you die?

Let’s do it!

Sliding Scale of $35-$120 per hour ~ 20 minute no-obligation phone meet & greet available upon request

PET MEMORIALS & EUTHENASIA CEREMONIES

Our pets are family. I can help put together a meaningful send-off for your furry, scaly, feathered or other non-human family members.

Oftentimes, we are left longing for something more after the death of a beloved pet. 

Ceremony and ritual are important when saying goodbye to them, too. 

Starting at $150.00

OBITUARY & EULOGY WRITING

You don’t have to be dying to start writing an obituary! Getting a head start means that when the inevitable happens, (be it tomorrow or years from now), the things that are important to you about your life’s story have been highlighted! I offer guidance in obituary writing, whether you are writing one for yourself, or someone else. An obit doesn’t have to be just a timeline of events. It can be fun, witty, reverent, and/or lush! 

Writing a eulogy? We’ve got you covered there, too. Whether you need support from start to finish, or just need some feedback and editing support, we can help!

Starting at $150.00

GRIEF COMPANIONING

1:1 grief support (in person or virtually).

This might look like talk sessions, journaling prompts and debriefs, and/or creating art, ritual, and ceremony around your grief.

Sliding Scale of $35-$120 per hour ~ 20 minute no-obligation phone meet & greet available upon request

GRIEF GROUP FACILITATION

Grief group facilitation in your community, for your family, workplace, etc. 

Inquire for pricing (factors include # of participants, time spent, & materials provided).

ADVANCE PLANNING GROUPS

Want to get your friends and family together over coffee or cocktails to get some of their affairs in order?

Want to offer advance planning to your staff or community group?

Let’s make it happen!

Inquire for pricing (factors include # of guests, time spent, & material provided).

PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS

I offer presentations and workshops on topics that include but are not limited to:

  • home funerals & community deathcare (law, logistics, ritual, & more)
  • medical aid in dying (MAID)
  • voluntary stopping of eating & drinking (VSED)
  • eulogy & obituary writing
  • eco-friendly options in death (like green burial, water cremation, & human composting)
  • grief in the workplace
  • disenfranchised grief
  • suicidal ideation & anti-carceral approaches to support it
  • when the relationship with the dead or dying is strained/complicated

Have a special request? I’m happy to custom craft and/or co-create presentations and workshops on just about any topic in the death, dying, and grief space. Feel free to reach out to share your ideas & asks.

Inquire for pricing.