About Anne-Marie
I work closely with recently bereaved families to create a fitting farewell for the special person they have lost.
The way we farewell our loved ones is deeply significant. It’s a final expression of how much we valued their life, capturing their unique qualities and weaving all their stories into one final telling.
In my role as a celebrant I have the privilege of working with families to create meaningful, heartfelt ceremonies for the people who meant so much to them.
My personal life has been touched by loss in a variety of ways. My father died when I was 16. In my forties I would go on to lose my mother, brother, step-dad and in-laws. Those experiences honed my understanding of death and grief and I developed a deep sense of empathy for others mourning their loved ones who had died.
I also learned firsthand about the weight of trying to organise a funeral ceremony when you are totally depleted and overwhelmed. The deep desire to do our loved ones justice at this time is universal, something I often see reflected in the grieving families I now serve in my celebrant work.
I truly value my role as a guide and facilitator, walking beside families as we craft a meaningful ceremony in honour of the person who has passed. I have been described as a gentle, professional and intuitive person who is creative and skilled in story-telling. I love what I do and am passionate about supporting bereaved families.
I am based on the Mornington Peninsula and service the greater Melbourne and Peninsula area. If you need the support of a funeral celebrant or have questions I can help with, please feel free to reach out at any time via the contacts below.
Anne-Marie Raymond
My approach
Our modern Australian culture has moved away from knowing what to do when someone dies. In the past it was often the church that guided us through the rituals around funerals and death, but for the majority of Australians this is no longer the case. It can be hard to know what rules we need to follow or what our role is when someone dies. The strangeness of it all often results in us outsourcing as much as we can, with many funerals lacking family involvement, personalisation and meaning.
My approach with families is to support them in creating something unique for their loved one, encouraging them to have as much or as little involvement as they feel able. Helping families realise there are very few rules around how we say good-bye opens up freedom and creative possibilities. This process results in meaningful ceremonies that capture the essence of the person who has died and provides a beautiful opportunity for their wider circle to say goodbye.