FUNERALS | vanessa-celebrant

Heartfelt, Uplifting Farewells

Based in Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast, I create warm, personal funeral and memorial ceremonies that honour your loved one and the life they lived.

I’ve been a funeral celebrant for many years and have had the privilege of helping hundreds of families through this time. Every family is different, and every person deserves a farewell that feels like them.

Why I Do This

The seed for becoming a funeral celebrant was planted at my own brother Ray’s funeral in 2000. It was a huge shock for me and my family, as his death came completely out of the blue. He was just 43.

Much of the funeral was a blur to me, but I have never forgotten the minister who helped us during this time and conducted the service. Amid all the shock and grief, his calm, kind presence gave us something to hold onto. He was a guiding light in the chaos and fog of grief, and that has stayed with me ever since.

It made me understand how much it means to have someone beside you who can calmly guide you through a day you never wanted to face. It’s my deepest hope that I can be that same guiding light for the families I work with.

Making Things Easier

Most people don’t know where to begin when they’re asked to organise a funeral service. Why would you? It’s not something any of us do very often.

My job is to make things as easy as I can for you. I’ll guide you through the ceremony, talk you through your options and help you work out what feels right.

There’s no set formula. Some services are traditional, others are relaxed and full of stories and laughter. What matters is that the ceremony feels genuine and reflects the person you’re saying goodbye to.

How I Can Help

I’ll take care of the structure and flow of the ceremony and work closely with you to tell your loved one’s story with warmth, honesty and care.

I can also help with:

choosing music
finding poems or readings
writing or editing a eulogy
helping family and friends who would like to speak
putting the different parts of the service together so everything flows naturally

Over the years I’ve worked with many respected funeral homes, including Ann Wilson, White Lady, Walter Carter, Gregory & Carr, Peninsula, Maurer, Simplicity, Guardian, Albert & Meyer, Penrose and Manning.

Get in Touch

If you’re arranging a funeral or memorial and would like to see if I'm available, please feel free to call or text me on 0412 262 935, or email vanessajaneballard@gmail.com.

You don’t need to have everything worked out before you call. We can simply have a chat about what you need and take it from there. I’m here to make a difficult time a little easier.

Testimonials

SAM'S FUNERAL

“We could not have asked for a more perfect, dignified, informative, humorous and spiritual farewell. It was amazing how you managed to capture so much information, memories and stories in just one meeting. Your calm helpfulness before and after the funeral ceremony was sensitive and discerning, and assured us that this ceremony would be exactly what Sam would have wanted. Thank you from all the family.” Robin

"Thanks again Vanessa for your compassionate and dignified handling of Dad’s service. Your kind words celebrated Dad’s life just as we all remembered it, while also adding some genuinely uplifting moments to the ceremony. Your help and guidance leading up to, and throughout the day, eased the burden of what could have been an overwhelming occasion." Jackson

“Every single second of the ceremony was perfect, and exactly what Sam would have loved.” Mercedes

“I don’t think I will ever go to a funeral as… I don’t know what the right word is…easy, relaxed, seamless and so totally right for the person. I know Sam would have approved.” Steve

STEVE'S MEMORIAL

"Thank you so much for guiding all of us through Steve’s celebration on Saturday, you were amazing!" Jenny

JESSIE'S FUNERAL

"Vanessa, you gave us the support we needed and our beautiful mum the respectful send off she deserved. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Xx" Elle

COL'S FUNERAL

"Words cannot express how much we appreciate your involvement in our dad's farewell last Friday. You totally captured his essence and our feelings. From the moment you met we felt you were part of the family and indeed many who attended last Friday thought so as well. Our sincerest thanks." Margaret

FRANK'S FUNERAL

"I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for all that you did for myself and my family. As you know, this is often a very hard time, and your compassion and guidance went a long way in easing what was an otherwise very difficult day. The service and the words and poem you chose were perfect." Mike

DAVID'S FUNERAL

"You did an amazing job today and we can't thank you enough." Simone

JANICE'S FUNERAL

"A friend recommended you to us, and we were so happy with your services. You were so easy to deal with, and very efficient, and we can't thank you enough for giving mum such a lovely send-off. Thank you so very much". Layla

BETTY'S FUNERAL

"A big thank you from Elisabeth and I for the wonderful job you did at mum’s service on Friday. We were very happy with the communication from the outset. The couple of hours spent at my sister’s house where you keenly listened to the information provided, the thoughtful words you constructed and the delivery on the day all contributed to a most successful outcome." Deborah

TREVOR'S FUNERAL

"Just wanted to thank you for being the celebrant for dad's funeral earlier this month. We were very happy with what you said and how it was delivered and everyone commented on how beautiful and loving the funeral was. So thank you 😊." Margaret, Stuart and Simone

LES'S FUNERAL

"Urs and I would like to thank you so much for the beautiful service you gave for our lovely Les. It was just perfect. It was just so special and appropriate for him - we couldn't have asked for anything more. Thank you for all the thought and concern that you gave us before and during the funeral service." Goldie and Urs

JO-ANN'S FUNERAL

"Just a note to say a very big thank you for your beautiful presence and speech at the ceremony for Jo-ann last Sunday. Your very kind words were touching to everyone at the ceremony and I'm sure that Jo-ann would have been most pleased as well. Plus everything else that you did for us at this trying time in our lives, you made it so much better." Stephen, Jamie, Ryan and John.

JUNE'S CELEBRATION OF LIFE

"Thank you again for your help and guidance yesterday, you made a difficult time a lot easier to to deal with." Andy