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True North Ceremonies

MEMORIALS

personalized non-denominational ceremonies

SERVING THE LOS ANGELES, SANTA BARBARA AND NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREAS

Memorial Ceremonies

Each life deserves a tribute that lovingly reflects its uniqueness. Gathering together and taking part in such a ceremony can be meaningful and comforting experience for the bereaved.

Whether you need help creating a ceremony that celebrates the life of someone you love shortly after their death, for their burial or the scattering of their ashes, or at a later time, I am honored to be of assistance.

I will meet with you, and together we will plan a ceremony that truly reflects and honors the life of the person who has died. I’ll talk with whomever you suggest to gather stories, and will help you to brainstorm and choose readings and music and any other elements that are important to you. I can lead the ceremony and write and deliver a eulogy, or simply help you to plan a ceremony that you will lead yourself.

“Gretchen really captured my mother’s goodness and sense of humor in her eulogy.”

- Judy (Santa Barbara)

Services

Each True North Ceremony is unique. Your ceremony may be secular, spiritual but non-religious, or you may wish to respectfully weave together elements from several sources of inspiration - drawing from your religious or cultural traditions and from other parts of your lives as well. My goal is to help you and your guests honor an important moment in your life story with a ceremony that gracefully expresses your own values and personal style - creating a meaningful memory that all of you will treasure.



How Does This Work?

Your needs, your story , your wishes and your traditions are always at the heart of my work. I bring a commitment to careful listening and reliability to each ceremony, as well as a good eye for the use of space and an enthusiasm for creativity, research, and collaboration. I also bring a lifetime of experience in the creative and performing arts both to leading and designing your ceremony.

First, we have a discussion about the event being recognized and what you are looking for from your ceremony, and then I begin working to create a custom-tailored ceremony for you, based on the thoughts and reflections you have shared with me. This process may include brief conversations with friends or family you have suggested and further research to find stories, insights and other elements (such as music or readings) that you may wish to weave in. Throughout this process, I listen to you and support you in thinking through any decisions that need to be made about your ceremony.

I present a proposed draft to you, and then revise it until it feels just right to you.

I strongly recommend a brief rehearsal before your ceremony, which I will run, so that everyone involved is clear about their part and the ceremony itself runs smoothly. In the case of a wedding, I will be responsible for overseeing the signing of the legal documents.

I lead (or support you in leading) the ceremony we have planned together, and you and your guests are able to relax and mark an important moment in your life with a ceremony that is exactly as you wish it to be.