Tim Kirkup. Qualified independent funeral celebrant

TIM KIRKUP

Qualified independent funeral celebrant, practised in helping families create a unique and authentic ceremony for someone who has died.

reviews

TIM KIRKUP

Qualified independent
funeral celebrant

reviews

Ensuring that a funeral goes well is one of the best things you can do – not only for the deceased person, but also for those left behind – their family and friends.

Having an independent celebrant allows you to do things your way. Getting the words and music you want - as well as the décor, the flowers, even what people are asked to wear – these are all very personal choices.

I can help you put together the content of your ceremony, and lead some or all of it on the day – anchoring the event for you to say goodbye.

TIM KIRKUP

Independent funeral celebrant

Ensuring that a funeral goes well is one of the best things you can do – not only for the deceased person, but also for those left behind – their family and friends. Having an independent celebrant allows you to do things your way. Getting the words and music you want - as well as the décor, the flowers, even what people are asked to wear – these are all very personal choices. I can help you put together the content of your ceremony, and lead some or all of it on the day – anchoring the event for you to say goodbye.

please email or phone me on
07980 290266 for
a no obligation discussion

Email Tim

Tim explains the role of
funeral celebrant and why
he can help produce a fitting
send-off for your loved one.

REVIEWS :

Tim, thank you so very much for leading such a beautiful service. My mother would’ve loved it. It went better than I could imagine. All your words were perfect. It was as if you knew her.

From a Daughter

17/9/25

Thank you so much for guiding us through the service yesterday so eloquently. You were such a reassuring presence and, most importantly, managed to convey a real sense of ‘Mum' to all her friends and family. It honestly felt like you had known her for many years and, because we wanted the service to feel personal, bespoke and individual, we couldn’t have hoped for more. You have a real gift for this, Tim, and were so helpful to us in working out what was needed. Thank you very much.

From 2 Daughters

10/9/25

Thank you so much for leading such a beautiful service for Mum. I want you to know how grateful I am for the care, compassion, and thought you put into everything. It truly reflected Mum’s spirit, and I couldn’t have wished for a more fitting tribute. Many people told me how moving and thoughtful the service was and I’m deeply grateful for everything you did to help us through such a difficult day.

From a Daughter

3/9/25

Hey Tim, thank you for leading a wonderful service. My brother and I loved your words!

From 2 Sons

22/8/25

Thank you for such an amazing tribute and Service for J. You did us both proud. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

From a Partner

18/7/25

Thank you, Tim, for constructing such a wonderful celebration of P's life

From a Mother

17/7/25

Thank you so much for the wonderful service today. I couldn't have wanted more. You were magnificent - that sounds like hyperbole, but no. It was a fitting tribute to P and everyone there and everyone watching were moved and enjoyed it. Thank you for making it happen.

From a Partner

29/7/25

I wanted to say thank you for Thursday. The service was sensitive and captured A’s spirit which can be really hard.

From a Friend and Daughter

10/7/25

I wanted to write and thank you so much for all your care and also for the time that you put in ensuring B’s funeral was such a success. I know there was a lot of behind the scenes work, not only with me but also the musicians. During the service I thought your touch was perfect, light yet directive, and the timing of it all was good.

From an Adopted Daughter

1/7/25

Hi Tim, just want to say thank you for Tuesday. Everything went really well and the feedback from everyone, and in particular my Father’s brother, was that it was very well delivered.

From a Son

24/6/25

We watched C’s funeral online and were deeply touched by it. The celebrant was excellent and made it very, very special and emotionally meaningful for us. The music, too, was wonderful.

From a Friend who joined a Funeral Service remotely by webcast

Tim, sorry I didn’t get to thank you for such a wonderful service. You made it very special. Everyone, and I mean everyone, commented on how lovely it was, and hadn’t been to one like it before. Thank you from all of us again.

From a Wife and Family

11/7/25

Thank you so much for all that you did to make B’s funeral such a lovely and memorable occasion. Everyone thought the poem you finished with was very appropriate and moving.

From a Wife

4/6/25

Hi Tim, I wanted to say thank you for the beautiful ceremony for my mother’s funeral.

From a Daughter

27/5/25

Thank you so much for organising a wonderful service yesterday for my late husband . Everything went so smoothly and it was due to your organisational skills..

From a Wife

~ 8/5/25

Tim, we want to thank you so much for your calm and reassuring delivery of the Eulogy at our Mum's funeral yesterday. We were very pleased with both your professionalism and personal touch. We had lots of compliments on how well the service went.

From a Daughter-in-Law

~ 7/5/25

Tim, thank you very much for your warm-hearted service for the funeral. It was a wonderful farewell for C. I cannot express my gratitude enough, but I have printed out what you said, so it will always be with me. Thanks

From a Wife

~ 6/5/25

Tim, thank you for supporting our family for R's service. .You helped to make a very difficult day more manageable. Most importantly, we were able to have the right service to reflect the qualities of a wonderful person.

From a Wife & Daughters

~ 28/3/25

I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. It was just what J and I hoped for and we were delighted with a short, simple and gentle way to say goodbye. We all found your words very moving.

From a Wife & Family

~ 24/3/25

Thank you so much for managing the funeral so well. It was beautifully done and gave a quiet structure to the service. Thanks also for your patience in liaising with us all.

From a Daughter

~ 26/3/25

We gave my Dad a fantastic send off. Thank you very much for your support and service. It was faultless. I admire and respect your chosen vocation.

From a Son

~ 4/1/25

Thank you so much. What you said was lovely and so touching. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for my Dad’s send off. I truly appreciate you.

From a Daughter

~ 1/3/25

I just wanted to thank you and the Funeral Director for the fantastic service from you both. I have received nothing but extremely positive feedback from both in-person attendees of Dad's funeral and those watching online.

From a Daughter

12/12/24

Thank you for everything. It all went so beautifully and I have received many compliments from those who were there and people who watched online. You managed to steer us through, with great empathy, patience and tact

From a Wife and Family

~ 5/2/25

Thank you so much for the lovely service you gave to celebrate our brother C. It was perfect . Everyone who was there has commented on how you spoke of C, with a few assuming you knew him as that's how you made it feel.

From a Sister

~ 3/1/25

Hi Tim, I just want to say a massive thank you for yesterday. You did an amazing job and helped make the service what it was. Honestly, we can't thank you enough. We seriously couldn't have had a better person do it.

From a Son

~ 1/11/24

A big thank you from all of us. So many of our friends and family commented how it was "so her” This was down to you and the information that you drew from us all. The happy parts and the sadder parts of her life were included respectfully and where appropriate humorously which she would have loved. You really brought her to life.

From a Daughter and Family

~ 8/8/24

Thank you so much for a lovely service for my Mum. I appreciate all your kind and moving words. We are all very grateful.

From a Daughter

~ 7/11/24

HI Tim, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all you did for my Dad's funeral. I know my living in America made things difficult, but you were still able to present a service that meant so much to our family and myself. I will forever appreciate all you did and always be grateful.

From a Daughter

~ 16/9/24

Tim, thanks very much for the very sensitive and appropriate way you helped us celebrate our mum on Monday. I think the service was everything we were hoping for.

From a Son

~ 3/3/25

I just wanted to thank you for today. Everyone said what a lovely service you did and commented on how professional and understanding you were.

From a Son

~ 15/8/24

Hi Tim, I just wanted to thank you so much for Wednesday. It was a hard day, especially for Mum, but we all came away knowing that we'd given Dad a good farewell and that is thanks to you. Everyone commented how lovely and fitting the service was and how they came away knowing more about P. Many, many thanks.

From a Daughter in Law and Family

~ 17/7/24

I felt we were in good hands with Tim from the outset. He comes across as genuine, caring, approachable, knowledgeable and wholly professional. Could not have hoped for a better outcome on the day… there was such professionalism, poise and poignancy in the delivery of the service, setting a beautiful engaging tone in giving J the perfect goodbye.

From a Son

~ 23/8/24

My father, sister and I would all like to thank you for your service today. The service was fantastic and everyone has given wonderful comments on it. Thank you for your professionalism and time.

From a Family

~ 21/6/24

Thanks for your sterling work today, Tim. A lovely service for our Father. Much appreciated.

From a Daughter and Son

~ 11/7/24

We would all like to thank you for your support and help in directing our service to ensure that we could give Dad the best celebration of life send off that we could ask for. The way that you addressed all who attended and my Dad was very heart warming and professional and you included everything that we asked in the time that we had.

From a Family

~ 11/6/24

Thank you so much for yesterday. Your words were wonderful and your calmness greatly appreciated

From a Daughter

~ 28/5/24

Thank you so much for the wonderful service you gave for A. He would have been so proud of his ‘send off’. The family and I send very special thanks for putting together stories and memories shared with friends and relatives. It was brilliant and beautifully delivered by you. It will always be an everlasting memory for me.

From a Wife

~ 8/5/24

Thank you so much for leading the service with such grace and kindness. You truly honoured the man V was. Tim, your professionalism made it possible to have a beautiful funeral. We all felt that you knew V very well. Thanks for your time and help.

From a Wife

~ 29/5/24

I never got to say thank you after the service. It was all lovely and everyone enjoyed what you said about Dad.

From a Daughter

~ 23/4/24

Thank you very, very much for everything you did for us to say goodbye to L in such a respectful, warm way. This is my first experience of dealing with the organisation of a funeral in my life and I’m so grateful to you for making it all easier for us.

From a Son and Carer

~ 20/3/24

Tim, you were incredible all the way through, I can’t thank you enough for all you did before and during the Service.

From a Son

~ 30/4/24

Really want to give our heartfelt thanks for the way you conducted the service. You made it all gel perfectly and your words absolutely hit the right note. Everyone we spoke to felt that it had been a lovely service and it 'got dad'.

From a Daughter and Wife

~ 27/3/24

I have to say on behalf of my family how amazed we were with the fantastic service you arranged for my Aunt. We cannot thank you enough for all the hard work you put into bringing J’s story to life. With the sadness of the day it gave me great pride in my Aunt.

From a Nephew

~ 13/2/24

I wanted to pass on my sincere gratitude for today. It was all summed up amazingly and delivered in such an honourable manner; it really did help ease the whole experience. Thanks once again for your guidance and help.

From a Great-Niece

22/2/24

Just to say thank you once again for a really excellent delivery of M’s funeral service. Everybody enjoyed it - as M himself would have done.

From a Friend

~ 13/3/24

We want to thank you so much for I’s funeral. You did an amazing job. People have asked me if you knew my brother, which I think is a huge compliment! You captured his spirit very well, and made a very sad day quite uplifting! Many Thanks

From a Sister

~ 9/2/24

Tim, a message of great appreciation for what you delivered at Mum’s funeral. I couldn’t have imagined anything so beautiful. Thank you so much for being there with us.

From a Daughter

~ 19/1/24

Thank you for all you did to help make C's funeral such a moving and unforgettable event. You held everything together in a very professional way and your reading of the passage from the Secret Garden was a lovely surprise and so apt.

From a Brother

~ 14/2/24

Thank you so much for such a wonderful interpretation of all our feelings about M and choosing a perfect poem to finish off. You did a wonderful job and made it very special for all of us; everybody afterwards said it was so moving and true. Just perfect.

From a Friend

~ 28/7/23

Tim, thank you so much for the fantastic tribute to K, it was very moving. Even people who didn’t know K felt that they did from the speech you gave.

From a Mother

~ 25/1/24

I wanted to thank you for the lovely service you gave for C. And for weaving together with compassion and caring the words from my scrappy notes. It really gave the measure of him and his life, the man we all knew and loved. Your calmness and patience with me was so helpful, and I felt all you said and did wrapped in kindness the most difficult of situations and days.

From a Partner

~ 4/1/24

Thank you so much for conducting the funeral of my dear husband. Your help in preparing the Order of Service was invaluable. You set the tone for the day and made a sad occasion into a lovely memorial. Thank you

From a Wife and Sons

~ 28/6/23

It was a pleasure working with you today. I thought that you would like to know that there were lovely things said about you in the back of the limousine on our way to the reception this afternoon: “So respectful.” “Lovely voice, very calming.” They were most appreciative of your suggestions for the service, and for your taking responsibility for managing the CD for the middle piece of music

From a Funeral Director

~ 2/5/23

Thank you for all your efforts to make Dad’s tribute fitting, and the proficiency with which you delivered it. We had many extremely positive comments at the Wake. It all came together beautifully. I will have no hesitancy at all in recommending you to anyone who wants a special tribute for their loved ones!

From a step-son

~ 18/7/23

"Thank you so much for yesterday. Your words were beautiful and a fitting tribute to my Mum. Messages from friends and family all say the same. What a wonderful send off and you were an amazing speaker. Some of Mum’s friends even thought you had known Mum for a long time. Thank you again. Mum had exactly what she wanted."

From a Daughter

~ 7/10/23

Hi Tim, Just wanted to say thank you for the lovely service you put together for my dad . Everyone said they thought it was a great service and I really appreciate the time you put in to make it so

From a Son

~ 14/12/23

Thank you very much for helping us to give our Mum the special send off that she so very much deserved. Our Dad said that the ceremony was beautifully done and it really did help to have you there to give structure, timing and formality. Your Chinese pronunciation was spot on and you spoke clearly and slowly enough for Dad to understand. Thank you for doing the job with sincerity and great care.

From a Daughter and siblings

~ 21/5/23

Thank you for all your support through our grief. All our family thought the service and graveside ceremony were handled beautifully. We felt we were in very safe hands. Thanks a lot.

From 2 daughters

~ 13/6/23

Thank you so much for your lovely service for C. You took a lot of trouble to really get the measure of him. One friend said it was the best funeral they had ever been to!

From a Wife

~ 13/12/23

Thank you so much for making my father’s funeral such a special event. It really was a celebration of his life and many achievements. Everyone remarked what a wonderful send-off it was for him You did a great job in making the day as easy as possible for us.

From a Daughter

~ 1/8/23

Tim, you did a marvellous job, very much appreciated by everyone. You transformed what was a sad day into a joyous celebration of C’s wonderful life - albeit with an untimely passing. It was a lovely send off.

From a Partner

~ 22/5/23

It was a lovely service, very respectful and comforting. Mum would have been smiling down. So thank you very much for all you did and said.

From a Daughter

~ 10/3/23

Thank you so much for helping us celebrate the life and times of Dad. It was a beautiful occasion and we think he would have approved.

From a Daughter

~ 20/3/23

Tim, it was all wonderful. Thank you for your expertise and support. I’m getting lots of feedback also from those who watched on the webcast, and many said they were really touched and moved even remotely by the service. I think your suggestion of seamlessness in the running of the service was genius and crucial to the calm and wonder people felt.

From a Daughter

~ 4/3/23

Thanks so much for today - didn't get a chance to say it but we all really appreciated the way you led the service, your calm manner and your wonderful words. Thank you so much!

From a Daughter

~ 25/2/23

Hi Tim, thank you ever so much for the beautiful reading and delivery of mum’s eulogy on Friday.

From a Son

~ 3/3/23

Thanks, Tim; you led the proceedings marvellously. I enjoyed working with you; you made the process as easy as it could be.

From a Nephew

~ 3/4/23

I want to express my huge thanks to you for your chosen words on the service you gave to mum. Your words were a credit not only to your knowledge and understanding at these sorrowful occasions, but were a beautifully worded farewell to mum. Your lovely service was noted by others

From a Daughter

~ 23/2/23

The positive feedback I've had about how your compassion and expertise shone through the occasion are overwhelming. You conducted the service with a sense of love, loss, happiness, achievements, humanity and dignity. It was all about A, as everyone remarked afterwards, with applause.

From a Mother

~ 3/2/23

Tim is a skilled communicator, having worked for many years in education, and was awarded for his work with people with dementia.

Contact Tim for a no obligation discussion on

07980 290266

or email: tkirkup14@gmail.com

E Mail Tim

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TIM KIRKUP

TIM KIRKUP

TIM KIRKUP

Independent funeral celebrant

please email or phone me on 07980 290266 fora no obligation discussion

Tim explains the role of funeral celebrant and whyhe can help produce a fitting send-off for your loved one.

REVIEWS :

please email or phone me on
07980 290266 for
a no obligation discussion

Tim explains the role of
funeral celebrant and why
he can help produce a fitting
send-off for your loved one.