David Linaker
Celebrant
Marking the
Special Moments
Throughout human history, people have gathered together at special times in their lives and have created ceremonies to mark events like a new marriage, the birth of a child or the death of a loved one. Other important moments, like the renewal of marriage vows or, indeed, the end of a relationship can make us want to come together with all those who are special to us to make a changing chapter in our lives.
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With nearly thirty years of experience as both a priest in the Church of England and as an Independent Celebrant, I will help you create a ceremony that is completely personal, reflects your wishes and is delivered with warmth and a lightness of touch.
Weddings
Your wedding day is a day that you will remember for the rest of your lives. I believe that it should be both highly personal and also be able to express the dignity and beauty of the commitment you are celebrating.
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I will walk with you all the way to the big day. I will help you to create the ceremony of your dreams, talking you through the legal ramifications and liaising with your venue.
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Prices from £750
"You made our wedding such a special day. The ceremony was everything we’d hoped for and your humour and warmth helped calm the nerves. Thank you!"
"Thank you so much for officiating at our wedding ceremony.
We really appreciated your care and kindness throughout the process and lots of people commented on how you made them feel involved and a real part of the ceremony."
Funerals and
Celebrations of Life
The end of every life is as unique as the life itself. From traumatic accident or illness to the end of a long life well lived, every family faces each loss differently and in their own way.
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My long experience enables me to support you to the utmost, working with you and with any other professionals involved to ensure that your farewell is appropriate to you and yours and contributes positively to the journey of grieving your loss.
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I am also available to support you into the future.
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Prices from £250
"I can’t thank you enough for being our celebrant today. You made the farewell to David really special and elevated the scant material you were given into a truly remarkable service. Your years of experience and your ability to provide insight into someone you have never met, made the funeral feel very personal and meaningful. David would have been flattered and proud, I’m sure. My mother Elizabeth and I are extremely grateful to you for holding and carrying us through this day with such grace and kindness."
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"Thank you so much for guiding us through the service today. A number of those who came made particular mention afterwards of the reassuring and sensitive way you conducted us through it and I particularly appreciated your lovely concluding words. We all felt we had given Mum a fitting goodbye.
So a big thank you for your kindness and support, from all the family."
Who Am I?
Born and brought up on the Isle of Wight, I moved to the
mainland when I was 21 and was ordained into the Church of England in 1995. I served in parishes in Southern England until 2016 when I made the leap to become and Independent Celebrant.
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I have always loved building relationships with my clients and really getting to know them and their needs. The thrill of delivering their ideal ceremony is hard to beat.
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When not creating fabulous ceremonies or supporting my clients, I can be found walking my Labradors, Peggy & Stanley, sailing on Poole Harbour and being at the heart of a busy family life.
Empowering Your
Growth
I am really passionate in helping you to live your best life. From my long experience, I've spotted some key elements of what a life well-lived looks like and love to share that in coaching and mentoring. I regularly blog on this subject and would love to hear from you if you'd like to work on your personal development with me.
