I am an independent Scottish celebrant. I mainly conduct funeral services in Dundee, Perth, Angus and Fife, though I work across Scotland and beyond. I also conduct web ceremonies using Zoom so that I can work with people anywhere in the world. I am not a wedding celebrant but the Scottish Independent Celebrants’ Association (SICA) has details of many fine celebrants who can conduct marriages. Over the course of 2026 I will be developing ceremonies to mark environmental loss or eco grief.
Funerals
I work closely with family, friends and funeral directors to create beautiful and fitting tributes. The role of the celebrant can range from conducting the entire ceremony, to offering a eulogy writing service, to just providing advice and support so families can create their own ceremony. I am very open to helping with natural and green funerals, and I have particular sensitivity to issues around gender and the LGBTQ community.
I’m a skilled listener and work with sensitivity, compassion and calm professionalism. The power of the spoken word is very important to me and I try hard to capture the essence of a person’s life and deliver that effectively. Above all, with respect and dignity.
Environmental grief – praising a mutilated world
Almost every day we witness some environmental loss. Sometimes global losses that are hard to comprehend, like the extinction of entire species of plants or animals. Sometimes it’s more local like the cutting down of a favourite tree or the impact of wildfires.
These losses cause their own type of grief – Earth grief or the sorrow of the world. As a celebrant I am trying to find ways for individuals and communities to mark and to mourn such loss. And in the words of the Polish poet Adam Zagajewski, to try and praise a mutilated world. I welcome collaborations from anyone who wants to explore this kind of essential ceremony.
There’s a lot more about me and my vocation on the website. For instance, how I work and my experience and training (and my occasional blog). Or contact me directly if you would like to chat about my work or about research opportunities and collaborations.
Michael Hannah, Funeral Celebrant Dundee, 20 January 2026
Latest Blog Posts
- Portuguese wildfires – land, loss, identity
- Praising the mutilated world
- Dundee Crematorium is fully open again
- Beary Tales in Cupar! Funeral Director Focus: Lynn Smith
