I’m delighted to introduce you to Michael, who completed our Funeral Celebrant training earlier this year. We had such a great time working together; Michael is funny and bright and brought real insight to the training. His work as a Toastmaster meant he was a natural at connection and public speaking. And he was a fast learner too. I thoroughly enjoyed our journey together. I’m sure he is going to be an incredible support to every family he works with. Michael will be conducting ceremonies in SE London and North Kent.
What made you think about becoming a Celebrant?
Michael Brunker, Celebrant
As a Toastmaster, I have met quite a few celebrants at weddings and wedding fairs. I have also, sadly, attended an increasing tally of funerals over the years. I grew to realise that I possess many of the skills and personal attributes needed, to deliver ceremony in a way that people remember for all the right reasons.
Sensing the mood and empathising with the client to compile and deliver the ceremony they actually wanted all along are essential basics. I find joy in well-crafted English, and can weave both humour and pathos into my scripts as the occasion dictates. In addition I believe that I have the kind of stage persona that enables impactful delivery. I do enjoy ‘performing’ to an audience and feeling their appreciation.
In many ways, celebrants are akin to actors, only they get to write their own scripts!
You took our Funeral Celebrant training course. What did you most enjoy about the training?
Michael Brunker, Celebrant
The facet that resonated most strongly with me was learning how to blend widely differing emotions into a ceremony. Sadness mingles with laughter, the pain of bereavement is perhaps soothed by a celebration of the good moments. A well-written and delivered funeral ceremony should enable family and friends to take the first small step in closing one chapter. And allowing their hearts and minds to begin contemplating the rest of the book.
I greatly enjoyed writing ceremonies in my attempts to achieve these goals.
Tell us about the transferable skills that you felt helped you as you moved into your Celebrant role
Michael Brunker, Celebrant
Anyone moving into a new role brings some skills fully developed, some innate but in need of refinement and application, and some are leaned anew.
The skills I feel came with me to this role – and which Dinah has so superbly honed into the context of a funeral celebrant – include those of writing and presenting, and managing groups of people with kindness, humour and unspoken authority. Many of these I developed as a former police officer, then corporate executive and, recently, as an event Toastmaster.
What was your favourite thing about your Celebrant training?
Michael Brunker, Celebrant
Someone as experienced and well-regarded as Dinah professing to have enjoyed my efforts! I can only hope that future clients will have the same reaction
What kind of ceremony are you most looking forward to creating?
Michael Brunker, Celebrant
I am a huge advocate for compassion and fairness in life. And I am a proactive and voluble ‘ally’ to the LGBTQ+ community. I can only imagine how excluded and misunderstood some must have felt in arranging the funeral of a loved one. Most of today’s funeral professionals are entirely non-discriminatory in their delivery. They need to be open and clear about that in all they do and say. Bereaved LGBTQ+ families need to know from the outset that they are safe hands.
As with weddings, it is my mission to reach out and embrace that community. And to deliver a service to them that is genuinely founded on care and respect. They deserve nothing less.
Tell me five things about Michael, the person, rather than the Celebrant.
My first ever annual job appraisal read “Michael would rather fill a silence with the sound of his voice that stop to think what he’s about to say”. Proof, I like to believe, that I can wing-it when things go wrong!
I may be an outgoing and seemingly-extroverted person who can saunter up to strangers and open a conversation but, like us all, I can get ‘peopled out’ and relish a retreat into my own head.
I once appeared on Centre Court with John McInroe (anyone needing the full story will have to ask).
I’ve been having online singing lessons for about a year now. And my voice isn’t anywhere as near as bad as I thought.
I can’t count to five!
You can contact Michael by email at: mjw.brunker@gmail.com