Celebrating this precious life.

 

Supporting people to celebrate, mourn, and connect with each other in integrity and with compassion

Wendy’s voice is full of love and laughter, honest and deep, daring to go to places many others avoid. Her voice shares the beauty in nature, people and life in all its imperfection and purity. Her intelligence, wisdom and kindness are revealed with her words, a joy to those blessed to read or hear them. Dr Georgina Gibson

Nurturing curiosity, deep listening, joy and peace especially when it feels like you are walking on the wild side of life!

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Image: Doris Zagdanski and Wendy Haynes

A Space of Safety and Belonging

Mourning and Celebration Circles

A mourning and celebration circle or ceremony is a space to mourn and celebrate with safety, care and a tangible sense of intimacy and presence whether the ceremony is face to face or online.  The intention is to create a safe and confidential space where family and friends can come together to share stories and reflections, mournings and celebrations. Expressions of love and sadness that might not be possible to share in usual circumstances. The mourning and celebration ceremony is for mourning, for connection, ease and getting clarity. A space that is nourishing and supports a sense of belonging and friendship, and holds the tears and laughter.

Wendy provided us with support and guidance after Greg’s sudden death. Part of what she offered was a private ceremony for the direct family. There were 20 of us. The ceremony was totally unplanned from our side apart from a little supper afterwards. Each of us got the opportunity to express what was on our mind in the moment; what we shared wasn’t prepared or curated, so it was very spontaneous, raw and open as it was a close circle. I think it has been an  invaluable experience for many of us taking part. —Sophie Warburton

Click here for more information or call me to have chat

Get Your Affairs in Order—free information to assist you to plan and discuss death and dying. Click here.

Lost

6 March 2025

Lost Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, I have made this place around you….

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Celebrating This Precious Life: Honest Conversations about Living and Dying 2025

4 March 2025

We come and we go; Death is our life companion— Thousands of leaves fall. from ‘The Impermanence of Being Here’ by Wendy Haynes STARTS THIS COMING FRIDAY 7TH MARCH.  9-11am AEDT As we come into autumn, and the leaves fall, and cyclone Alfred makes it way to reach out land…

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Wendy’s Retirement from Marriage Celebrancy!

3 March 2025

30 years! The story of my retirement as a marriage celebrant, the rituals, the party, the photos and the music!  (PS I will still be conducting funeral ceremonies by request!) A few photos as a teaser for the story next month!    

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Hard Stories to Tell

1 March 2025

‘His family said, Jason* was a good boy, he just had a lot of stuff happen to him; and now after all these years of family life, it is hard to say goodbye. He will be greatly missed….’ The ceremony I delivered for this young man was very carefully compiled…

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Farewell Mary Johnston

21 February 2025

“As the matriarch, Mary’s presence was a constant source of support and guidance. She was the person family members turned to in times of need, offering wisdom, comfort, and a listening ear. Her reliability and acceptance created a foundation of love and security for her family who hold her in…

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Raise a Glass

21 February 2025

Raise a Glass by James Mooney. The Cook family shared this poem at their father’s ceremony today. Do not mourn me, don’t drown me in black cloth and quiet whispers. laugh loud, drink deep, tell the stories that made me live, remember the bad jokes, the nights that stretched into…

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Love at First Sight

20 February 2025

12 minutes. Do you believe in love at first sight? This romantically poignant film features wonderful performances from Sir John Hurt and Phyllida Law in an Oscar® short-listed short film. Love at First Sight, a wondrous film about living into ‘the day is today’.  

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Grief and Love are Intertwined

20 January 2025

“Heath was cheeky, talented, and soulful. Heath’s deep love for his sons never faltered, and his pride in them was constant. Heath’s love endured, and he would want nothing more than their happiness and success. However, with deep loss comes grief and, at times, anger—often arising from the love and…

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From Warrior to Elder

14 January 2025

I received an inquiry online today: “I’m wondering if you’ll be hosting any upcoming elderhood weekends. I’ve done the … boyhood-to-manhood rite of passage, among other things. However, strangely enough, while they have an elder community, no one has as of yet come up with a warrior-to-elder rite of passage…

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Time to Mourn by the Sea

10 January 2025

‘After the unexpected death of my teenaged daughter’s biological father, with whom we’d had very little contact for several years, I asked Wendy to support us in a ceremony to acknowledge the importance of the event and help us to grieve. I had imagined something reverent and ceremonial, perhaps with…

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