Words of Welcome for a Funeral Service

Welcome, all of you, and thank you for being here.

Your presence today is itself an act of love. By gathering in this place, you honour the life of someone who meant the world to many of us, and you offer comfort simply by being near.

Some of you have travelled a great distance. Some of you have carried a heavy heart to get here. Whatever brought you, and however you are feeling, you are welcome exactly as you are.

Today we come together to remember, to give thanks, and to say farewell. We come to share our grief and our gratitude, our tears and our stories. We come because the person we have lost would have wanted us to be here for each other.

This is a space for honesty and for tenderness. There is no wrong way to feel today. Whether you cry or sit quietly, whether you smile at a memory or simply need to be still, you are in the right place.

Let us begin.