Instagram story viewer> @joyfulcelebrancy> Posts

Joy Alexander-Neal - Celebrant | Kent, UK

@joyfulcelebrancy

2.3K

followers

425

following

Ceremonies & Rituals for every season | Funerals | Life Celebrations | Weddings | Baby Namings | Retreats | Womens Circles
💫Book a free consultation💫

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

When it comes to saying goodbye, there is no one-size-fits-all formula.

Remember - You have total control over who tells your loved one’s story, or even who will eventually tell yours!

Whether you are planning ahead, organising a unique celebration of life after a direct cremation, or working alongside a traditional funeral director, I am here to help you create a ceremony that feels completely authentic.

Swipe through to see exactly how we can work together. Have questions about the process or my fees? (Hint: if you use an FD, they usually just include my fee in their final bill so you don’t have to worry about extra admin!).

Drop me a DM or click the link in my bio visit my website, or to to arrange a warm, no-pressure chat over the phone.

#KentCelebrant #FuneralCelebrant #IndependentCelebrant #KentFunerals #CelebrationOfLife by @joyfulcelebrancy

20

0

a month ago

Hello!!

I’m Joy Alexander-Neal (she/her) 👋

I’m an independent celebrant, grief-tender and death-care worker based in Kent, near Tunbridge Wells, and working across the SE of England.

This is just a little introduction for anyone on here who might be wondering who I am and what I do 💕

#independentcelebrant
#celebrantkent by @joyfulcelebrancy

52

1

a month ago

I’m not just a funeral celebrant!

I strongly believe in the importance of gathering our people around us for all kinds of ceremonies, rituals and celebrations.

Ceremonies can be powerful ways of helping us navigate change, feel witnessed and supported, including others in our joy and delight, and acknowledging stages of life that are new for us.

When you feel that you would like to gather your closest people to mark an important moment in your life in a way that reflects you and your values, but you’re not sure where to start……I can help!

Every ceremony I write and deliver is completely different - because every life is completely different!
And creating ceremonies which honour, celebrate and bear witness to the whole of the human experience is one of my greatest joys.

I am based in Kent but work all around the UK.
If you’d like a no-obligation chat to explore ideas for a ceremony of your own, just drop me a DM or visit my website for more info!

independentcelebrant
bespokeceremonies
weddingcelebrantkent by @joyfulcelebrancy

14

0

a month ago

A Friday reminder in the form of a poem I love.…..

Posting this because I need to remind myself of these things today.

Maybe you do too!

#poem #poetrymedicine
#themightysage

✨The Mighty Sage ✨

It is not possible
to keep it all,
some will be lost
along the way.

The road will appear,
then disappear
a thousand tired times.

Finally, and right on time,
you will remember
you were never meant
for the beaten path.

You will tug at countless doors, some
will swing smiling open,
others will seal themselves
safely shut.

And then, with delicious delight!
you will remember
there is no door to the open sky

and what beats inside you
can never be lost.

When days get dark, remember
the sun still pours her light, remember
you have never needed to force
the ground to hold you, remember

songbirds do not need to be taught
to sing.

My darling, my love, my holy
holder of light, look at yourself
and marvel. Remember

there is a mighty sage inside you
who has always whispered the way, who
has tossed you a sky full of stars -

go now
scatter them,
scatter them
everywhere. by @joyfulcelebrancy

10

3

6 hours ago

You matter.
Your babies matter.
Sending love to all those who carry their babies in their hearts 💕

#WaveofLight2026
#babyloss
#babylossawarenessweek by @joyfulcelebrancy

37

1

a day ago

Sorry to break it to you folks……but we’re all going to die!

So here are just a few accounts I love who bring curiosity, creativity and hope into the arena of mortality and grief.

@deadgoodlegacies
@alexcolliscelebrant
@echoesofthesoulgriefsupport
@carolinethecelebrant
@coffinclubuk
@naturalendings
@Poppysfunerals
@Deathdoulaskye
Rituals_today
@invitingabundance
@felicity_warner
@thedeathpositivelibrary
poeticendings
@talkdeathdaily
@queergriefclub
@endwellproject
@thelatememorybook
@lifting_the_lid_festival
@katiesoulmidwife
@thedeathdeck
@going_with_grace by @joyfulcelebrancy

44

12

2 days ago

Landing back in rainy Kent after a glorious few days of sisterhood and soul-medicine with 14 wild women in Lindisfarne, holy island.
Thank-you for your beautiful and vulnerable leadership @debbie.c.horrocks and @fionalynne - its been such a precious time 💕

Returning home
Sand in my shoes
Shells in my pockets
Songs in my heart.
Retreat.
Retreating from or retreating to?
Held by an island and the Divine.
Embraced by a temporary sisterhood.
There’s been sea swimming
Barefoot pilgrimaging
Journaling, painting, sewing, crafting
Talking, crying, laughing
So much laughing!
Awe and wonder
singing and poetry
Wind and sunshine.
Sharing meals and wisdom,
truth and pain,
joy and hope.
In that magical way that women do when we gather.
Reimagining our stories,
Stitching new ones.
We are enough.
“Maybe I don’t know how to pray anymore, but I know how to lean into the wind”

#womensretreat
#inbetween
#lindisfarne by @joyfulcelebrancy

39

8

4 days ago

Malini & Jonathan’s wedding was very special…..43 years since they first fell in love, and after many twists and turns, destiny finally brought them back together and the celebration was REAL!!
Warm, informal and fun - their celebration blended Sri Lankan and British wedding traditions, heartfelt promises, opera singing from their friends, colourful decorations hand-made by the bride and her kids, …….flowers they grew in their garden, the most gorgeous speeches, laughter and tears …..and the day included a local history tour of the Crystal Palace dinosaurs and pedallo boat rides on the lake. All hosted and catered by the brilliant team @brownandgreencafe
It was a very special celebration of a real, messy, heartfelt true love story and I LOVED being a part of it💗🧡❤️

Venue & catering: @brownandgreencafe
Photography: @cat_arwel_photographer
Guided tour: Clive @thelondonstreettalker by @joyfulcelebrancy

45

5

9 days ago

Nothing about having to say goodbye to your mum is ok 💔

But celebrating her life in a way that fully reflected her, helped to give her daughters and friends a container for this hardest of goodbyes.

T was larger than life in all the ways that mattered, and her Celebration of Life reflected all her beautiful quirks!

Her family decorated the space with Harry Potter Lego models, friends all lit candles from her favourite Yankee Candle, shared memories and laughter, and scattered blue confetti as her ashes were buried along with mementos of her dogs and Lego figures.

And it felt like she was right there with us 💙

In the wise words of Albus Dumbledore to Harry Potter:

“Love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.”

If you’d like to talk to me about planning a ceremony that holds space for saying goodbye in a deeply personal and individual way, then get in touch!

#celebrationoflife
#celebrantkent
#alternativefuneralideas by @joyfulcelebrancy

57

1

9 days ago

Words are my love language 💗
….. and so it means so much to receive kind reviews from the people I work with (us self-employed people love feedback 🥰)

And today I’ve received my 100th 5 star Google review 🙌

I pour my heart and soul into my celebrant work.
And so although reviews don’t ‘matter’ at one level, it DOES matter to me to hear that the ceremonies I lead, the spaces I hold, and this soul-led work that I love actually makes a difference 💫

So THANKYOU to all the beautiful people who have taken the time to write about their experience of working with me….. it all helps others work out whether I’m the right celebrant for them if they need one!

#googlereviews
#celebrantkent
#grateful by @joyfulcelebrancy

51

13

11 days ago

Nerves, Butterflies, and why I should stop holding space for ceremonies the day I stop feeling the fear 💫!

#celebranttunbridgewells
#feelthefear
#independebtcelebrant by @joyfulcelebrancy

44

4

12 days ago

Having a stroll around Crystal Palace park this evening ahead of a wedding ceremony here tomorrow.
It’s at the lovely @brownandgreencafe which is a new venue for me but it’s going to be a beautiful spot for a ceremony with views over the lake and plenty of natural light (and stunning decorations handmade by the bride!)
I always make sure I check out venues in advance and have a run-through with couples to make sure everyone is as relaxed as possible before the big day
(.. and this particular couple are super chilled and an absolute delight to collaborate with 🥰)
#weddingcelebrant
#independentcelebrant
#weddingrehearsal taken in Crystal Palace, London by @joyfulcelebrancy

34

4

14 days ago