Funeral Celebrant

I create meaningful, personalized funeral and memorial ceremonies that honor the life, spirit, and story of your loved one. My role is to guide families with clarity, compassion, and artistry—designing rituals that reflect your values, cultural background, and emotional needs.
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As a certified Funeral Celebrant and Death Midwife trained through Sacred Crossings and the Institute for Conscious Dying, I support families in crafting ceremonies that are warm, honest, and deeply human.

Whether simple or ceremonial, traditional or creative, each service is designed to help you remember, grieve, and mark this passage with intention.
 

Funeral & Memorial Services
 

Custom Funeral or Memorial Ceremony

$850–$1,400
Includes:

Family consultation (Zoom or in person)

Story-gathering session

Fully customized ceremony script

Ritual or symbolic action design

On-site ceremony facilitation

Coordination with funeral home or venue

Celebration of Life Ceremony

$1,000–$1,600
A more expansive, creative ceremony including music, poetry, movement, or participatory elements if desired.
Includes:

1–2 family meetings

Collaborative shaping of themes, stories, symbols

Ceremony facilitation and run-of-show

Optional artistic elements (movement, spoken word, altar creation)

The Dance of the Angelbird / Shadow Bird

A Ritual Performance for Threshold Moments

When words are not enough, movement becomes the language of the soul.

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The Dance of the Angelbird / Shadow Bird is a transformative ritual performance created and offered by Elizabeth Yochim. Rooted in decades of ritual-based practice, mythopoetic storytelling, and embodied movement, this ceremony weaves the luminous presence of the Angelbird with the depth and mystery of the Shadow Bird—two archetypes that hold the full spectrum of human experience: light and dark, grief and renewal, surrender and ascent.

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This offering is designed for communities, memorials, spiritual gatherings, festivals, cultural events, or private ceremonies seeking a symbolic, artistic way to honor a moment of passage.

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What the Ritual Includes:

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A Guided Opening

The ritual begins with a gentle invitation into presence. Participants are welcomed to breathe, settle, and cross a threshold together—shifting from the everyday into the sacred.

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Embodied Myth: The Angelbird

The Angelbird enters as a figure of uplift, remembrance, and grace. Through fluid movement, she carries the longing of what we aspire to become—freedom, clarity, and the courage to rise.

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Embodied Myth: The Shadow Bird

The Shadow Bird emerges from the earth of the body—raw, grounded, and fiercely honest. She speaks to our hidden stories, to grief, to the unclaimed parts of ourselves that yearn to be witnessed. Her dance is a descent that opens the way for profound transformation.

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The Convergence

As the two birds meet, the ritual reveals what lives between light and dark, offering a symbolic passage for audiences to reflect on their own cycles of loss, change, and renewal. Their dance becomes a mirror, an initiation, and an invitation to wholeness.

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Closing Blessing

The ritual concludes with a moment of collective acknowledgment—through silence, spoken word, breath, or simple gesture—honoring what has been stirred and what has been released.

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Uses & Occasions

This ritual performance is ideal for:

• Memorials, celebrations of life, or grief gatherings

• Seasonal ceremonies, solstice/equinox events

• Festivals, performance series, spiritual centers

• Cultural or community activation programs

• Openings or closings for conferences and retreats

• Private rites of passage: birthdays, anniversaries, transitions

Service Structure & Customization

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Each offering is crafted in consultation with the host or family and may include:

• Live or recorded music (flute, vocalists, percussion)

• Poetry by Don Norman or selected text

• Audience participation (optional and gentle)

• Altar creation or symbolic installation

• Movement-based blessing for a specific individual or community

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Duration: 10–25 minutes, depending on the event
Location: Indoor or outdoor, site-specific options available

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Pricing

Solo Ritual Performance (Angelbird + Shadow Bird):
$650–$1,200

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Expanded Ritual Performance
(with live musicians, poetry, altar installation, or collaborative artists):
$1,200–$2,800

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Commissioned Ritual for Memorial or Special Event
(custom choreography, site-specific development):
$1,800–$4,500

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Travel fees apply beyond Los Angeles.

Additional hours: $150/hr

Writing & Legacy Services

Eulogy or Tribute Writing (Collaborative)

$250–$450
Includes:

Interview with family

Drafting of a eulogy or remembrance speech

One round of edits

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Altar or memorial installation design — $150–$350 (+ materials)

Live music coordination (Native American flute, voice, percussion, etc.) — Price varies depending on artist

Travel Fees

Within 20 miles of Los Angeles: Included

20–50 miles: $50–$150

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Extended travel or destination ceremonies: Custom quote

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Sliding scale and payment plans are available. I believe that meaningful ritual should be accessible. If you are navigating financial hardship, please reach out so we can find a structure that supports your needs.

Let me know how I may serve your celebrant needs

Please reach out so that we may begin working together.