Stephanie Hughes never thought of a career as a Funeral Celebrant. She was a lawyer for many years. But after assisting her husband for more than a year at Hughes Family Tribute Center located on Webb Chapel Road, she decided a career in the funeral business was for her. So, that's how she became one of the first certified Funeral Celebrants in Dallas. 

“Funeral celebrants help families celebrate the life of their loved one and also recognize and deal with loss and grief. Celebrants help make sure families leave the funeral of their loved one feeling comforted and respected,” says Stephanie. “I’ve heard from too many people about their experiences at other funeral homes where the deceased’s name was not even mentioned or was mispronounced, where the services felt rote or cookie-cutter.”

Funeral Celebrants increasingly serve the role that a family’s pastor or rabbi did before. They meet with the family beforehand gathering personal remembrances of the deceased family member, working with the family to choose special readings, music, and engaging family and friends in the remembrance of the special place a life had.

Funerals can and should be very personal. "For example," said Stephanie, "flowers are just one of the many ways to personalize a funeral. This is a unique spray that we helped design with our favorite neighborhood florist, Event Stems, in memory of a person who loved music."