Sara Hawkins Celebrant

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Sara Hawkins loves writing and officiating unforgettable Celebration of Life, funeral and wedding ceremonies that honour a unique life/love story and uplift the hearts of the guests who attend.

Hey everyone, I’m Sara and I’m a Funeral Celebrant which means I help families honour their loved ones by crafting and l...
09/17/2025

Hey everyone, I’m Sara and I’m a Funeral Celebrant which means I help families honour their loved ones by crafting and leading ceremonies that actually feel like them—full of story, personality and meaning (instead of cookie-cutter scripts). Since 2013, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside hundreds of families, and I’m more convinced than ever that telling someone’s story well can be one of the most healing things we do.

Beyond services, I also speak and teach about the power of ceremony—whether that’s encouraging seniors to preserve their legacy, training new celebrants, or equipping funeral professionals with tools to meet today’s families in meaningful, memorable ways.

A few fun facts about me:

🌟 I studied English and Drama at McMaster University before finding my way into this work (which explains my love of storytelling).

🌟 I love experimenting in the kitchen and am obsessed with perfecting homemade bone broth amongst other things.

🌟 About a year ago, I was diagnosed with ADHD. Not only did this help bring sense to so many of the challenges I’ve had throughout my life, but I now see it as a total gift I wouldn’t trade. (Thanks Meredith Carder!)

🌟 I got fired 4 days before the end of a summer job at a warehouse for bumping into too many things with a forklift.

🌟 I love the Buffalo Bills and the Toronto Blue Jays but my heart fully belongs to my Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

🌟 At home, I’m a wife and mom/stepmom to four amazing kids in our blended family. Our lives are often chaotic, loud and beautiful, and I’m grateful for all of it… most of the time! 😉

🌟 Lastly, one of my core values is that stories matter. They heal, they inspire, they remind us of who we are—and who we’re becoming.

Now I’d love to know a thing or 2 about you. Comment below with a fun fact, core value or anything else you care to share!

Next week I’ll be at the Ah Ha! Wellness Fair for Ages 55+ at YWCA Hamilton, and I couldn’t be more excited! This event ...
09/16/2025

Next week I’ll be at the Ah Ha! Wellness Fair for Ages 55+ at YWCA Hamilton, and I couldn’t be more excited! This event brings together so many amazing organizations dedicated to supporting seniors in living their best lives, and I’ll be sharing ideas for unique, personalized Celebrations of Life that go beyond the “cookie-cutter”. If you or someone you love is a senior in Hamilton, come by and let’s chat!



Someone recently told me that since his mom died, he rewatches The Lord of the Rings every year, the first movie series ...
07/13/2025

Someone recently told me that since his mom died, he rewatches The Lord of the Rings every year, the first movie series he ever watched in the theatre with her.

I’m curious... What rituals/traditions do you do to remember someone who you love and miss? Comment below if you care to share!

Father’s Day… but also Unseen Father’s Day.The unseen day for the ones:*Carrying silent grief.*Missing a father, stepfat...
06/15/2025

Father’s Day… but also Unseen Father’s Day.

The unseen day for the ones:

*Carrying silent grief.

*Missing a father, stepfather, grandfather, father-figure or child they can never replace.

*Longing for what never was.

*Loving from a complicated distance.

*Feeling joy in ways that don’t fit the Hallmark script.

*Breathing relief for boundaries that needed to be set.

*Savouring a quieter, private gratitude that no card can capture.

*Holding space for fatherhood in forms that defy labels or tradition.

We see you.
We honour the full range of your story.
We stand with you in the in-between.

The older I get, the more I learn that life isn’t just about the big wins—it’s about these sweet, simple moments. This w...
06/11/2025

The older I get, the more I learn that life isn’t just about the big wins—it’s about these sweet, simple moments. This was after finishing my first 5 km race last weekend, with my husband and bestie by my side cheering me on. I accomplished something I NEVER thought I would, and it was even more special to share it - not just with them but also our kiddos and more great friends who encouraged us to sign up.

After listening to thousands of stories from those who have lost a loved one, I know these are the moments that matter most—the hugs, the happy tears, the small celebrations. Here’s to noticing and making space for them every chance we get. 🥂






An Open Letter to Those Dreading Mother’s Day Dear You,It's okay.It's okay if you aren't looking forward to Mother's Day...
05/10/2025

An Open Letter to Those Dreading Mother’s Day

Dear You,

It's okay.
It's okay if you aren't looking forward to Mother's Day.
It's okay if you feel relief when it passes.
It's okay if you don't know what you feel at all.
You are allowed your full experience — grief, anger, joy, numbness, relief, hope, loneliness, all mixed together.
However you find your way through these days, know you are seen and cared for.

Warmly,
Sara Hawkins

This past weekend, I had the honour of giving a brief inspirational talk at a dinner/dance event hosted by the Ontario F...
05/05/2025

This past weekend, I had the honour of giving a brief inspirational talk at a dinner/dance event hosted by the Ontario Funeral Service Association called “Into the Light”.

This inclusive evening was attended by funeral professionals from BOTH Ontario associations (hello Ontario Association of Cemetery and Funeral Professionals!) plus the suppliers who support them. The purpose? To simply give all in attendance a fun night out with their team and/or significant others and remind them of how much of an important difference they make!

Overall it was such a great night of reconnecting with old colleagues and friends plus making a few new ones. OFSA, thanks so much having me and for giving back to funeral professionals in all the ways you do!

🌊 What will be remembered about you… at the end of the day?“Legacy” can feel like a loaded word. In a world obsessed wit...
04/09/2025

🌊 What will be remembered about you… at the end of the day?

“Legacy” can feel like a loaded word. In a world obsessed with doing more, being more and hustling harder—it’s easy to lose sight of what actually leaves a lasting impact.

In my Ripple Effects keynote, I draw from over a decade of listening to hundreds of life stories as a Funeral Celebrant to share what truly gets remembered—stories that are simple, human and deeply powerful.

Packed not just with poignant stories but also applicable take-homes, this session is perfect for companies, teams, caregivers, or volunteers who could use a dose of clarity, encouragement and purpose.

🗣️ If your group is looking for a motivational speaker who brings heart, humour, and perspective—let’s talk.
📩 DM me or visit sarahawkins.ca

If I've had the privilege of helping you say farewell to a loved one or helped you tie the knot (and for some of you, bo...
04/01/2025

If I've had the privilege of helping you say farewell to a loved one or helped you tie the knot (and for some of you, both!)... You taking the time to post a Google review would be so very appreciated. Thank you in advance!

https://g.page/r/CTkFfwSYQ_ocEAI/review

Top 3 reasons to have a funeral for the baby you lost through miscarriage or at birth. 1) It’s a way to HONOUR the impac...
02/21/2025

Top 3 reasons to have a funeral for the baby you lost through miscarriage or at birth.

1) It’s a way to HONOUR the impact their short life made. Storytelling is healing and we can still tell their story…

- the story of the parents getting together and the love that brought them into existence

- the story of finding out the baby was coming and announcing the pregnancy to family and friends

- plus the stories you were looking forward to experiencing that you’re now grieving will never be (throwing the football, swimming at the cottage, etc.)

2) It’s a way for the parents to feel less alone in their grief. Gathering together and having a ceremony not only establishes the significance of this life now lost, but it also provides a space for the family grieving to receive the love and SUPPORT they really need.

3) It’s a way to validate the often minimized and overlooked grief that comes when a couple goes through a miscarriage/baby loss. If we can NORMALIZE this universal grief for parents, older siblings, grandparents, etc, we can help others bring their pain to the surface to allow them to begin to heal as well.

If you or someone you know has lost a baby and you live in the Hamilton or surrounding area and you have questions about what this type of service might look like, please feel free to reach out. You don’t have to walk this alone.


Last week the world lost an incredible man. Doug Manning was a renowned grief expert, best-selling author, sought-after ...
02/03/2025

Last week the world lost an incredible man. Doug Manning was a renowned grief expert, best-selling author, sought-after speaker and a person who impacted millions of lives by bringing the celebrant movement from Australia to North America. Doug was also the person who trained me as a Celebrant almost 12 years ago, changing the trajectory of my career forever.

If I have had the privilege of serving your family by leading you through a personalized, storytelling time of farewell, or if I have trained you to do the same, please take a moment to be grateful for Doug today the way I am.

If you know me personally and you’ve heard me talk about the importance of “getting into people’s buckets” or how people in grief need the “3 H’s: Hang around, Hug ‘Em and Hush”, please take a moment and be grateful for Doug.

So much of what I teach and the person I’ve become over the last dozen years is because of him: Not just through what he taught me during those life-changing days of training and by reading his books, but even more so through my interactions over the years as one of the thousands of people who got to call Doug a friend. A man of integrity, he absolutely practiced what he preached.

As I watched his funeral service live-streamed this morning, my eyes started leaking yet again when my colleague and fellow InSight Celebrant Trainer Matt Bailey began to speak. He put it so well as he talked about Doug’s professional life and the MASSIVE ripple effects it made. He closed his remarks with addressing Doug’s family:

"Thank you for allowing his friends and colleagues, the celebrants and funeral directors who knew him as our profession’s wise, loving, generous grandfather as well to be here with you to say thank you and goodbye. On behalf of my colleagues here present, those watching on video and all who reflect with sincere sadness yet profound gratitude, I feel confident I can say to you we are thankful for the gift of Doug Manning’s life. We are better because he was here. And we will honour his legacy by striving to be the people he always believed we could be."

P.S. Funeral professionals and anyone else who may be interested, the entire service is incredibly moving (which starts just after the 1 hour mark). But if you care to watch Matt Bailey talk about his impact on our profession, that begins at the 1:40 mark.

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Hamilton, ON
L9C2C2

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