David Somerville Independent Celebrant Avis 

David was incredibly understanding, caring and sensitive when meeting to discuss the eulogy. This more than came across when he conducted the service. He gave a tribute as if it was a family member.

I cannot rate David highly enough! We reached out to David to conduct my Grans funeral, after he had conducted a service for my aunt last year. For each he brought class, empathy and a bit of humour which was exactly what we wanted and needed. You would think he had known gran her full life! Thank you didn’t quite cover it!

I wish there was more than 5 stars to rate David. We were given David's details from the funeral directors when our beautiful Dad Thomas McArthur passed away on 24/6/26.
David came out to visit our family a week later and spent almost 2hrs listening to us talking about our dad. He took what we said and made it into the most beautiful eulogy I've ever heard along with creating an amazing poem named Tam which summed my Dad up to a T . David gave us support understanding & guidance throughout and as a family we will be eternally grateful. Thank you David for everything. From The McArthur's

David instantly put us at ease and helped us navigate a difficult time with compassion and understanding. He was able to talk about my dad like he knew him and that helped everyone who attended the service to say goodbye.

We cannot thank David enough for the beautiful service he delivered for our dad.

From the moment he spoke, it was clear he had taken the time to truly understand the man Dad was. He captured his character, humour, values, and personality perfectly, bringing him to life through his words in a way that made us smile, laugh, and remember him exactly as he was.

As a small and very close family, it was incredibly important to us that Dad’s life was represented authentically and with care. David did this with genuine warmth, empathy, and professionalism, creating a service that felt deeply personal rather than simply formal.

During one of the most difficult days of our lives, David gave us comfort and helped us celebrate Dad’s life in a way that we know he would have appreciated. Many family members and friends commented afterwards on how moving and fitting the tribute was.

We are eternally grateful for the kindness, respect, and compassion David showed throughout. He gave Dad the send-off he deserved, and that is something our family will never forget.

David was extremely professional, friendly and funny at the celebration of my brother's life, he helped make a difficult day much easier. Would definitely recommend.

David was recommended for the funeral service for my uncle who passed away in May.
We as a family are so grateful for that recommendation. David is genuine and caring so we were put at ease from the first meeting. The service itself captured my uncle just as he was and David is excellent not only in his writing but also his delivery of the eulogy.
Thank you again David for all your care and support at a difficult time. I will have no hesitation to recommend you to anyone who has lost a loved one in the future.

The service was just so fitting. I am so happy David did the service as the eulogy was spot on and his poem was fantastic. Friends and family were coming up to me after the service to say it was such a lovely tribute to my brother. David's words and delivery brought us laughter and tears and it was a comfort knowing that we gave my brother a great send off. I would highly recommend David.

David conducted the funeral service for our Mum who died suddenly and unexpectedly. From the first phone call with him we were put at ease. He wrote the most wonderful eulogy and poem for our mum, capturing who our mum was and getting the tone right for the celebration of her life. So many people asked us afterwards if he knew my mum personally as it felt like he knew her so well. As a family we are so grateful to David for helping us give our mum the service she deserved.

David conducted a service for my brother who was down syndrome From the first meeting at the house it was obvious that David was a professional. David delivered the eulogy with such confidence, personality and compassion it was like he really knew Derek. The family was delighted by the way David conducted the whole service. Would definitely recommend David and would not hesitate to engage with him again.Jacqueline

When David contacted myself when my mum unexpectedly passed away he made my stepfather Archie and myself immediately at easy. After a chat with David he knew how we wanted my mum remembered. His eulogy for my mum was absolutely lovely, family and friends all complimented how well David spoke. Thank you David.

David conducted the funeral service for my mum and a huge thank you to him for doing such a good job.David's Eulogy was heart felt, warm and personable, painting a perfect picture of my mum's life.
Thank you again

David truly captured my dad when doing his service, his words resonated throughout the room and everyone who knew my dad have said he captured him perfectly. David also very thoughtfully wrote a poem about Liverpool which had very strong links to my dad as this was his favourite team. We cannot thank David enough for his care during such a difficult time. No one should hesitate in contacting David when their loved one passed as his compassion, thoughtfulness and professionalism shines through.

After an initial call from David, we met as a family to discuss my Mum with him. We had only met for an hour, where David had a really good idea of who my Mum was and how we would like to celebrate her life. David also sent over a draft of Mum's Eulogy before her funeral.

We could not have been happier with the service which David delivered on the day. There were several comments after the fact asking if he had known my Mum, as he delivered her Eulogy as though he had.

I cannot thank David enough for his heartfelt service, which definitely helped celebrate and capture Mum's essence.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts 💜

A truly outstanding celebrant – everything we hoped for and more

We couldn’t have asked for a better celebrant in David to honour our mum. The eulogy was delivered with such warmth, humour, and sensitivity – exactly as she would have wanted it. Mum’s friends were genuinely impressed and commented on how beautifully David captured her spirit. My family felt uplifted hearing her remembered in such an honest, funny, and heartfelt way.

From start to finish, David was professional, compassionate, and incredibly attentive. He listened carefully to what we needed, added thoughtful individual touches, and created a ceremony that felt deeply personal. The delivery on the day was exceptional – respectful, engaging, and full of gentle humour that brought comfort to everyone there.

I would highly recommend David without hesitation. He helped us say goodbye in a way that felt true, warm, and full of love.

My family and myself were hugely impressed by David's professionalism and kindness in preparing and conducting my mum's funeral service. The level of empathy shown by him to us was second to none. His conduct of the service on the day was exemplary and this was underlined by the huge number of positive comments my family and myself had received afterwards from those in attendance and online. It was the send-off that my mum would have wanted. Any family having him in their corner at such a sad and stressful time will be in such good hands.

David was exceptional throughout the entire process. He took real time to listen and genuinely understand who my dad was — not just the stories, but the kind of man he was at his core. When he delivered the service, it felt personal, warm, and incredibly true to Dad’s character. Several people even asked how long David had known him, which says everything about how accurately and respectfully he captured him.
At a time when everything felt heavy, David brought comfort, clarity, and a sense of dignity to the day. We couldn’t have asked for someone better to lead the service. I’d wholeheartedly recommend David to anyone looking for a celebrant who truly cares.

David Somerville delivered a truly beautiful and heartfelt eulogy for my mum, June. His words captured her spirit so perfectly — balancing warmth, humour, and deep emotion in a way that felt both personal and authentic. He told her story with such care and respect, celebrating her strength, devotion to family, and the love that defined her life.
The service flowed seamlessly, moving from laughter to tears and back again, exactly as a meaningful farewell should. David has a genuine gift for listening, understanding a family’s wishes, and turning precious memories into a tribute that feels natural and sincere. We couldn’t have asked for a more fitting celebration of mum’s life and would wholeheartedly recommend David to anyone looking for a compassionate and professional celebrant.

We can't thank David enough for the way he conducted Mum's funeral service.

We knew the minute we met him he was perfect.

He made everything so much easier

David conducted the most wonderful eulogy for my father who sadly passed away aged 94. He was able to capture the true essence of my Dad through his incredible story telling and by bringing to life the many happy memories we’d shared. He showed genuine care and compassion whilst adding the right levels of humour to help us celebrate a great man’s remarkable, long and fulfilling life. Thank you David.