candle in front of casket at memorial service

End-of-Life Ceremonies That Honor A Life
Well Lived.

When someone we love dies, there is so much to do. The ceremony, in particular, can feel like the hardest piece to get right. You want it to sound like them. You want it to hold the people who loved them. You want it to honor a life well.

That's the work I'm here for.

I'm Michelle Sponseller, a Certified Master Celebrant and Certified Funeral Celebrant based in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. I create personalized ceremonies that honor who your loved one truly was. As your funeral officiant, I work closely with your family to craft a service that feels true, not a template, not a script, but something that genuinely reflects the person you're honoring.

The Types Of Ceremonies I Offer

There are several different kinds of services families ask for. The right one for your family depends on where you are in the process, what feels meaningful, and what your loved one would have wanted. Any of these ceremonies can be held at a funeral home, a place of worship, a family home, an outdoor setting, or anywhere meaningful to your loved one.

Funeral Service

A traditional service held shortly after a death, often with the body present. In Michigan, funeral services are coordinated through a funeral home.

Memorial Service

A ceremony held after the body has been cared for, often weeks or months after the death. The structure is similar to a funeral, but without the body present.

Celebration of Life

Often what families choose when they want something that doesn't feel like a traditional funeral, a service that captures who their loved one really was, in a setting that feels right.

Graveside Service

A ceremony held at the graveside. This can be part of a funeral or memorial service, or it can stand on its own, particularly when a family is laying cremains to rest after a period of time.

It's Never Too Late To Honor A Loved One

A growing number of families today choose cremation. Once their loved one is cremated and returned to them, they may find themselves uncertain about what to do next. There was no funeral. The world has moved on. And the cremains sit on a shelf or in a closet - waiting.

If that's where you are, you're not alone. Many families wait months or years before holding a service. Some are waiting for the right season. Some are waiting for a family member to be ready. Some simply didn't know that holding a ceremony later was an option.

It is.

A memorial service, a celebration of life, or a graveside ceremony can be held weeks, months, or years after a death. There is no deadline on honoring a life. If your loved one's ashes have been sitting somewhere because the time never felt right, the time is whenever you say it is.

I can help you plan a ceremony that honors them, at a location and on a date that matter to your family.

Working Directly With You Or The Funeral Home

I work both ways: directly with families, and in partnership with funeral homes across central Michigan.

If you've already chosen a funeral home, there are a few ways we can connect:

Ask your funeral director whether they work with me. A number of central Michigan funeral homes do, and they can include my services in the arrangements they present to you.

Let me know which funeral home you're working with, and I'll reach out to them directly.

Your funeral director can contact me to discuss a partnership for your service.

If you're not working with a funeral home - for a memorial service, celebration of life, or graveside service after cremation - we can work together directly.

How The Process Works

The first conversation. We talk, by phone or video, whichever is easier. You tell me about your loved one, what you're imagining for the service, and any questions you have. There's no obligation in this first call. It's a place to think out loud.

Call or Text: 989-400-0264

Email: michelle@celebrantmichelle.com

or use the contact form at the bottom of the page.

The story gathering. Once you've decided to move forward, we schedule a longer meeting, usually by Zoom, in your home, or wherever feels comfortable. Family, friends, partners, colleagues, anyone who carried this person's story is welcome to join, in person or remotely. This is where I learn who they really were.

The writing. I take what I've learned from you and write a ceremony shaped to your loved one's life. You'll receive the draft to review beforehand, and I'll incorporate any changes or additions your family wants.

The service. On the day, I arrive prepared, in appropriate attire, ready to lead the ceremony you and your family have helped shape. I provide a copy of the ceremony to your family afterward.

photo of Michelle Sponseller writing in notebook a eulogy or obituary

Every Service Is Personal

cremation casket with writing and flowers laying on top

Personalized doesn't mean a small tweak to a standard script. It means the ceremony is built around the actual person being remembered - their humor, their habits, their loves, their contradictions.

A few examples of what that can look like:

A celebration of life for someone who loved music - held in a music venue, with their favorite playlist, and stories shared from the stage by friends and family.
A traditional memorial service for a quiet person - held in a chapel, scripted with care, with the gentle dignity that suited the life they lived.
A themed celebration of life for a lifelong gardener - held in a botanical garden, with seeds shared as keepsakes for guests to plant in their loved one's memory.
A graveside ceremony years after a death - held on what would have been the loved one's birthday, attended by the few people who needed to be there, marking what was finally ready to be marked.
A lighthearted service for someone known for their laughter - full of the stories that made them laugh, including the ones their family used to roll their eyes at.

The ceremony can be religious, non-religious, interfaith, or none of those. It can be quiet or full of music. It can be solemn or full of laughter. It can take place at a funeral home, in a backyard, at a lake, on a trail, or anywhere your loved one would have wanted to be remembered.

The shape of the service follows the life, not the other way around.

Fees

If you're working with a funeral home, there are two ways to handle the fee. Many families have my services included in the arrangement the funeral home presents - the funeral home quotes the full cost, and there's no separate charge from me. Others prefer to arrange the celebrant fee with me directly. Either approach is fine, and we can discuss what makes the most sense for your family when we connect.

If you're reaching out directly - for a memorial service, a celebration of life, or a graveside service held outside of a funeral home, the fee is a flat rate. We'll talk through the specifics when we connect.

Travel within 20 miles of Mt. Pleasant is included; beyond that, a small mileage fee applies.

If You'd Like To Talk

Whether you've recently lost someone or are planning a service that has waited too long, I'd be glad to hear from you. There's no obligation in a first call. Sometimes families simply need to talk through what they're imagining, and figure out together what would feel right.