A Farewell That Truly Fits

I guide you in shaping a ceremony that is truly right for your loved one: warm, heartfelt, simple or elaborate — always with complete care. Together, we create a moment that touches and sustains. A space where grief is given room and love remains tangible.

You are facing one of the hardest moments of your life.

You want to honour your loved one in a way that truly fits — not standard,
not impersonal, but warm and genuine.

You are looking for
▫ words for what you cannot put into words
▫ someone who can speak the words you do have, on your behalf
▫ a gentle structure for what family and friends wish to share

You want everyone who comes to feel heard.
Space for grief and for laughter.
For silence and for stories.
For everything you shared together.

You are looking for someone who listens. Who understands. Who works with care and attention — together with you, the funeral director or crematorium — to create a ceremony that truly honours your loved one. Sincere. Touching. Embracing.

That is who I would like to be for you.

This was the warmest farewell I have ever witnessed.

Friend of Ria

How I Can Support You

Guiding a funeral ceremony is never routine for me. It is always a privilege to support families in their grief, and to help create a moment that truly touches and lingers.

What you can expect

Personal conversations — until you feel heard
I take all the time needed to listen to who your loved one was. Their stories, memories, the small things that made them special. What matters to you. What needs to be said — and what may perhaps remain in silence.

Bespoke texts — no standard speeches
I write a ceremony that fits your loved one completely. Words that comfort, that remember, that make space. Connecting texts that give the words of family and friends a warm foundation. Where desired, I also write a poem or letter that you can read aloud or place with your loved one.

Musical accompaniment — when music helps
As a singer-songwriter, I can provide musical framing for the ceremony. Live songs that suit the moment. Gentle music that holds space for grief. I collaborate with professional musicians for this — or with family members who wish to bring music themselves.

Participatory rituals — carrying it together
Rituals that gently involve those present. Lighting a candle. Sharing words or objects. Singing a song together. Something symbolic that connects. Always accessible, always respectful, always optional.

A calm presence — on the day itself
On the day of the funeral, I am there — calm, present, caring. I guide the ceremony with warmth and attention, so that you can simply feel what is happening, without worrying about who should say or do what and when.

I guide ceremonies in Dutch, French and English, combining these languages naturally in word, ritual and music — entirely attuned to who you are and what suits you.

Your voice was a true added dimension. Calm, moving, and genuine.

Daughter-in-law of Marc

I'm Stien

Ceremony officiant, word artist and singer-songwriter.

I learnt early what loss does to a person. That experience forms the core of my work: making space for grief, love, and everything in between.

For years I have guided people and groups through meaningful moments. With words that land gently, with a warm voice, with music that supports, and with a calm presence that offers something to hold on to.

My strength lies in listening with sensitivity, finding the right words, and creating a ceremony that brings comfort — without forcing anything, without making things more beautiful than they are.

Your song, Le grand Silence, which you sang at the farewell ritual for Kenny, is so beautiful, so powerful. We play it every year at the remembrance gathering, while we light candles. It moves us every single time.

Kenny's widow

What Makes a Ceremony With Me Different?

I am not only a ceremony officiant, but also a word artist and singer-songwriter. This artistic background allows me to create ceremonies that truly touch — with language that brings comfort, with silences that make space, with music that moves.

Years of experience guiding groups and creating safe spaces means that families feel held. I know what it is to grieve — life taught me that early. That is precisely why I understand how important it is for grief to have a place, and for us to meet one another in our fragile, beautiful humanity.

Every farewell is unique. Every ceremony is made to measure.

Religious, secular, or a combination — it doesn't matter. What counts is that it feels right for you.

The music of STI.LL elevated the ceremony to another level, and was at the same time the perfect complement to the speeches and personal testimonies. It brought a hushed stillness and a sense of connection to everyone present.

Peter Van Rompaey, VUB

Moments That Linger

Antoine

This is a photo of Antoine. He contacted me a year before his death, asking whether I would support him in his process of saying farewell. That led to a few beautiful conversations, a STI.LL concert to which he brought his family and friends, and the preparation of his farewell ceremony together with his wife and friends.

STI.LL performed several pieces there, with lyrics written on his skin. Because Antoine inspired. And still does. A month before his passing, he founded the non-profit 'Lust for Life'. The name alone says everything about who he was. I am so grateful he came into my life.

One of the songs we performed was Vergeten wie ik ben. (Forgetting who I am)

Kenny

Le grand Silence is a song by STI.LL that I wrote following the death of a wonderful young man of 33, a year and a half after I had guided the wedding ceremony for him and his beloved.

At his family's request, I also guided the farewell ceremony and sang this song. Every year it is played again on his birthday, when friends and family gather to raise a glass to him and celebrate life.

I still sing it at concerts and in other farewell ceremonies.

Listen to Le grand Silence

Ria loved life. She loved people. And she loved colour. The ceremony hall was full to the brim. Around her coffin stood flowers, candles and paintings from her own hand. No one wore black. Her farewell was an explosion of colour. Of life and light. With laughter and with tears. Entirely Ria.

I guided the ceremony in collaboration with the funeral director — with connecting texts and a deeply personal version of a STI.LL song: Ik kom terug (I'll Come Back).

Bringing warmth and life into the place where death touches us, without suppressing grief. That is what Ria taught me.

Listen to Ik kom terug

Ria

How We Create a Beautiful Ceremony Together

Step 2 - Shaping it together

If we decide to go ahead, we plan in-depth conversations. I come to your home, or we meet somewhere quiet. We take all the time needed to gather the story, share wishes, and shape a ceremony that truly fits.

Step 3 - The ceremony itself

On the day of the funeral, I am there. Calm, present, caring. I guide the ceremony with warmth and attention. You don't need to think about anything — only to feel.

Step 1 - Getting to know each other (no obligation)

We meet. You tell me about your loved one and what you have in mind. I listen. We sense whether there is a connection. No pressure, no commitment.

Step 4 - Aftercare (optional)

If you would like, I can remain available after the funeral. For a conversation. For words that want to be written later. For whatever still needs tending to.

Practical Information

What I do (and don't do)
I guide the ceremony of the funeral — with words, music and care. This means: preparing and leading the service, writing and reading texts, musical accompaniment (if desired), and designing and facilitating rituals.

I do not handle the practical organisation: coffin, laying out, transport, flowers, death notices or administration. For this, you work with a funeral home.

Already working with a funeral director? Perfect — I am happy to work closely with them.

Don't have a funeral director yet? I can refer you to trusted partners in your area.

Region
I work in Flemish Brabant and Brussels. For other regions, arrangements can be made — I am happy to travel when it matters.

Fees
Every farewell is different, and so is my guidance. My fees range from €750 to €1,200 (VAT and travel costs within the region included), depending on your wishes — from a straightforward ceremony officiant to a full ceremony with music, poems and rituals. We discuss this during our first conversation, so you know exactly where you stand. No surprises, no ambiguity.

When to get in touch?
As early as possible is helpful, so we have time to get to know one another gently. But I understand that time is sometimes short. Even in urgent situations, I do my very best to be available. And know this: there is always more time than you think. Together, we can make something truly meaningful.

Shall We Meet?

There is no pressure. No obligation. Simply a warm conversation to sense whether it feels right, and to hear what you need.

You are welcome to call, email, or send a message. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Stien Michiels
stien@stienmichiels.com
+32 497 02 36 40

I look forward to meeting you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you organise the funeral?

No, I take care of the ceremony itself — with words, music and rituals. For the practical organisation (coffin, laying out, transport, flowers, death notices, administration) you work with a funeral home. I am happy to liaise closely with them to ensure everything is well co-ordinated.

Does the funeral have to be religious?

Not at all. I guide religious, secular, and mixed ceremonies, with or without a priest. What matters is what feels right for your loved one and for you.

What is the difference between you and a funeral home?

A funeral home handles the full organisation: from coffin to transport to flowers and administration. I guide the ceremony: the words, the music, the rituals, the emotional support. We complement one another — they take care of the practical side, I take care of a ceremony that truly touches.

How much time do you need to prepare a ceremony?

A great deal can be done in just a few days. I work with whatever time is available. Even in urgent situations, I do my best.

Can I engage you without a funeral home?

For the ceremony itself, yes — but you will also need someone to handle the practical side (coffin, cremation, transport, laying out, etc.). I can refer you to trusted funeral homes in your area.

Can we read or do something ourselves during the ceremony?

Absolutely. I am happy to help you prepare texts or moments you would like to lead yourselves, and I make sure everything comes together as a warm whole.

Do you work together with funeral directors?

Yes, I am happy to work with your funeral director to ensure everything runs smoothly. They handle the practical side; I take care of the ceremony.

What if we are unsure about certain elements?

That is perfectly normal. We take all the time we need to discover together what feels right. Nothing is compulsory, everything is possible. I am very flexible and accustomed to making adjustments even at the last moment — like that one son who, at the end, still wanted to say a few words for his mother. Unplanned. Space was made for it immediately. Without it feeling awkward.