Thereafter  Reviews 

Thereafter helped us to arrange an unattended cremation for my mum, who died recently. We're so glad that we found Debbie and after meeting her, we knew that we'd made the perfect choice.

Mum was adamant that she wanted a non-religious, unattended cremation, carried out respectfully and with a minimum of fuss. She'd had been to a few dreary, traditional funerals over the years - grim, impersonal services that often failed to reflect who the person really was. She wanted nothing like that for herself, nor did she want to put us through that experience on her behalf.

When the time came to for us to find a funeral director, Thereafter stood out immediately. They were based out of the magnificent Abney Park Cemetery, a local connection which Mum would've loved as she'd lived and worked in Stoke Newington for over twenty years and missed the area after she'd moved away.

While we were doing our research, the testimonials on Thereafter's website indicated a fresh, personalised and sensitive approach to funeral care, in stark contrast to the sort of services Mum had been wary of. Commitments to diversity and sustainability were also very encouraging. We were also happier to work with an independent organisation than one of the larger providers, especially when we noticed that so many of the reviews highlighted how warm, respectful and sensitive Debbie is.

Even after we'd compiled a shortlist of ten potential providers, we kept coming back to Thereafter over and over again. It was the obvious choice, both for us and for Mum as well.

Despite us requesting a relatively simple unattended cremation, Debbie responded to all of my initial enquiries very quickly and did a lot to put us at ease. We felt confident that Mum was in good hands throughout, from the moment she was collected from hospital until we collected her ashes from Debbie afterwards.

Even though it's been an incredibly challenging time for our family, we've been really glad that we found Debbie - she did a lot to help us through the process of organising Mum's cremation and has been incredibly supportive, warm and friendly as well. I don't think we could've asked for a better funeral director.

Debbie was honestly amazing from start to finish. She was so kind and lovely, and explained everything so clearly, which made such a difference when we were already dealing with such a difficult and emotional time.

She kept us updated every step of the way and was always there if we had a question or needed reassurance. Having a friendly, familiar face throughout the process made everything feel a little bit easier.

What really meant a lot was that Debbie made an effort to get to know my dad. She didn’t just see him as someone whose funeral she was arranging; she took the time to listen to us and understand who he was.

We really couldn’t have asked for anyone better. Thank you so much, Debbie, for everything you did for us and for making such a difficult time that little bit easier.

At such a heartbreaking time, Debbie guided me through with tremendous compassion and sensitivity. She listened carefully to the kind of funeral I wanted with an outdoor nature- inspired element and helped create a most beautiful and uplifting farewell to my Mother. Debbie took so much care over every detail from the beautifully woven casket and cottage garden floral tributes to the refreshments for the guests on a scorching hot day. Debbie thank you so much. I couldn't have managed without you. Judy

Yesterday Debbie delivered the most amazing funeral for my father. She was a calm presence throughout what could have been a very challenging process.Form the first phone call to the funeral itself, Debbie communicated clearly, suggested a fabulous celebrant, kept us updated and advised on what we needed to do regarding the mass of administration surrounding a death.
I can't reccomend Debbie and Thereafter highly enough.

We found Thereafter by chance after our beautiful friend Holly passed away. Holly was an elegant and sassy woman and hence when Debbie Malynn arrived at her flat to meet us, we felt that fate had intervened. Debbie is a remarkable woman – kind, respectful, creative and utterly stylish. Debbie worked with us to create a celebration of life which respected that our friend had lived a fabulous life prior to a long illness, one where she excelled in everything she did and had exacting standards about her work, her home, her clothes, her music and equally huge integrity and compassion.

Debbie worked with us to identify the perfect venue for both burial and celebration of life afterwards. The former was planned to perfection with support from an equally amazing Celebrant and the latter, in a lovely venue in Hackney, with gorgeous food and flowers – Holly’s vinyl on hand to create a really personalised space, and her photos and a Memory Book to ensure that there was time to reflect and share some memories.

It was a beautiful day and Debbie and her fabulous team are a credit to their profession.
xxxx

I am deeply grateful to the Debbie and Thereafter for all their help and compassion, professionalism, and care during such a difficult time for our family. My cousin passed away unexpectedly and we live in Australia. Debbie organised a beautiful day at Abney Chapel, every detail was handled with dignity and respect, and she made the entire process feel much less overwhelming. The service itself was beautiful and truly honored my cousin's memory. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for genuine support and exceptional service during a challenging time.

Debbie helped us create the most incredibly personal send-off for my lovely mum. There was nothing cookie-cutter about the experience, Debbie encouraged us to incorporate my mother's buddhist faith into the service and suggested each attendee place a flower on her wicker coffin as they arrived which was an incredibly moving and powerful experience. The flowers were breathtakingly beautiful and all I kept thinking was that my mother would have loved every minute of it. It felt like the perfect celebration of her life. Every step was thought out and Debbie was positive, professional, honest and reassuring from beginning to end.

We sadly lost our friend a few months ago and Debbie worked with us and his family who were in another country to gather all our ideas of what sort of send off he would like. She was so respectful of the difficult time it was for us all and spent hours hearing about him so she could get a real sense of what he was like and what he would want while bringing all our ideas together. She did such a great job at balancing all our ideas and bringing them to life. She spent a lot of time doing this. We ended up with the most wonderful celebration on the day which is exactly what our friend would have wanted. All of us and the other guests had ever been to a funeral quite like it. Debbie did not do a standard funeral for our friend, who was not a standard person. He was a hugely eccentric and charismatic man and she honoured this. Abney cemetery was beautiful, surrounded by trees and very elegant. Debbie guided the day and spoke so beautifully. We had champagne around the coffin and tied notes of love on luggage labels to it. It was so different to anything I had been to before. Modern, uplifting and poignant. A real celebration of his life. Thank you Debbie for helping guide us through a very tough time and giving the wonderful send off our friend would have wanted.

Debbie of Thereafter recently organised a 'pitch perfect' funeral with us for my late uncle.
It was a completely bespoke service & Thereafter tailored the occasion to our exact & somewhat unconventional wishes, at reasonable cost.
Many thanks to Thereafter for a very special funeral - we can't recommend them highly enough!

I gave Debbie a really difficult brief, I wanted a small intimate funeral for a good friend. We would be about 20 people and most of us wanted to be involved in some way, We wanted a simple coffin but with words engraved on it. We wanted to be able to linger after the funeral to reminisce and console each other. Debbie not only fulfilled all our requirements but subtly offered innovative ideas , she ensured that everyone who wanted to be involved could be. It was the funeral we hoped it would be and I cannot commend Debbie's professionalism, care and attention to detail more highly.

Debbie, the funeral director, made our funeral for my sister a wonderful experience. She helped me at every stage, putting anxieties to rest, answering questions and going the extra mile. We had a very different funeral to anything I’ve attended before and Debbie helped facilitate it. It made the occasion poignant and special. I would highly recommend Thereafter.

Absolutely superlative in every way. You couldn’t do better than choosing Debbie to steer you through this difficult time.
Polly

Debbie and Thereafter were amazing.

I’ve organised a funeral before, and found other companies competent and kind but slightly routine , and they pale by comparison to the service Thereafter provided.

Debbie sourced us a wool coffin for my Father’s send-off, and at the family’s request found a beautiful Nissan leaf hearse. The pallbearers were exemplary - such a breath of fresh air - and the whole experience felt perfectly focussed on my father as well as being full of touches that make such a day feel personal and meaningful. We were at a crematorium with a busy schedule, but the difference between the occasion Thereafter had facilitated and all the other one-size-fits-all funerals was really marked. It was a solemn and respectful occasion, but very far from being bleak. Debbie has a wonderful knack of offering interesting suggestions for a ceremony but knowing exactly when to let the family step in with their own ideas.
The experience felt very much aligned with our desire to have as green an occasion as possible, whilst including the kind of traditional elements my father would have appreciated.

One hopes not to need the services of a funeral director again any time soon, but if it were to be the case I wouldn’t hesitate to contact Debbie. As soon as Thereafter had been appointed we felt we were in safe hands, and it made a huge difference to see the care and thoughtfulness that was shown to my father, the family and everyone attending.

Debbie Malynn was the celebrant at my Mum's funeral on Monday. Not only was she absolutely brilliant in holding the space in just the right way, during the funeral itself, she was also so helpful in supporting me in thinking about all the practical details that would go around the Order of Service I'd designed. I was able to review and add to the words of welcome, committal etc, that Debbie was going to say, and she went to enormous efforts to understand our family culture and the tone and 'feel' that was needed. I would highly recommend Debbie as a sensitive, professional, organised, and experienced celebrant, who will help you to design and run a really beautiful, smooth-running and fitting farewell for your loved one. Thank you so much, Debbie.

My mother passed away recently and it was a huge loss for us as a family. For my siblings and I she was everything to us. She was all we ever had and this is the first time that any of us had lost anyone that we had loved so deeply. When it came to honoring our mothers memory we reached out to Debbie from Thereafter Funeral Services. I cannot state how important that decision was for our family. Debbie is a special lady from the moment we made contact with her she flew into action. Helping us understand the processes, giving us a variety of different options. Debbie took the time to get to know us as individuals respecting the fact that one of my siblings did not want to be involved in the decision making process and that was ok.

Debbie is like a light in the midst of the darkness creating such a personal bespoke service that was beautiful and memorable. She considered who my mother was and what she represented to us and made so many valuable and important suggestions that we had not thought of. My mother loved to cook and Debbie suggested and arranged for us to hold the wake in a beautiful Caribbean restaurant that opened exclusively for us. It was an excellent choice in terms of location, food, size and relevance to who my mother was. This is an example of how personalised the service is. I am emotional writing this review as Debbie made such a difficult situation more manageable than I could have ever imagined. There is not enough space or words to communicate what Thereafter Funeral Services did for us but we will have a beautiful lasting memory about the celebration of our amazing mother that will last for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much Debbie.

Debbie ran a wonderful service for the funeral of my beautiful Mother. Her beauty was replicated in the ceremony/procession and that was thanks to Debbie’s wonderful expertise. She tailored everything perfectly whilst managing my families expectations during such a trying time. I would highly recommend ‘Thereafter’ to anyone in the future. Debbie and her staff were wonderful!

I thank Debbie from Thereafter for helping me and my family to give our mum the beautiful tributes and send off she so richly deserved. Debbie helped us see the possibilities of how to remember and celebrate our mum in the most unforgettable way. And for that I am truly grateful. Debbie offered a bespoke service. She met us,and listened to the memories we shared and crafted a funeral service which was a perfect representation of who mum was. Debbie used her wide ranging knowledge to advocate on our behalf which helped us through some difficult emotions and we could not have achieved the wonderful ceremony without her. We are emphatically gratedul for everything Debbie at Thereafter helped us achieve in honouring our great mum and I cannot recommend Thereafter highly enough. Truly wonderful !!

In Loving Memory of My Dog, Teddy Bear

I am incredibly grateful for the experience I had during the last days of Teddy's life, thanks to the compassionate and caring service I received from Debbie at Thereafter Funeral Services. Losing Teddy, my first dog, was one of the most difficult experiences of my life. However, Thereafter made the process as comforting, considerate, and special as possible.

From the very first call, Debbie was empathetic and understanding, providing clear guidance and support throughout. She handled everything with such care and dignity, making Teddy’s farewell a truly memorable experience. Her kindness and professionalism helped ease my heart during this painful time.

The attention to detail and personal touches provided by Thereafter meant so much to me. They went above and beyond to ensure that Teddy's farewell was handled with love and respect, which made all the difference. I felt reassured knowing Teddy was in good hands, and I will always be thankful for that.

I highly recommend Thereafter to anyone facing the loss of a pet. Their compassionate service provides comfort when it’s needed most. Thank you, Thereafter, for being there for us and for honouring Teddy’s memory so beautifully. In one word: quality. Having Thereafter take care of the arrangements made all the difference.

Debbie was extraordinary, from beginning to end… she held the space both in the planning, preparation and the delivery of the most beautiful send off for the father of my two young adult sons. 💔

Death takes us all and I cannot recommend her enough to all those seeking to craft your goodbyes with someone who will help you communicate and articulate it exactly the way you want to make it happen! With effortless grace, a heart of gold and a smile!

Thank you Debbie and all of your team at Hereafter! 🙏🏽

I really have to thank Debbie for providing my sister with a fitting farewell.
Debbie organised the funeral around our needs and wishes. She went out her way to get to understand us and what we needed.
I cannot recommend her highly enough.