Secular Funerals are on the table today!

For the third episode of our Death Rituals Series, we are joined by Blake Hutchings. Blake Hutchings is a Humanist Celebrant accredited by Humanists UK. He creates non-religious ceremonies for weddings, funerals, and naming days, working closely with individuals and families to ensure each ceremony reflects their values, stories, and relationships. Outside of his celebrant work, he is a musician, an active participant in amateur theatre, a writer, and a father of two.

Blake takes us behind the scenes of what it means to be a humanist celebrant - from the multi-stage training process to the emotional and practical realities of meeting with families, writing personalized tributes, and guiding people through one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives from a secular lens. The conversation offers insight into the inner-workings of a secular funeral and the ways we can honor, think about, and remember death both inside and outside of organized religion.

At its heart, this conversation reflects on how working so closely with death often becomes an exercise in learning how to live. Blake and Ashley talk about grief, legacy, and the importance of confronting mortality. Like many conversations On the Table With Ashley holds around death and dying, this episode ultimately becomes a conversation about life.

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If you have ideas for new episodes or guests, or just want to share feedback, email us at reachoutanytime@ameatendre.com.

Journeying through death and grief is on the table today!

In part 2 of this 2 part conversation, we are once again joined by Genevieve Keeney-Vazquez. Genevieve is a U.S. Army veteran who began her career as a medic, serving on military death response teams before transitioning into the funeral profession. She’s now the President and CEO of the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston. Genevieve holds degrees in psychology and mortuary science, as well as a master’s in nonprofit and association management — and she’s dedicated her career to helping people better understand death, grief, and remembrance.

In this episode, Ashley and Genevieve dig deep, contending with the nuances, contradictions and lived realities of grief. Together, they explore the role that religion and funerals play in comforting the living while honoring the dead. From death photography to Jazz Funerals, Genevieve walks us through the different customs and traditions that help us process loss, and what these rituals teach us about how we grieve.

Recorded just days after the death of her own mother, Genevieve generously opens up about her own grief journey, affording us a rare look into the magnitude of grief in motion, the contradictions and ever-evolving feelings that accompany it, and the healing that happens when we discuss this topic with an open mind and an open heart.

Listen to the full episode, out now on your favorite podcast platform.

Learn more about The National Museum of Funeral History.

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Read The History of American Funeral Directing by Robert W. Habenstein and William M. Lamers.

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Explore the Association of Death Education and Counseling.

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On the Table with Ashley is presented by Âme Atendre, a luxury home goods and tableware brand with a mission to connect people to all that matters.

If you have ideas for new episodes or guests, or just want to share feedback, email us at reachoutanytime@ameatendre.com.

Death rituals around the world are on the table today!

In the first episode of our Death Rituals series, we are joined by Genevieve Keeney Vasquez for a conversation about death rituals, cultural practices, and the power of honoring the dead with intention.

Genevieve Keeney Vazquez is a U.S. Army veteran who began her career as a medic, serving on military death response teams before transitioning into the funeral profession. She’s now the President and CEO of the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston. Genevieve holds degrees in psychology and mortuary science, as well as a master’s in nonprofit and association management — and she’s dedicated her career to helping people better understand death, grief, and remembrance. Her path from the military to mortuary science to museum leadership offers such a fascinating window into how we find meaning, even in life’s most difficult moments.

Recorded just days after the loss of Genevieve’s mother, this episode holds space for grief in real time. In part 1 of this 2 part episode, Genevieve shares how early experiences with death shaped her life’s path, from a childhood fascination sparked by a tragic news story to her time as a U.S. Army medic stationed in Germany. Together, Ashley and Genevieve discuss why we avoid talking about death, how that avoidance impacts families when loss occurs, and why having conversations about burial, cremation, and memorial wishes ahead of time is an act of love.

Listen to the full episode, out now, on your favorite podcast platform.

Explore the Association of Death Education and Counseling

Explore the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Services

Learn more about The National Museum of Funeral History

Listen to The Final Curtain Never Closes

Follow On the Table with Ashley on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Table with Ashley is presented by Âme Atendre, a luxury home goods and tableware brand with a mission to connect people to all that matters.

If you have ideas for new episodes or guests, or just want to share feedback, email us at reachoutanytime@ameatendre.com.