Our Team
Meet the women behind Tiare Funerals.
With a deep passion for what we do, we want to empower you to make an informed choice for yourself and your loved ones, while providing professional and personal service.
Charmaine Blanch - Founder / Ceremonialist
My experience with death started from a young age. I lost my guardians, who were my Grandparents, just at the age of seventeen. They were truly special to me.
I remember participating in organising their funeral and that feeling of emptiness that I was left with: everything felt impersonal and just not the way that I would have liked to say goodbye to the people I so dearly loved.
My journey of grieving them both was delayed and a very challenging path to navigate. One thing I was sure of, there had to be a better way to honour our past loved ones. A few years later, my Mother passed and I had to deal with the feeling of loss again.
But what really awakened something in me, was the passing of my Father and the way his life was honoured, remembered and celebrated with a three day funeral. This was my first experience of a Tangi, a Maori funeral.
The whole process was slower and it allowed our family to grieve and heal in such a powerful and healthy way!
And this is when I felt that I had a mission I wanted to accomplish: to empower families to take death rites back into their own hands and make choices for their family, that are true to them.
My background is in event management, catering, art therapy and fashion, so I have a wide range of skills that will not only bring creativity and professionalism, but a heartfelt and personal service.
May we use the knowledge passed down from our Ancestors to create a legacy that can be handed on to the next generation, to reignite old customs with progressive and fresh ideas.
Natasha Elton - Ceremonialist / Death Doula
I have been a home care nurse for over 15 years, also working in aged care.
I am a qualified physiotherapist and have therefore provided not only emotional, but also physical support.
I had the privilege to witness death along my journey, and I have learnt the power of compassion and empathy for those in need.
I am also a Sound medicine woman and I practice reiki and shamanic rituals.
I use my energy and sound instrument's resonant frequencies to provide a sense of harmony and well-being to others.
These frequencies can evoke healing to the mind, body and spirit,guiding you toward your higher self.
I also create Altars that are guided by spirit as a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms.
I walk this earth bridging my soul journey with spiritual growth, by practising rituals and ceremonies.
Death care to me is about providing emotional support, spiritual care and a personal service for the person dying, to ensure a peaceful meaningful transition.
I also help their families and ensure their well-being through the sad times.
Amber Hawkin - Ceremonialist / Funeral Arranger
By the time I was 14, I had attended more than ten funerals. I've buried my mother, stepfather, grandmother, a best friend and said farewell to three grandfathers. I learned very young how precious life is. And that death arrives when it arrives, in all its beauty and heartache.
Death didn't scare me, it brought me closer to those I loved.
From 2008-13 I studied and I worked as a radiation therapist, immersed within a field connected to death. It taught me a great deal about life, courage, tenderness and fear.
For the last 13 years, I have studied and practised modalities of modern therapy, earth-based wisdom and ancient ritual and rites of passage.
I have facilitated deep remembering, guided by my great teachers, lived experiences, and Life's intelligence. I believe within our bodies lies a great wisdom that the ancients have spoken of since the beginning of time. Our work is to tend to the fractures within ourselves, allowing this wisdom to flow effortlessly.
My qualifications include Deep-State Repatterning Therapy, Behavioral Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Pranayama within ancient traditions, Therapeutic and Performance Breathwork, and Meditation. I have been serving in ceremony and healing with the elements and in alignment with earth based wisdom for over 12 years.
My work is a culmination of my life as a woman, mother, partner, facilitator of sacred spaces, retreat leader, and seeker of truth. Ultimately, my evolutionary purpose is building community in service to modern eldership.
Irina Berryman - Funeral Attendant
I bring a diverse background that includes corporate roles, insurance, furniture restoration, digital marketing, network marketing, and social media marketing. My journey across these varied fields has equipped me with a unique set of skills that I am eager to apply to the funeral industry.
My interest in death care stems from a deep desire to support and comfort families during one of the most challenging times in their lives.
In my previous roles, I have developed a strong attention to detail, exceptional organizational skills, and a compassionate approach to customer service, all of which are essential in providing the highest level of care in the funeral industry.
I believe that every farewell should be as unique as the individual being honoured, and I am committed to helping families create meaningful and respectful services.
I look forward to using my experience to ensure that every aspect of our service meets the highest standards of excellence and empathy.
Amana Hart - Ceremonialist
Having pursued a law degree and spending my earlier career as a writer in State politics, followed by a stint on the international art scene, I returned home to pursue my passion as a registered Marriage Celebrant.
I wanted to help people create lasting and meaningful memories of the most joyful events in their lives.
It was during that time that I felt drawn to infuse those same heartfelt philosophies into funeral services, by helping grieving loved ones craft bespoke memorials, to honour the legacy of their beloved friends or family members.
A natural empath, with a flair for words and a deep appreciation of culture and tradition, Amana will guide you through the process of bidding your loved-one a memorable final farewell.
Whether the occasion be simple or elaborate, intimate or grand, you can be assured they will receive a fitting tribute that is tailored and unique, honouring the time they spent here.
I was born and raised in Sydney, and I am a proud descendant of the Minjungbal People of the Tweed-Murwillumbah region, where many of my family members still reside today. I am a mother, author, and dedicated funeral facilitator, and I live in Far North Queensland.
Jen Haydon - Ceremonialist / Death Doula
The cycles and seasons of life and death have been my greatest teachers, I am so deeply connected to the Natural world and through my work as a ceremonialist, holistic therapist, spiritual mentor and meditation and journeying facilitator it is an honour to utilise these skills and experiences to work alongside others as they embrace deep change in their lives.
As a trained florist, weaving nature into the ceremonies of birth, union and death has also been part of my calling and botanicals have become such a huge part of my life’s work, through all these powerful rites of passage. Especially the beautiful loving transitional energies of the Rose.
Death came into my life at a young age, losing my grandparents in a car accident at 12, my maternal grandfather died a couple of years later, and my cousin when he was 21. Many other bereavements followed. In my 40s I nursed my Father through terminal cancer and was honoured to be at his bedside when he died, and then my aunt's bedside not many years after. All these experiences and my many years of work supporting others through cycles and transitions have led me to a deeper appreciation of the richness of life and also created a deep awareness of the sacredness of death and death rites and with this a real longing to serve my community in a conscious, compassionate way.
This deep yearning to support others in their final precious moments led me to study as a Death Doula and an End of Life Consultant & Ceremonialist so that I may be a companion to the dying and to also enable me to co-create beautiful ceremonies that honour their wishes and support their loved ones in their final farewells.