From Hobbs to Tassels: Why I’m Wearing a Daffodil-Yellow Dress to a Funeral

Next week, I’ll be stepping out of my usual black funeral dress — a perfectly respectable, knitted Hobbs number that’s seen me through many ceremonies — and into something altogether more... dazzling.

It’s bright daffodil yellow. It has mirrors. It has sequins. It even has tassels. It is not subtle.

And I’m wearing it at the request of the family whose dad’s funeral I’ll be leading.

Their dad was a man who lived vividly. He was joyful and bold and threw himself at life — and his family wants his farewell to reflect that. So they’ve asked everyone to come dressed in their brightest clothes. Not out of disrespect for death, but as a sign of love and respect for the way their dad lived. A little dazzle, a little colour, a little joy in the middle of the sorrow.

I always say that a funeral should feel like the person we’re remembering. That it should echo their voice, their spirit, their way of being in the world. Sometimes that means readings and rituals and formal stillness. And sometimes it means tassels.

I did check with the family. I offered 'Quietly pastel' rather than 'Needs sunglasses to look at her'. I even sent a picture—see below. (Clue: I'm the one not wearing black.) And yup: they want the sequins and mirrors.

It’s an honour to be trusted with someone’s final story. And it’s a privilege to be invited to tell it in a way that makes people smile as well as cry. So yes, I’ll be wearing my yellow dress. And I’ll be thinking of the person who made it not only acceptable, but absolutely right.

#YellowForHim #NotJustBlack #DaffodilDress #LifeCelebrated #HumanistFuneral #LoveAndLoss #CelebrantSusy