Hi, my name is Karin Slade and I have over three decades experience working around the world as a private chef, event manager and caterer and running my two catering businesses – Catering By Design and Sailing By Design – on the northern beaches of Sydney.
In 2003, my own experience of eight funerals in five months amongst my immediate family and close friends made me realise just how stressful and impersonal funerals and wakes can be. It doesn’t have to be like that!
I’m now also a funeral director, wake caterer, public speaker and author of Where There’s a Will There’s a Wake, creating my wake catering and funeral businesses, Heavenly Catering and Funerals By Design to provide you with authentic, compassionate, affordable and better ways to say goodbye.
Imagine if you could take away the stress of catering, cooking, planning and organising your next event and enjoy it as if you were a guest yourself!
Catering By Design has over 30 years experience in catering for every size and type of event in virtually any location, including weddings, funerals, celebrations, corporate events, outdoor events and parties. We can even provide catering in your home.
As your one-stop party resource we can also act as your event planner, providing staff, beverages, cakes, flowers, tablecloths, glassware, music, china, furniture, marques, decorations, equipment hire and venues.
Create your next event the way you want it and within your budget with Karin and the team at Catering By Design.
Looking for an authentic wake or celebration of life that truly reflects the life of the person you are farewelling?
At Heavenly Catering we provide full-service wake catering and event coordination, working hard to ensure everything is stress-free and celebrates the personality of the person who has died.
We cater for gatherings of any size at any location, including church halls, private homes, community halls, funeral function rooms, onboard boats and outdoors.
Our delicious food and beverage menus can be personalised according to your dietary needs and we specialise in creating menus that include their favourite foods.
As an independent funeral director, Funerals By Design offers you a better way to say goodbye with our authentic and affordable funerals, cremations, burials and celebrations of life that don’t follow a formula.
We believe that death doesn’t have to be complex and funerals don’t have to be expensive and impersonal, which is why we never charge you for services you don’t need or want.
Our end-to-end services include funeral live streaming, pre prepared funerals, outdoor services, scattering of ashes on our boat, wakes, and environmentally-friendly and affordable coffins and urns.
With Sailing By Design you can host your next event aboard a luxury skippered catamaran in either peaceful Pittwater or stunning Sydney Harbour.
Sailing By Design’s incredibly impressive, stable, spacious and versatile catamarans are ideal for corporate events, parties, celebrations of life, scattering of ashes… any private gathering of up to 20 people.
You can either self cater and BYO, pre order our catering boxes, or choose a delicious food and beverage catering package to suit your occasion and budget.
Whatever catering option you choose, you’ll simply walk on and walk off, enjoying exclusive use of your very own skippered private charter with no cleaning, hassle or stress and absolutely nothing to do but relax!
Looking for up-to-date information and guidance about end-of-life planning, funerals and wakes?
Whether you are preparing for the death of someone close to you or creating your own funeral and wake plan, Where There’s a Will There’s a Wake was written to help you to “go your own way”.
All the resources you need to make funerals and wakes a heartfelt, personal and appropriate celebration of life.
What are the “Frog Files”? A guide to help you to get your paperwork organised before they croak!
Your Frog Files have been specifically designed to break down this often overwhelming task into small achievable steps as you work through the four stages.
PAD 1Formalise your finances and files
PAD 2Record the relevant rituals you’d like to have at your funeral, memorial service, celebration of life or wake
PAD 3Organise your passwords, digital assets and social media
PAD 4Give away your goods to others
Your Frog Files will guide you through how to take away stress and confusion for your family and loved ones, as well as ensuring your wishes are respected.
Funeral planning is an emotional and daunting task.
Event Planner and Funeral Director, Karin Slade, believes that establishing your wishes beforehand helps to alleviate the stress and uncertainly in prepairing for that final celebration of life.