Celebrant Book Club: 20 Inspiring reads for Celebrants

Words dance at the heart of every ceremony. As celebrants, we’re not just readers – we’re wordsmiths, storytellers, and memory-makers. Our bookshelves overflow with dog-eared volumes, each one a wellspring of inspiration for the next unique celebration we’ll craft.

But let’s face it: keeping our ceremonies fresh, personal, and deeply meaningful can be a delightful challenge. How do we capture the essence of two souls joining in marriage or the joy of welcoming a new life in a way that feels genuinely unique and personalised every single time?

This is where our Celebrant Book Club steps in. We’ve reached out to our vibrant community of wedding and naming celebrants, asking them to share the books that fuel their creativity and enrich their practice. The result? A handpicked collection of 20 inspiring reads that offer far more than just beautiful quotes or ceremony structures.

These books are launchpads for your imagination, filled with insights that will help you dive deeper into each couple’s or family’s story. They’re conversation starters, thought-provokers, and creativity sparkers. From poetry that captures love’s ineffable nature to guides that help you navigate the delicate balance of tradition and personalization, each recommendation is a tool to add to your celebrant toolkit.

So, fellow ceremony creators, are you ready to discover new literary companions for your celebrant journey? Let’s explore these 20 gems that promise to infuse your ceremonies with fresh perspectives, touching sentiments, and that special something that makes each celebration uniquely unforgettable. Your next favorite read – and source of inspiration – might just be a page turn away.

1 & 2. “The Poetry Pharmacy” & “The Poetry Pharmacy Returns” by William Sieghart

Both of these collections provide poems “prescribed” for various emotional states, from grief to joy. Sieghart’s selections are curated for their therapeutic power, making them a valuable resource for emotional healing.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Inspiring: Poetry can deeply enhance ceremonies, offering a powerful way to express complex emotions. These books can help celebrants find the perfect poem to capture the feelings of those attending, adding emotional resonance to their ceremonies.

3 & 4. “Love” & “Life” by Donna Ashworth

Donna Ashworth’s collections of poems are centred around themes of love, loss, and life’s beauty. The poems are simple yet poignant, making them accessible for many types of ceremonies.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Inspiring: Poems from these collections can be used in a variety of ceremonies, whether for weddings, naming ceremonies, or funerals. The themes are universal and deeply resonant, making them ideal for personal and heartfelt moments.

5. “Best. Ceremony. Ever.” by Christopher Shelley

Written by Lifecycle Celebrant Christopher Shelley. This book focuses on crafting memorable wedding ceremonies with a light-hearted and creative approach. Though primarily written with weddings in mind, the principles can be applied to various life events. He shares questions for the couple to ask themselves before meeting with their officiant and offers a wedding vow workshop and complete sample ceremonies.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Helpful: The book emphasizes creativity, helping celebrants break free from tradition when necessary and create ceremonies that reflect the couple’s or individual’s unique personality. It’s a great resource for celebrants looking to inject fresh energy into their work.

6. “The Complete Guide to Baby Naming Ceremonies” by Becky Alexander

This practical guide covers everything family and naming celebrants need to know about organizing and conducting baby naming ceremonies, from structure to wording and symbolic acts.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Useful: As baby naming ceremonies grow in popularity, this guide is an essential resource for celebrants offering this service. It’s practical, offering step-by-step instructions and ideas for readings, symbols, and rituals.

7. “Classic Readings & Poems” Jane McMorland Hunter

This comprehensive anthology brings together a curated selection of poems and readings from renowned British and American writers and poets, that can be used in various ceremonies, from weddings to funerals. The poems and readings are organized into meaningful life stages and experiences: New Life, Childhood, Love, Unions, Getting Older, Solitude, Loss

The collection features a diverse range of voices, with timeless verses of poets like Longfellow, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson alongside the profound words of William Blake, Wordsworth, and W.H. Auden. It also includes powerful prose selections from influential figures such as Churchill and Shakespeare.

Adding depth and cultural richness to the compilation are Apache prayers and Irish blessings, making this book an invaluable resource for those seeking the perfect words for any occasion or reflection.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Helpful: Having a go-to collection of timeless readings and poems will save celebrants time and provide inspiration for every kind of ceremony, offering options that appeal to different tastes and traditions.

8. “Ceremonies & Celebrations” by Dally R. Messenger

Dally Messenger, a well-known celebrant, provides practical advice on creating meaningful ceremonies. The book includes advice on weddings, funerals, and other life events.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Helpful: Messenger’s deep experience and insight into celebrant-led ceremonies makes this book an excellent resource for both new and experienced celebrants. It covers both the philosophy and the practicalities of leading life events.

9. “The Wisdom of Sundays: Life-Changing Insights and Inspirational Conversations” by Oprah Winfrey

This book is a compilation of conversations from Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday series, featuring wisdom from thought leaders like Eckhart Tolle, Tony Robbins, Marianne Williamson, and Wayne Dyer. It is structured into ten chapters, each reflecting a key lesson in personal and spiritual growth, from finding purpose to embracing forgiveness and love.

Readers praise the book for its profound insights with many “aha” moments reminiscent of Oprah’s signature interview style. The inclusion of photography adds a rich layer to the reflective nature of the text​.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Useful: The themes explored in the book—such as spiritual growth, the search for meaning, and emotional healing—are deeply relevant to the work of celebrants. These lessons can help celebrants offer wisdom and comfort during significant life events like weddings or funerals. The conversations also provide a reservoir of inspiring quotes that celebrants could incorporate into ceremonies to uplift participants.

10. “The COMPLETE CELEBRANT Handbook” by Hon Hills

This guide is a detailed manual for celebrants, covering everything from crafting ceremonies to building a celebrant business. It’s written with both new and experienced celebrants in mind, offering practical advice on how to structure different types of ceremonies, including weddings, funerals, and baby-naming events. The book also includes tips on marketing and building a client base.

Celebrants will appreciate the step-by-step instructions and the emphasis on creativity in ceremony planning. Many have found it a vital tool for the business side of celebrancy as well as the emotional and spiritual aspects.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Useful: This is a must-have for any celebrant seeking to refine their practice. The handbook provides templates for various ceremonies while encouraging celebrants to add their personal flair, making it an invaluable resource for those who want to create unique and heartfelt events.

11. “The Art of Ritual” by Renee Beck & Sydney Barbara Metrick –

This book explores the significance of rituals in both daily life and special ceremonies, offering insights on how to create meaningful rituals for various occasions. Beck and Metrick provide practical suggestions for creating personalized rituals, drawing from a variety of spiritual and cultural traditions.

Readers commend the authors for their accessible writing and creative approach to ritual-making. The book is an inspiring guide for those looking to incorporate more mindfulness and intention into their ceremonies.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Inspiring: Rituals are central to the role of celebrants, and this book gives celebrants new ways to approach the creation of symbolic acts. Whether for weddings, funerals, or other life events, the ideas in this book can help deepen the emotional impact of a ceremony.

12. “Handfasting and Wedding Rituals” by Kendra Vaughan Hovey

Focusing on the ancient practice of handfasting, this book provides celebrants with both historical context and modern adaptations of this unique wedding ritual. It offers various handfasting ceremonies that couples can use to symbolize their commitment, along with ideas for incorporating cultural and spiritual elements.

Readers will appreciate the book’s comprehensive coverage of handfasting and its relevance to modern pagan and non-traditional ceremonies. The detailed descriptions of rituals offer celebrants a wealth of material to draw from when conducting wedding ceremonies.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Useful: Handfasting is becoming increasingly popular, especially in spiritual and non-traditional weddings. This book equips celebrants with the knowledge to perform these ceremonies in a meaningful way, tailored to the couple’s beliefs and wishes.

13. “A Complete Guide to Modern Handfasting” by Liz Williams

Williams’s guide is a modern take on the ancient practice of handfasting, offering both traditional rituals and contemporary interpretations. It walks celebrants through the process of creating a handfasting ceremony that is personal and symbolic for the couple, incorporating both historical elements and new, creative ideas.

Praised for its clarity and relevance to today’s couples, this book serves as a go-to guide for celebrants who want to include this ancient practice in their ceremony offerings.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Inspiring: As handfasting grows in popularity, especially among couples seeking spiritual or nature-based ceremonies, this book helps celebrants stay informed about the latest trends while honouring the ritual’s origins.

14. “How to Love” by Thich Nhat Hanh

This short, insightful book by Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh explores the essence of love and mindfulness. Through simple yet profound teachings, it covers how to cultivate love and compassion in our relationships and in our daily lives.

Readers are drawn to its simplicity and wisdom, noting that it offers practical advice for deepening connections with others. It’s considered a powerful read for those looking to nurture love, both in their personal lives and in their interactions with others.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Useful: This book can be a source of inspiration for celebrants when crafting ceremonies around love and connection, particularly in weddings and commitment ceremonies. Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on mindfulness and presence can also help celebrants stay grounded and focused as they perform their duties.

15. “Poems That Make Grown Men Cry“ edited by Anthony and Ben Holden.

This anthology features 100 poems chosen by well-known men across various fields, including literature, film, and science. Each contributor shares a poem that moved them deeply, from John le Carré to Daniel Radcliffe and Salman Rushdie. The poems span different emotions, such as loss, love, and resilience.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Useful: Poetry often adds a deeply emotional element to ceremonies. This collection offers a wealth of emotive verses that celebrants can use in moments of reflection, especially during funerals or memorials where the expression of grief and beauty is needed

16. “Poems That Make Grown Women Cry” edited by Anthony and Ben Holden.

Like its predecessor, this anthology showcases poems that have moved 100 notable women, from Judi Dench to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The selected poems deal with themes of love, loss, and personal resilience, offering powerful emotional experiences.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Useful: This collection provides celebrants with a selection of poems that resonate deeply with women’s experiences. It’s particularly valuable for ceremonies focused on love, empathy, or mourning, making it a go-to resource for personal and heartfelt readings

17. “Wedding Zero to Ceremony Hero: Learn the Basics, Plan the Ceremony, and Write the Wedding They’ve Always Wanted” by Mark Allan Groleau

This book is a comprehensive guide aimed at helping both new and experienced wedding officiants create memorable, personalized ceremonies. Groleau, a professional officiant and coach, provides a step-by-step system designed to ensure that officiants not only perform a ceremony but also craft one that resonates deeply with the couple and their guests.

The book is part of The Unboring! Wedding System and offers practical advice on everything from understanding the elements of a wedding ceremony to conducting pre-wedding meetings with couples. It’s filled with detailed guidance, including tips on personalizing the script, ensuring smooth logistics, and delivering the ceremony with confidence. The focus is on creating unique love-story-based ceremonies rather than using generic templates​.

To complement the book, there’s an accompanying YouTube series called Wedding Hero Wednesdays. This series serves as free video training, breaking down key aspects of wedding ceremonies in a relaxed and engaging way. Through this, officiants can visualize what they’ve learned from the book and receive additional tips on confidently running ceremonies.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Useful:

For celebrants, this book is a goldmine of practical advice. It provides everything needed to ensure that ceremonies are not only smooth but also meaningful and personal. The combination of humor, personal experience, and professionalism in both the book and YouTube series makes it an indispensable resource for celebrants aiming to excel in their roles and leave lasting impressions on couples and their guests.

18. “To The Women: Words to Live By” by Donna Ashworth

This collection features 48 empowering poems and quotes aimed at uplifting and inspiring women. Ashworth’s words focus on self-love, strength, and solidarity, touching on themes of resilience, compassion, and inner wisdom. Her writing resonates with readers seeking guidance or comfort in life’s challenges.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Useful: Celebrants can use these poignant and heartfelt pieces to inspire meaningful moments during ceremonies, particularly for weddings or women-centered events. The poems’ themes of empowerment and connection will resonate in personal tributes​.

19. “The Right Words: When You Need Them Most” by Donna Ashworth

This book is a curated collection of Ashworth’s most comforting and motivational words, designed to provide readers with the right message at difficult times. Whether offering solace in grief or inspiration in love, her writing reaches deep into the emotions people face during life’s pivotal moments.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Useful: Celebrants often seek the perfect words for emotional situations, and this collection can provide meaningful passages for moments of celebration, loss, or reflection. Its universal themes make it a valuable resource for creating heartfelt ceremonies.

20. “She Will Soar: Bright, Brave Poems about Freedom by Women” by Ana Sampson

This anthology features 130 poems by women celebrating themes of freedom, courage, and self-discovery. It includes contributions from both classic and contemporary poets, focusing on the strength and resilience of women throughout history.

Why Celebrants Will Find It Useful: These poems provide excellent material for ceremonies that celebrate women’s empowerment or milestones, such as weddings or naming ceremonies. The diversity of voices and themes within the anthology offers celebrants a rich source of inspiration for readings that connect with both the individual and the collective experience of womanhood.

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!

We’ve shared our favourite reads, but we know this is just the tip of the iceberg. Your bookshelf might be hiding the next gem that will inspire countless beautiful ceremonies. So, why keep it to yourself?

• Join the Discussion: Head over to our Facebook group and share your thoughts on these books. Which one resonates with you the most? Have you read/used any of them?
• Share Your Go-To Books: We’re always on the lookout for fresh inspiration. Jump into the group and tell us about your favourite celebrant inspiration books that didn’t make our list. Your recommendation could be exactly what a fellow celebrant needs!
• Feeling Overwhelmed? We’ve Got You: If all this talk about crafting unique ceremonies has you feeling a bit daunted, don’t worry. You’re not alone, and we’re here to help. Check out our celebrant training and mentorship programs. We’ll guide you through the process of creating meaningful, personalized ceremonies that truly reflect the individuals you’re celebrating.

Remember, every great celebrant started somewhere. Whether you’re just beginning your journey or you’re looking to refresh your approach, there’s always room to grow, learn, and be inspired. Let’s continue to elevate the art of celebration together!