Just 20 months ago, Arabella Wilde made a decision that would quietly but profoundly change her life. Today, she is a highly sought-after celebrant based in Kent, known for creating bespoke, luxury wedding ceremonies and deeply personal funerals and celebrations of life. What began as a step into a new profession has become a calling that has reshaped her lifestyle, her emotional world and her sense of purpose.

“This is my life,” Arabella says simply. “I could not be happier.”

A career that changed everything

Since training with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy, Arabella has led more than 120 funerals and around 20 weddings, alongside a small number of naming ceremonies. While she later expanded into weddings, her journey began with funeral celebrancy, and it is here that much of the transformation she speaks about has taken place.

Working so closely with bereaved families has had a profound personal impact. Arabella lost her mother nearly 20 years ago, and circumstances at the time meant she was unable to fully process that grief. For years, it remained unresolved, quietly present beneath the surface. Supporting others through loss has helped her understand her own grief in a deeper, more compassionate way.

“Working with people who are grieving has been huge for me,” she reflects. “It’s helped me understand my own grief, and it’s made me massively empathetic. I genuinely enjoy going on that journey with families, even in the hardest moments.”

Holding space for the full spectrum of life

Arabella speaks with humility and reverence about the range of ceremonies she has been trusted to lead. From funerals for babies who never took their first breath, to young people whose lives ended far too soon, to centenarians who lived long, rich and extraordinary lives, she has witnessed the full arc of human experience.

It is work that carries emotional weight, but also deep meaning. For Arabella, it is a privilege to be invited into these moments, to listen carefully, to gather stories, and to craft ceremonies that feel truthful and honouring.

One of her proudest moments came when a retired funeral director came out of retirement to attend a celebration of life for a close friend. After the ceremony, he told Arabella it was one of the best he had ever seen.

“He said I absolutely nailed it,” she says. “That meant so much, especially coming from someone who has been in the profession for so long.”

Capturing lives through words

Time and again, families tell Arabella that she has captured their loved one perfectly through the eulogies she writes. These moments matter deeply to her, not least because she often begins without having known the person herself.

“To be able to capture someone’s essence just from the information their family shares, and to do that justice, that makes me incredibly proud,” she says. “It really is an honour.”

This ability to listen, distil and reflect back a life with warmth and clarity has become one of Arabella’s defining strengths as a celebrant.

Love Takes Centre Stage at Milan Fashion Week

One of Arabella’s most extraordinary moments as a celebrant came when she was flown to Italy to officiate a wedding unlike any other, staged at the heart of Milan Fashion Week. On 19 January 2025, she led the wedding ceremony of Jordan Bowen and Luca Marchetto, the creative duo behind the fashion label JordanLuca, in a moment that redefined what a wedding ceremony could be.

At the end of their runway show, guests were told there was one final twist. What followed was not another look on the catwalk, but the couple’s wedding ceremony. As the show concluded, Arabella walked onto the runway and took her place on stage, followed by Jordan with his mother and Luca with his father. The transformation from fashion spectacle to deeply personal ceremony unfolded in real time.

“It was intimacy on a grand scale,” Arabella recalls. “Hardened fashion insiders were dabbing away tears beneath their sunglasses. Nobody was expecting it, and that made it even more powerful.”

For Arabella, the experience was unforgettable. Standing on the catwalk, holding space for love, family and commitment in front of an audience who had arrived expecting fashion, not vows, was a reminder of the limitless ways ceremonies can be woven into life’s most meaningful moments.

“It was the most wonderful day,” she says. “An experience like no other.”

The joy and creativity of weddings

Alongside her funeral work, Arabella also delights in working with couples who are about to celebrate one of the most important days of their lives. Weddings offer a joyful contrast and an opportunity for creativity, connection and celebration.

She is known for being easy to talk to and able to build rapport quickly, something that serves her well with couples from all walks of life. While no two couples are the same, Arabella relishes the process of getting to know them and creating ceremonies that feel unmistakably theirs.

Her work has taken her beyond the UK, including destination weddings in Milan and Cannes, some requiring NDAs due to their high-profile nature. Yet despite the glamour, her focus remains firmly on meaning, connection and the emotional heart of the ceremony.

“When a couple tells me that the ceremony was the best part of their day, that is exactly what I aim for,” she says. “That makes me incredibly proud.”

A life aligned

Looking back, Arabella is clear that becoming a celebrant has not just given her a career, it has given her a life that feels aligned, fulfilling and deeply meaningful. Every ceremony, whether a wedding or a funeral, reinforces that sense of purpose.

“Becoming a celebrant absolutely changed my life for the better,” she says. “In every single way.”

Start your journey to Celebrancy today

For those considering this path, Arabella’s story is a powerful reminder that celebrancy is not only about learning new skills, but about stepping into work that can transform how you live, connect and show up in the world. If you feel drawn to meaningful, human-centred work that blends compassion, creativity and purpose, training as a celebrant could be the first step towards a life you truly love. Explore celebrant training with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy and see where it could lead you.