A light-filled, creative, gift of a journey: Charlotte Green on becoming a funeral celebrant

Most people assume the role of a funeral celebrant to be sombre and serious, but that’s not the experience of AMC graduate Charlotte Green, who describes her ‘light-filled’ journey of being a funeral celebrant as one that has awoken dormant creativity and as a gift to herself.

Charlotte spoke to AMC founder Jennifer Claire about her experience of becoming a Funeral Celebrant, the importance of ceremony and what drove her to this career path and her experience of training with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy.

Tell us about yourself Charlotte

I’m Charlotte Green, a funeral celebrant in the early stages of my practice. My background is in healthcare, where I spent over 12 years supporting people’s mental and physical well-being. I completed my funeral celebrant training around Christmas last year and have since been working with several funeral directors, conducting ceremonies.

The early stages of building my celebrant business have been very positive. As I’ve reached out to funeral directors, I’ve been warmly welcomed pretty much everywhere I’ve gone. I’m currently working with about four funeral directors who are willing to use my services, which is really encouraging.

A big part of what I’m doing right now is gently educating people about the choices and options available for end-of-life ceremonies. I’ve found that many people aren’t fully aware of the possibilities, so I’m starting the conversation a little bit, and gently showing people what I do and what goes into having a celebrant lead ceremony for a funeral.

What made you decide to become a funeral celebrant?

My journey to becoming a funeral celebrant began with a deeply personal experience. Two and a half years ago, my husband passed away, and as a family, we had to navigate some complicated decisions around his funeral and ceremony.

He was an atheist, but he also didn’t want to be cremated. And so, as a family, it gave us quite a few complicated kinds of things to deal with. It’s really quite a difficult time, obviously.

Despite the challenges, we were determined to create a ceremony that truly honoured his life. As a family, we created that. And it was a really beautiful thing to do.

This experience opened my eyes to the profound impact that a well-crafted ceremony can have. I think the thing that I learned from that was just how healing and therapeutic a ceremony like that can be in the longer run. You know, I still recall it. And I still think about it. And I get a lot of comfort and support from the fact that we did that.

It was this realization that sparked my interest in becoming a celebrant myself. I wanted to help others navigate these important end-of-life ceremonies and create meaningful, healing experiences for families going through loss.

What role do think Ceremony has in our lives?

I’ve come to believe that ceremonies play a massive role in the important chapters of our lives. They’re crucial not just in those amazing times of growth and expansion and love, but also in those times when life is concealed, like it’s contracting, and we’re going through loss.

Ceremonies can be deeply healing and therapeutic, especially in the longer term. I can attest to this from my own experience – I still find comfort and support in the ceremony we created for my late husband.

I think ceremonies allow us to honor and celebrate the lives of our loved ones in a fitting and meaningful way. This is especially important during end-of-life, but it applies to all significant life events. Ceremonies provide a structured way to acknowledge and work through these experiences, helping us process and find meaning in life’s transitions.

I also believe that in our modern society, we’ve somewhat distanced ourselves from the value of ceremonies, particularly around death. In our society, we have distanced ourselves a lot from death. And it’s not necessarily a good thing, really, you know, because it’s part of life and honouring people at the time of death is really important.

Reconnecting with the power of ceremonies can help us navigate life’s challenges and celebrate its joys more fully.

As a funeral celebrant, how do you view funerals, death and the process of saying goodbye?

My view on funerals, death, and the process of saying goodbye is perhaps different from what many people might expect. I really try to emphasize that talking about death and funerals doesn’t have to be a somber or negative experience.

I don’t spend my days sat in a dark room with a great big cloud over my head; there’s a lot of light in what we do, and there’s a lot of light in talking about how we want the ending to look like in terms of a ceremony.

From my own experience with my husband’s funeral ceremony, I’ve seen firsthand how healing and therapeutic these events can be, even in the long term. I still find comfort and support from the ceremony we created for him.

I believe that funerals and end-of-life ceremonies play a vital role in honoring and celebrating the lives of our loved ones. They’re an important way to acknowledge and process significant life events. That’s why I put so much emphasis on personalizing ceremonies and including meaningful elements.

I’m writing a funeral ceremony at the moment. And the family have chosen to play some birdsong in the middle of the ceremony, which is something that I did at my husband’s ceremony, and it’s, it’s beautiful things like that, that we don’t necessarily know that our loved one would quite like.

I think as a society, we’ve distanced ourselves too much from death, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. I encourage people to be more open to talking about death and end-of-life planning. It’s a natural part of the human experience, and engaging with it can actually bring a lot of light and meaning to our lives.

What has been your experience of being a Celebrant?

My experience as a celebrant, though I’m still in the early stages, has been incredibly positive. I’ve had really, really good conversations with funeral directors and have been warmly welcomed pretty much everywhere I’ve gone. It’s been encouraging to see funeral directors willing to work with me and give me opportunities to lead ceremonies.

I’m really enjoying the work – it feels rewarding to help create meaningful ceremonies that honor people’s lives. There’s a real sense of purpose in what I do.

One of the most valuable aspects of my experience has been the sense of community and support I’ve found. Through my connection to the Academy of Modern Celebrancy, I do feel part of a bigger team, I think I put something on the group the other day about that. Because when you go out to funeral directors, or when you go out to do ceremonies, it feels like you stand on your own, but actually, it does feel like I’ve got my little team behind me. And that’s a really, really lovely feeling.”

This ongoing support and mentorship have been crucial, helping me not feel alone as I build my business. For example, just the other day, I had a question come up right before a funeral. I posted it to our WhatsApp group, and “I got like three replies in about 10 minutes.” That kind of immediate support is invaluable.

A big part of my focus right now is on education and conversation. I’m working to gently start conversations about end-of-life ceremonies and the choices available. It’s important work, as many people aren’t fully aware of the possibilities when it comes to creating meaningful, personalized ceremonies.

*Since our interview Charlotte has completed her training in Wedding and Naming Celebrancy and now offers Funerals, Weddings and Vow Renewals and Naming Ceremonies.

How has your experience of being a celebrant differed from people’s expectations of what a Funeral Celebrant does?

I’ve found that there are quite a few misconceptions about what a funeral celebrant does. One of the biggest surprises for many people is the range of options available for end-of-life ceremonies. Many aren’t aware of the sort of choices that they have when it comes to planning a meaningful farewell.

There’s also a general hesitation to discuss death and funerals. No one wants to think about death rarely or talk about funerals unless you really have to. This societal avoidance of discussing death is something I’m trying to gently overcome through my work.

Interestingly, as people become more aware of what I do, I’ve had some reach out to me, saying, “If anything happens to me, I want you to do my funeral.” This shows a growing interest in the role of celebrants, even if it’s not yet widespread.

I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that the work of a funeral celebrant is always sombre and depressing. I try to convey that there’s actually a lot of “light” in what I do. It’s about celebrating lives, sharing stories, and creating meaningful moments of connection for families.

Finally, I don’t think many people realize the healing and therapeutic value that a well-crafted ceremony can provide. This is something I’m passionate about sharing, as I’ve experienced it myself and seen it bring comfort to many families I’ve worked with.

Tell us about training as a celebrant with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy

My experience training with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy was incredibly positive and valuable. When I was looking into training options, I was drawn to the Academy’s program because of its self-paced nature and the combination of pre-recorded content and mentored elements.

The quality of the training and instructors was top-notch. The pre-recorded portions of the funeral course were taught by “incredible industry experts,” which I found to be a key benefit of the Academy’s approach.

One of the most valuable aspects was the mentorship and ongoing support. My mentor was just fab, and we’re still in touch. I still ask her questions on Facebook, and she always jumps on and replies straight away. This ongoing guidance has been invaluable as I’ve started my practice.

The sense of community and belonging that the Academy fosters is remarkable. I do feel like part of a bigger team, and it really feels like a family. This support network has been crucial as I’ve launched my business – I never feel alone in this journey.

Overall, my experience with the Academy has been fantastic. The combination of quality instruction, mentorship, and strong community support has been crucial in helping me establish and grow my celebrant practice.

You mentioned creativity, what are your thoughts about the creative side of being a celebrant?

The creative aspect of being a celebrant has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey for me. It’s really helped me rediscover parts of myself that had been dormant for a while.

I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve I’ve also rediscovered and uncovered parts of myself that have been kind of, dormant or kind of squashed down by the work that I’ve done in recent years.

Creativity is a core part of being a celebrant. It’s not just about writing, which is, of course, a big part of it, but it’s also about finding creative ways to tell someone’s story and bring elements of their life into the ceremony in meaningful ways.

I’ve also found that creativity extends to the business side of things too – the branding and marketing aspects of running a celebrant business require a creative touch as well.

Embracing this creative process has been so lovely and a key part of what makes this such a rewarding journey. It’s allowed me to express myself in new ways and bring a personal touch to the ceremonies I create.

Overall, reconnecting with my creative side through this work has been incredibly fulfilling. It’s not just about the end product – the creative process itself is a joy and adds so much depth to what I do as a celebrant.

How would you describe your personal journey to becoming a celebrant?

My personal journey to becoming a celebrant has been truly transformative. I see the decision to become a celebrant and go through the training as “a gift to myself.” It’s been a process of self-discovery that has helped me uncover and rediscover parts of myself that had been lying dormant.

I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself, and I’ve rediscovered and uncovered parts of myself that have been dormant or squashed down by the work that I’ve done in recent years.

I approached this journey with what I like to call a “beginner’s mind”—curiosity and a real appetite for doing something new. I think this mindset is so important when embarking on a new path like this. It allows you to be open to all the learning and growth that comes with the experience.

One of the key things I’ve learned is the importance of trusting the process. Especially for those who might be retraining or changing careers, it’s crucial to approach this journey with trust rather than stress or pressure.

Overall, I view my journey to becoming a celebrant as a real investment in myself. It’s been a gift that has allowed me to grow, learn, and find a new sense of purpose. I’m grateful for this path and the opportunities it’s opened up for me to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives during some of their most important moments.

Want to learn more about Charlotte?

Visit Charlotte’s website : Ceremonies by Charlotte Green

Follow Charlotte on Facebook

Closing Thoughts

We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Charlotte Green for sharing her inspiring journey with us. Her story beautifully illustrates how becoming a funeral celebrant can be a transformative and deeply rewarding experience. Charlotte’s passion for creating meaningful ceremonies and her commitment to bringing light to what many perceive as a sombre profession is truly admirable.

For those who have been inspired by Charlotte’s story and are considering a career as a funeral celebrant, we invite you to explore our Accredited Funeral Celebrancy Course. This comprehensive program offers the perfect blend of expert instruction, personal mentorship, and ongoing community support that Charlotte found so valuable in her own journey.

Whether you’re looking for a career change, seeking to make a meaningful impact in people’s lives, or simply want to explore your creative potential, our course could be the first step on your own transformative path. Join us in this rewarding profession and discover, as Charlotte did, the gift of becoming a funeral celebrant.

To learn more about our Accredited Funeral Celebrancy Course and how you can begin your journey, visit our website or reach out to us directly. Your new career as a funeral celebrant could be just around the corner.