Meet the Mentor: Laura Crockett

Laura Crockett is an award-winning Wedding, Naming and Funeral Celebrant and a Wedding and Naming Celebrant Mentor for The Academy of Modern Celebrancy. Laura is also the host of Beyond the Ceremony, AMC’s podcast that offers an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes view of modern celebrancy.

Laura’s journey into Celebrancy hasn’t been plain sailing – she launched her business right before a global pandemic, became a mum to 2 boys, navigated a cross-country move and made the leap from being a full-time radio presenter to Celebrant. She shares her experience and journey with us here:

Discovering Celebrancy

“I got married in 2017 and had a registrar ceremony. We had two personalised readings from my sisters, but nothing else in the ceremony was personalised. While planning the wedding, I fell in love with the wedding industry, and when I started thinking about a new career, I instinctively knew I wanted to work in the wedding industry.”

“I didn’t even know about celebrants then. Knowing what I know now, our ceremony was beautiful, but it could have been better. As soon as I started reading about Celebrants I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I loved the idea of personalising the ceremony for couples, and I knew my background in radio and broadcasting would serve me well.”

Laura describes Celebrants as “professional celebrators” – the perfect people to help mark important life events that need celebrating.

From Radio Presenter to Celebrant

In 2019, Laura was working full-time as a breakfast presenter on a local radio station. Working 5am-12pm gave her afternoons free, but as a newlywed planning for a family, she knew these hours wouldn’t suit family life.

“I researched the wedding industry because I knew I absolutely loved the wedding world. I thought about all the different options that might work for me – photography, floristry, videography – but when I stumbled across wedding celebrants, I thought that is perfect for me. It gives me the chance to talk to people, which you may have guessed is something I enjoy, but also to stand up on somebody’s wedding day and give them a beautiful, meaningful ceremony they’d remember forever.”

Laura initially trained as a Wedding and Naming Celebrant, with her first ceremony being her nephew’s naming celebration for his first birthday – part of her coursework for her training.

Navigating Challenges

Laura launched her business in January 2020, right before the pandemic hit the UK. While not ideal timing, she believes the restrictions on gatherings actually helped celebrants:

“The restrictions meant many people had to change their wedding plans and have smaller weddings than planned, with more people looking for outdoor ceremonies. I did my first wedding ceremony outdoors in October 2020, and probably only did between 6-10 weddings that first year.”

“When restrictions lifted in 2021 and 2022, many people who’d had to reduce the size of their wedding during the pandemic wanted their ‘big wedding’ with all their friends and family and opted for a Celebrant-led ceremony.”

Balancing Motherhood and Celebrancy

Laura went on maternity leave in 2021 and had a sense she wouldn’t return to her radio presenter role – the 3am alarm wasn’t going to work with a newborn. The flexibility of Celebrancy felt like a better fit.

“I did my first Wedding as a Mum when my first little boy was 5 weeks old! My mum came with me and sat in the car with him whilst I did the ceremony; she met me in the hotel lounge afterwards, and there’s a photo of me feeding him in my Celebrant outfit!”

In 2022, while balancing motherhood and building her business, Laura fell pregnant again. The family decided to move 150 miles across the country to be closer to family. In 2023, with two under two, she mainly focused on being a mum.

Rebuilding and Growing

2024 was the year Laura turned her attention to rebuilding her business in a new location. Moving from Kent to the Gloucestershire border meant establishing herself somewhere new.

“I felt like the new girl – but with experience. I did loads of networking. And at the end of 2024 I ended up winning 2 awards for my celebrancy work!” Including The Wedding Industry Awards regional award.

Laura trained to be a Funeral Celebrant to add another string to her bow and joined The Academy of Modern Celebrancy as a Wedding and Naming Celebrant Mentor in April 2024.

Beyond the Ceremony: Laura as Podcast Host

Laura’s warm, engaging personality and background in broadcasting make her the perfect host for AMC’s new podcast, “Beyond the Ceremony: Modern Celebrancy, Unfiltered.” Launched in 2025, the podcast gives listeners a sneak peek into the realities of life as a modern celebrant.

Beyond the Ceremony peels back the curtain on celebrant life in a way that’s rarely seen. While social media showcases the beautiful moments when we stand before couples on their special day, there’s so much more that goes into crafting these meaningful celebrations. This podcast invites you into the fuller picture—the preparation, the passion, and sometimes the challenges that make this career so rewarding. It’s about the journey behind those picture-perfect ceremonies and the authentic stories of the people who create them.

Released fortnightly, each episode covers different aspects of the celebrant industry. Sometimes, Laura hosts solo, while other episodes feature guests, including fellow celebrants and industry professionals like accountants who play important roles in a celebrant’s business life.

The podcast aims to provide an honest, behind-the-scenes look at celebrancy, helping listeners decide if this career path might be right for them. From discussing what a celebrant actually does to sharing personal journeys and practical advice, Laura brings her authentic, compassionate approach to each conversation.

Listen to Laura on Beyond the Ceremony

Curious about life as a celebrant? Want to hear more from Laura and her guests about the realities of this rewarding career? Subscribe to “Beyond the Ceremony: Modern Celebrancy, Unfiltered” wherever you get your podcasts.

Each episode offers valuable insights, practical advice, and heartwarming stories from the frontlines of modern celebrancy. Whether you’re considering becoming a celebrant yourself or simply fascinated by this growing profession, Laura’s engaging style and genuine passion make for compelling listening.

Laura’s Advice to New Celebrants

As a mentor, Laura has worked with so many different people with different backgrounds, but her one piece of advice to celebrants remains the same, whoever you are: “Network! Networking is everything! Network with fellow Celebrants to build your network. We always say that community over competition is so important, but also networking with other people within the industry, whether that be venues, photographers, wedding planners…”

“Network, network, network, because you never know who will recommend you based on that one conversation you’ve had, and you put yourself out there, and you get talking.”

“Make sure that you shout it from the rooftops that you’re training to be a celebrant, that you’re a new celebrant, that you’re an existing celebrant, or perhaps like me, you’ve moved areas… shout it from the rooftops.”

“Networking is everything. So tell anyone that wants to listen about your celebrant role, and I promise you, it will pay off, because they will know somebody that you are going to be the perfect person to lead that life celebration.”

Ready to Begin Your Celebrant Journey?

Laura’s story demonstrates the flexibility, creativity and fulfilment a career in celebrancy can bring. If you’re inspired by her journey and think celebrancy might be your calling too, the Academy of Modern Celebrancy offers industry-leading training to help you get started.

With personalised mentorship, comprehensive online learning, and ongoing support from experienced professionals like Laura, AMC provides everything you need to build a successful celebrancy business that fits around your life.

Join our vibrant community of over 1000 celebrants making a meaningful difference in people’s lives while enjoying the creative and flexible career they’ve always dreamed of.

Visit our website to explore our Wedding, Funeral and Naming Celebrant training courses, or take our fun quiz to discover if celebrancy could be the perfect fit for you!