Should I become a celebrant?

If you love meeting people, creative writing, are good at public speaking, and want to get into an industry that supports people at pivotal moments in their life, then Celebrancy could be a great career move.

Have you ever witnessed a beautiful wedding ceremony or a touching memorial and thought about the person who orchestrated it so gracefully? Have you wondered whether you could become a Celebrant and if it’s the career for you?

If you’re considering whether to become a celebrant, there are some things to know and questions to ask before you take the plunge into this exciting career.

Becoming a celebrant can be exciting and meaningful and give you a renewed sense of purpose, but it’s not for everyone. We’re here to help you decide if it’s the right path for you. Let’s explore what it means to be a celebrant and whether this fulfilling career aligns with your aspirations and talents.

What is the role of a celebrant?

A celebrant’s role extends far beyond just officiating ceremonies. They craft personalised experiences, weaving in stories, traditions, and values unique to each occasion. Whether it’s a wedding, a funeral, a naming ceremony, or a renewal of vows, celebrants create and perform tailored ceremonies that reflect the personalities and wishes of those involved. Their work is an art—a blend of creativity, empathy, and organization.

Understand that the different types of celebrants perform different roles and often require a different set of skills and strengths:

• As a Wedding celebrant, you’ll get creative, write ceremonies, meet people, and officiate ceremonies in fabulous locations. You’re responsible to helping people celebrate their union.
• The role of a Funeral Celebrant includes supporting families in times of grief and helping them navigate saying goodbye to a loved one, it needs a completely different set of qualities and traits.
• The ability to work with babies and children is a pre-requisite for Naming Celebrants whose role is to help people celebrate and welcome children into their family and community.

Would I make a good Celebrant?

Celebrancy isn’t a job – it’s a calling, and the best celebrants all share the same thing – Passion! So, if you’re wondering if you have the qualities that make a good celebrant, that’s a good place to start. If you don’t get that excited buzz thinking about delivering ceremonies or supporting families, then you can probably stop reading now.

If you answer yes to 3 or more of the following, you’re probably an excellent celebrant in the making:

• Are you creative and confident?
• Do you thrive being around other people?
• Are you up for a challenge and do you love to learn?
• Do you love writing and creating beautiful stories?
• Do you love rituals and ceremonies?
• Do you have a way with words?
• Are you a captivating speaker – do people listen when you speak?
• Are you inspired to help people express their love or share their stories?
• Are you a born leader and a self-starter?
• Do you have skills or connections you know will help you become a successful celebrant?

How do I become a Celebrant?

The path to becoming a Celebrant is a pretty smooth one, thanks to training courses like ours that combine foundational celebrancy skills with everything else you need to know to become a Celebrant.

In a nutshell, to become a Celebrant, you’ll need to:

• Choose your celebrant training organisation
• Train as a Celebrant to understand the celebrant industry, the role and its requirements and learn how to plan, write, and conduct bespoke ceremonies
• set up your celebrant business and create a plan to get bookings
• market your celebrant business via website, social media, celebrant directories, networking & outreach

Questions to ask yourself before becoming a celebrant

Certain traits are essential to being a successful celebrant. Ask yourself:

• Do I have a passion for storytelling? Celebrants share and create stories that resonate with others.
• Am I empathetic and sensitive to others’ needs? You’ll be working with people during some of the most emotional times of their lives.
• Am I a good listener? Am I easy to talk to and do i truly ‘hear’ people when they talk?
• Can I confidently speak in public? Public speaking is a core skill for any celebrant.
• Am I organized and detail-oriented? Planning and executing a ceremony requires meticulous attention to detail.

Still not sure? Read on, and Take our Celebrant Quiz 

Deciding What type of Celebrancy is Right for You

Many of our students start their Celebrant journey draft to one specific type of celebrancy, be it funeral or wedding celebrancy, and then decide as they’re learning to expand their horizons and become what we call a ‘master celebrant’ offering all three types of celebrancy for the variety and balance it provides them. We’ve broken down to questions you can ask yourself to decide what type of celebrancy is right for you:

Should I become a Wedding Celebrant?

Do you love weddings, and are you captivated by the magical moments they create? Have you been thinking about starting a new business and doing a job that brings you and others happiness?

Becoming a wedding celebrant isn’t a job; it’s a doorway into an exciting world where every day is filled with joy and meaning. If you’re looking for a career where you can make your mark, where you can share in people’s joy, be part of their most memorable moments and express who you really are, becoming a Wedding Celebrant could be the perfect career move for you.

If you become a wedding celebrant, you will attend a lot of weddings! So if you are nosey, love to see how others put together their big day, want to get involved and love ‘love’, then becoming a celebrant is definitely for you.

You can choose how many weddings you want to officiate every year and work around your own schedule. Weddings take place every day of the week now, so be prepared to work mid-week and weekends, but expect your summers to be busy; it’s the peak season for weddings.

If you’re lucky and market your business right, there might be some travel involved, and you can visit beautiful places.

It’s perfectly possible to be a full-time or part-time wedding celebrant

Wedding Celebrancy is for you if:

• You love meeting people and being part of their celebrations
• You’re excited by being creative and enjoy public speaking
• You love being in beautiful surroundings and venues
• You love to write stories and connect with new people of all backgrounds
• You are looking for more freedom in your life and more flexibility with a job that works around you  

Find out about our Accredited Wedding Celebrant Training

Should I become a Funeral Celebrant?

Becoming a funeral celebrant is a profoundly meaningful vocation that demands a distinctive combination of personal qualities.

This role isn’t just about conducting a ceremony; it’s about providing support, understanding, and comfort to families during one of the most challenging times in their lives. It can be hard at times because you’re dealing with people in times of grief, but the job is incredibly meaningful with a real sense of purpose.

The hours are flexible, with no late nights, and you can choose when you work and how often. The work is generally mid-week as well, so if you want your weekends free, this career is ideal. Funeral celebrancy is harder to fit around other jobs but we find the role appeals to those considering early retirement, who aren’t ready to stop working entirely. It’s also a great full-time job.

Funeral Celebrancy is for you if:

• You’re a compassionate, empathic person
• You love meeting people and supporting others in their time of need
• You are looking to start a new career in an industry that changes lives
• You love to write stories and connect with new people of all backgrounds
• You are looking for more freedom in your life and more flexibility with a job that works around you  

Find out about our Accredited Funeral Celebrant Training

Should I become a Naming Celebrant?

If you love being around, babies, kids and families and want to inject some fun and celebration in your life, then becoming a Naming or Family Celebrant could be right up your street.

Naming Celebrancy is for you if:

• You love the idea of celebrating love, life and family
• You are captivated by the magical moments that new life offers
• You get excited by being creative and telling stories is your thing
• You love the idea of creating innovative naming ceremonies
• You are looking for more freedom in your life and more flexibility with a job that works around you
• You enjoy making new connections and want to be part of the most special moments in life
• You want to love what you do and have a career path that’s stress-free

The hours are flexible, and late nights are incredibly rare. You can choose when you work and how often, so it’s easy to fit around other work. Expect to be working at the weekend, though, with the occasional mid-week event.

Naming Celebrancy a perfect job to do part-time, or as a side hustle to create additional income. Celebrants will often offer naming celebrant services alongside Wedding or Funeral ceremonies.

Find out about our Accredited Naming Celebrant Training

The rewards of being a Celebrant 

The rewards of being a Celebrant are almost endless, there are numerous hidden benefits; for those who’ve made the leap, a career in Celebrancy feels like the gift that keeps on giving. Here are just some of the benefits you can expect with the job:

• A fulfilling role: Creating unique wedding ceremonies for couples is immensely fulfilling. The joy of crafting personalized stories or poems and performing them for someone is unparalleled. There’s also the joy of creative expression as well as the privilege of being part of people’s most cherished moments.
• No two ceremonies or days are the same – you’ll be crafting ceremonies that are as unique as the individuals you’re celebrating and your job is varied from one day to the next.
• Flexible hours – For many, the role offers flexibility and autonomy, allowing you to shape your career around your lifestyle.
• Becoming Your Own Boss: As a celebrant, you can start your own business, work on your own terms, and enjoy the freedom of choosing when, where, and for whom you work.
• A Job for Life: With consistent demand for celebrant-led weddings and ceremonies, this career offers long-term stability and continual opportunities for work.
• Creating New Connections: whether it’s the couples or families you’re working with, the people and suppliers you’ll meet or the supportive celebrant community you get to join, being around amazing people is definitely a bonus of being a Celebrant. The role allows you to meet and network with like-minded individuals, fostering friendships and professional relationships within the industry​​.

The Challenges of Becoming a Celebrant

While rewarding, the role of a celebrant can also be challenging. You’re often working during weekends and holidays, times when most ceremonies occur. Emotional resilience is key, especially for Funeral Celebrants, as you’ll be dealing with sensitive situations and grieving families. The profession also requires continuous learning and adaptation to meet the diverse needs of those you serve.

And don’t forget, as an independent Celebrant, you’re running your own business, so it does come with the challenges of managing customer enquiries, marketing yourself and staying organised.

Real Celebrant Stories

Vikki Harris: A Lancashire-based, Marketing Director turned Wedding Celebrant

Starting out completely new to the industry, Vikki was so excited to become part of creating dream weddings ceremonies.

Coming from a background in tourism, Vikki use her skills in marketing to accelerate her business so quickly she secured bookings during the course!

Read more: Celebrant Success Stories.

Do I need a qualification to become a celebrant?

In the UK, it is recommended that you train as a celebrant. This gives you the credibility and the knowledge you need to do the role successfully. Training to become a celebrant is crucial. At The Academy of Modern Celebrancy, we offer comprehensive training that covers all aspects of celebrancy. From crafting ceremonies to understanding the legalities in different regions, our training equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to excel. And, importantly, how to build a successful business as a Celebrant. Remember, becoming a skilled celebrant takes time and dedication.

FAQ: How much can I earn as a celebrant?

This is all dependent on how much time you have to put into your business and how many hours you want to work. As a celebrant you can choose when you work and how many ceremonies you take on. As a general rule of thumb, celebrants earn between £500-£1500 a ceremony.

Wedding Celebrants in the UK are currently charging between £600-£1500 per ceremony (2023/24), with some outliers charging as much as £2500 for a wedding ceremony.

Our experienced Full-time Wedding Celebrants are generally conducting between 50-60 weddings a year, and earnings vary between £30,000 – £100,000 a year, depending on their rates. 

Funeral Celebrants typically charge anywhere between £250 – £500 (2023/24) per ceremony and a Full-time Funeral Celebrant might expect to conduct anywhere between 3 and 5 funeral ceremonies per week. Full-time Funeral Celebrants can expect to earn anywhere between £39,000 to £100,000+

Average Prices for Naming Ceremonies for 2023/24 are typically £200-£400, but we’ve seen established Celebrants charging as much as £675 and most celebrants offer these as an add-on service.

Deciding to become a Celebrant

Deciding to become a celebrant is not a choice to be made lightly. It’s about understanding yourself, your skills, and your willingness to commit to a role that deeply affects others’ lives. We encourage aspiring celebrants to shadow experienced professionals, attend workshops, and immerse themselves in the celebrant community to gain a true understanding of what the job entails.

Being a celebrant is about more than just leading ceremonies; it’s about crafting experiences that leave a lasting imprint on people’s hearts. If you’re drawn to a career that combines creativity, empathy, and the joy of celebrating life’s milestones, then this might just be your calling. Take your time, do your research, and if you decide to embark on this journey, know that it’s one of the most rewarding paths you can take.

Have you got what it takes?: Take our Celebrant Quiz 

How do I train to become a celebrant?

Training is crucial to become a celebrant. At The Academy of Modern Celebrancy, we offer comprehensive celebrant training courses. From crafting ceremonies to understanding the legalities in different regions, our training equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to excel. Remember, becoming a skilled celebrant takes time and dedication.

We support you with online 1-2-1 coaching sessions and group sessions, and give you access to your own hub of video and workbook tutorials. When you enrol with AMC, you become part of a team of celebrants that will help you learn how to be a celebrant and how to be successful too. Business skills are just as important as training to be a celebrant and this is our focus. Your success is our success so we are with you all the way!

Ready to find out more? Get in touch to book a call with us or jump on in and enrol. This is the start of an amazing new chapter of your life. You won’t look back.

Photo Credit: Samantha Kelsie Celebrant.