Meet our Celebrant Mentors & Team
At the Academy of Modern Celebrancy, you’re not learning from career trainers.
You’re learning from working celebrants at the top of their game.
Our mentor team brings together award-winning celebrants, former registrars, business owners, educators and industry leaders, each actively working in the field and shaping the future of modern celebrancy.
This means everything you learn is grounded in real experience, real ceremonies, and real insight into what it takes to build a successful, sustainable celebrant career today.
From crafting unforgettable ceremonies to building thriving businesses, our mentors don’t just teach the work, they live it.
And they’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Learn from the People Who Are Living the Career You Want
Behind every successful celebrant is experience, confidence, and the right guidance.
At AMC, our mentors are not just teachers, they are working celebrants, industry leaders and business owners who have built careers doing what you’re here to do.
They bring decades of combined experience across weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies, alongside expertise in public speaking, leadership, marketing and business growth.
They know what works, what doesn’t, and how to help you find your own voice as a celebrant.
Because this isn’t just about learning how to conduct a ceremony.
It’s about becoming the celebrant you’re meant to be.
Penelope BoycottCELEBRANT MENTOR - WEDDINGS, NAMINGS & FUNERALS & COURSE MANAGER
With over 20 years industry experience, Penny really knows about what makes for an incredible, modern and personalised ceremony. A former Registrar now sought-after celebrant, she is dedicated to sharing the knowledge and experience of thousands of ceremonies with AMC celebrants and is something she feels privileged to do. Her passion to offer everyone unique and imaginative ceremonies for every life moment has enabled her to travel the globe doing a job she loves. She loves nothing more than the hustle of a little coffee shop and is rarely without a chocolate bar to hand.
Miranda AshCELEBRANT MENTOR - WEDDINGS
Sonal DaveCELEBRANT MENTOR - WEDDINGS, NAMINGS & FUNERALS
Sonal is an Award-Winning Celebrant, Toastmaster and Public Speaking Expert. After 20 plus years as a Civil Servant, Sonal is now doing what she loves to do. She really knows how to engage and interact with couples and families both before bookings, during the creation of ceremonies and on the day. Sonal has good knowledge and experience of the Asian Religion and Culture and specialises in both Asian and Multicultural Life Events, in the UK and across the globe. Sonal is able to combine and merge rituals from different religions and cultures, ensuring that respect is given at all times.
Her creativity, her communication skills and her ability to sing make Sonal an invaluable member of the AMC team. Sonal loves Chips, Cake, Chocolate and Champagne.
Laura CrockettCELEBRANT MENTOR - WEDDINGS & NAMINGS
Laura has been a Celebrant for 5 years and has conducted ceremonies across the UK and Europe. When she got married in 2017 she knew she wanted to work in the wedding industry and Laura loves to celebrate life so becoming a celebrant felt like the perfect choice.
Laura completed her training while working as a Breakfast Radio Presenter (she started work at 5am so luckily she had the afternoons free for all the studying!). After having her first baby in 2021 she decided the early starts wouldn’t work well around the family so she decided to focus on her celebrant career full time.
Laura is now a mum to two beautiful boys and lives with her husband, children and 2 dogs in between Stratford Upon Avon and The Cotswolds!
Laura loves nothing more than really getting to know her couples and families, and with her background in radio she knows how to tell a story and put on a great show!
Sarah WickhamCELEBRANT MENTOR - FUNERALS
Sarah trained to become a celebrant in 2012, after working for a number of years in bereavement services, as she wanted to offer more support to families with personal farewells and celebrations of life.
Since then, her love of nature and passion for 'making things personal' has led her to specialise in family focused, eco-friendly ceremonies. Creating down to earth ceremonies of love and celebrations of life. Her passion for personal, eco-friendly funerals led to her opening her own natural burial ground in 2019, which she runs with her husband Dan, their son Jesse, and the support of Leedam.
She loves nothing more than a walk down the meadow with her very fluffy dog Luna and a good cup of coffee.
Inspiring others to find their way has always been important to her, so she's really excited that she can help to inspire AMC students as they start their celebrant journey.
Marcia BravoCELEBRANT MENTOR - WEDDINGS
Marcia has been a celebrant for several years conducting ceremonies across Spain, Portugal and other parts of the UK. Marcia loves offering vibrant ceremonies in English or a fusion of English and Spanish. Her ceremonies embrace, reflect and interpret the couple´s story in a way that the couple can identify, using colour metaphors. She has had a career spanning more than 20 years in the UK charity sector leading and coaching teams supporting vulnerable individuals. Her vault of knowledge, skills and experience make the role of celebrant and mentor a natural evolution in her motivation and support life ethic. She´s excited to join the AMC mentor family to help shape and motivate the next generation of students to feel confident, be their true selves, ready to lance their celebrant career.
Julie ChudleighCELEBRANT MENTOR - WEDDINGS, NAMINGS & FUNERALS
Julie had been planning on a change of career well before the dramatic twists brought on by the global pandemic; a lifetime in the education system had been rewarding in many ways but she could feel increasing burn-out as a headteacher. What seemed like awfully bad timing put an end to the purchase of a wedding venue, but Julie stayed focused on being content in every moment, wanting a greater sense of purpose in her life and feeling the reward of a job well done; she trained with Jen as a celebrant and the rest, as they say, is history.
Julie's been propelled into a dream career. She has forged a thriving business across all ceremony types, has written and published two books (with number three on the way) and is delighted to be able to offer mentoring support to others wishing to step into the dazzling arena of celebrancy.
Our recent graduate said: " It has been my privilege to be mentored by you. As soon as we had the first zoom call it felt so right, and meant to be.
Enormous thank you for your wisdom and kindness shared with me, you have certainly shaped my journey.
It would be my absolute honour conduct your celebration of life; I mirror what you said about it being a good few years off- the world needs people like you!
Thank you, Jennifer and team for matching me with Julie, the perfect mentor.
I am so excited to be at the start of this wonderful journey into a new career and just want to give huge thanks all round."
Helen JubbCELEBRANT MENTOR - WEDDINGS & NAMINGS
As a former newspaper and magazine journalist, Helen prides herself on asking the right questions and building a great relationship with her couples in order to write the perfect script.
Helen's style is very much a mix of humour and heartfelt - it is all about rolling in the aisles laughing one moment and shedding a tear the next.
With an added background in teaching journalism and event management, Helen is thoroughly enjoying mentoring our AMC students, passing on her top tips and picking up on grammatical errors!
Helen changed career after the lightbulb moment of her own celebrant-led ceremony when she married eight years ago. When not running around after her two young children, Helen can often be found at a gig or festival or just dancing around her kitchen to some 80s classics.
Christine MabbottCELEBRANT MENTOR - FUNERALS
Christine’s career is now in its 4th decade and her C.V. is bursting with solid business experience in client liaison, team building, training, creative writing, presenting and officiating. She believes in creating a healthy work/life balance by building her career from and around the things she enjoys doing.
She trained as a Funeral Celebrant in 2018 and has extensive experience supporting and guiding families to create ceremonies to honour and pay tribute to their loved ones. Working alongside her industry colleagues Christine has provided ceremonies for people from all walks of life and in many different circumstances.
Christine is excited to be part of the AMC’s dynamic mentoring team and using her creative skills, vast experience and sense of fun to inspire students as they start and continue in their celebrant journey with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy.
Nikki WoodSTUDENT CHAMPION
Nikki is an award-winning Wedding Celebrant with a background in public speaking, training, and client-facing roles. After a 25-year corporate career leading project training across Europe, she followed her passion for storytelling and connection into celebrancy, and hasn’t looked back.
Warm, thoughtful, and highly organised, Nikki brings a unique blend of creativity and professionalism to the ceremonies she crafts. She works closely with each couple to create heartfelt, bespoke celebrations that truly reflect their journey.
As our Student Champion, Nikki provides dedicated support during the key stages of our students' training journey, offering encouragement, insight, and a personal touch as students progress and prepare to graduate.
She brings a wealth of real-world experience, positivity, and encouragement to the role, offering insight, reassurance, and inspiration from day one.
Katie Keen CELEBRANT MENTOR - WEDDINGS
Katie has been creating warm, heartfelt and deeply personal ceremonies across Kent and the South East since 2013. Her journey into Celebrancy grew from several years spent as a local authority Registrar of Marriages, following a rich earlier career with AEA Technology and the Atomic Energy Authority, where she gained management qualifications and developed strengths in business and risk management.
Known for her kindness, calm confidence and genuine love of people, Katie brings professionalism and authenticity to every ceremony she performs. As a Celebrant Mentor, she’s excited to be supporting new AMC student celebrants as they grow in ability and confidence.
When she’s not taking weddings, Katie enjoys strength training, comedy and live music plus she’s a sucker for cocktails, coffee and cats!
Jackie Warburton CELEBRANT MENTOR - WEDDINGS
Jackie brings a rare blend of ceremony expertise and leadership experience to her role as a celebrant mentor. As a former Registrar, she has conducted countless legal ceremonies and understands the structure, responsibility and precision required to deliver them with confidence and professionalism. Prior to this, her career in education, culminating in her role as a Headteacher, equipped her with exceptional skills in public speaking, leadership and creating calm, supportive environments, all of which translate seamlessly into guiding and mentoring others.
While her time as a Registrar gave her invaluable insight into the legal and logistical side of ceremonies, Jackie found herself drawn to something more personal and meaningful. Wanting to create ceremonies that truly reflect each couple’s story, she launched her own celebrant business in 2019. Since then, she has developed a reputation for delivering warm, relaxed and deeply personal ceremonies, performing over 150 to date.
An incurable romantic, Jackie has been happily married for over four decades and brings that same passion for love stories into every ceremony she creates and every student she supports.
Arabella WildeCELEBRANT MENTOR - WEDDINGS & FUNERALS
After living for many years in Australia and Southern California, Arabella returned to the UK in 2019. Having come from a background in graphic design and magazine publishing, she discovered her vocation as a celebrant after officiating her daughter’s wedding.
Known for her warmth, professionalism and ability to put people at ease, Arabella prides herself on writing each individual story from the heart, making sure always to include humour (when appropriate!). Although she has only been a working celebrant since the start of 2024, Arabella has managed to create a successful business, leading funerals, weddings, both in the UK and overseas, vow renewals and naming ceremonies.
It has been a life-changing experience, and Arabella has fully embraced her new career. She can’t think of anything better than helping guide students towards their own, personal success as celebrants.
Arabella is a big fan of chocolate, wine, dog walks with her Irish Terrier, John and time spent with her three gorgeous children.
Sarah BCELEBRANT MENTOR - WEDDINGS, FUNERALS & NAMINGS
As a celebrant mentor, Sarah brings nine years of ceremony experience, a Masters in Theatre and a genuine passion for helping others find their confidence — a combination that makes her an exceptional guide for students at any stage of their training.
A specialist in inclusive ceremonies, Sarah trained in British Sign Language in 2022 and is now in demand for her signed ceremonies for Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities — a specialism that speaks to her broader belief that great celebrancy is about meeting people exactly where they are.
With hundreds of weddings, namings and funerals conducted across North Wales, and a reputation strong enough that fellow professionals recommend her without question, Sarah knows what it takes to build a successful, sustainable celebrant career. She's here to help AMC students do the same.
When she's not working, you'll find her at the theatre, deep in a book, or at home with her partner, four cats and a dog.
Grace WeatherburnCELEBRANT MENTOR - FUNERALS
Grace has been a funeral celebrant since 2021, taking pride in creating meaningful, personalised ceremonies that truly reflect the character, values and stories of each life with care, warmth and authenticity. It's got to be unique, because we are, and that should be celebrated! Grace is, by nature, calm, compassionate and inclusive, which is always her approach. Having been a drug and alcohol worker and 999 Call Operator, this has been handy!
Grace aims to encourage open conversations about grief and loss, and she also runs a Death Café for her local community. We are always learning, and each funeral brings its own nuances, and that is why Grace loves what she does and can't wait to share this with celebrants in training. She can't imagine anything else being as fulfilling or as purposeful, except maybe running a cat sanctuary!
Nia BatesSTUDENT CHAMPION
Nia is a Wedding Celebrant and Celebrant Mentor who brings a powerful blend of creativity, professionalism and real-world business experience to her role. After 15 years as a lawyer, she transitioned into celebrancy in search of a more meaningful, people-focused career. She understands the AMC journey well, having trained with us before going onto co-found Seren Celebrants with her husband, Huw, building an award-winning celebrant business.
Since 2017, Nia has also co-run a successful entertainment agency, giving her a strong foundation in marketing, client experience and business growth, which she now shares with students as they build their own celebrant careers.
Known for her warmth, attention to detail and ability to put people at ease.
Outside of celebrancy, Nia enjoys gin, iced coffee, 90s music and a well-timed Friends quote.
An Industry-Leading Mentor Team, Setting the Standard for Modern Celebrancy
Our mentors are the difference.
At the Academy of Modern Celebrancy, you’ll be guided by a carefully selected team of highly experienced, working celebrants, many of whom are award-winning and recognised leaders within the industry.
Their backgrounds span education, leadership, registrar services, performance, and entrepreneurship, bringing a depth of knowledge that goes far beyond traditional training.
This is mentorship rooted in real-world experience, designed to give you not just skills, but confidence, clarity, and a competitive edge.
Active, working celebrants across weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies
Award-winning professionals recognised within the industry
Includes former registrars with deep understanding of ceremony structure and legal frameworks
Experts in public speaking, storytelling and ceremony design
Business owners with real-world marketing and growth experience
Educators and leaders skilled in guiding and supporting others
Maximise your career in Celebrancy with our industry-recognised Master training in Wedding, Funeral and Family Celebrancy.
- 3-in-1 certificated course
- expert training & 1-1 mentorship
- access bonus training & resources
Become an Independent Wedding Celebrant. Learn everything you need to personalise, plan, write and officiate meaningful wedding ceremonies with confidence & thrive as a Celebrant.
- certificated course
- expert training & 1-1 mentorship
- access bonus training & resources
Our expert-guided curriculum covers everything you need to become a funeral celebrant, from working with grieving families to crafting & delivering personalised funeral ceremonies with confidence and poise.
- certificated course
- expert training & 1-1 mentorship
- access bonus training & resources
Not sure where to begin? Start here:
Are you a Celebrantin the making?
Find out if you have what it takes to be a celebrant and if now is the time for you to start this new chapter.
