Welcome to the team: meet AMC’s new mentors

AMC’s mentor team has always been one of the things that sets us apart. Every student who trains with us is guided by a working celebrant — someone actively in the field, conducting real ceremonies, and building a real business. That’s not window dressing; it’s the foundation of everything we teach. And now, that foundation just got stronger.

We’re delighted to introduce five new celebrant mentors and a new student champion joining our already exceptional team. Together, they bring decades of combined experience across weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies, alongside backgrounds spanning law, education, registrar services, graphic design and performance. Whether you’re just starting out or preparing to graduate, there’s never been a better time to train with AMC.

Why a growing mentor team matters for you

Wedding season is peak time for celebrants — and rightly so. Our mentors are working professionals, which is exactly what makes them such valuable guides. Expanding the team means that even during the busiest periods of the celebrant calendar, every AMC student receives the responsive, personalised support they deserve. You’ll never be left waiting when you need feedback, encouragement or a question answered.

This is mentorship from people who are living the career you’re building. Meet the newest members of the team.

Katie Keen – CELEBRANT MENTOR — WEDDINGS

Katie has been creating heartfelt, deeply personal wedding ceremonies across Kent and the South East since 2013, which means she brings over a decade of real-world experience to her mentoring role. Before celebrancy, she spent several years as a local authority Registrar of Marriages — a background that gives her a rare understanding of both the formal requirements and the deeply human side of ceremony.

Earlier in her career, Katie worked with AEA Technology and the Atomic Energy Authority, where she developed management qualifications and a strong foundation in business and risk management. It’s a combination that makes her an unusually well-rounded guide: she understands the craft of ceremony, the legalities, and the practicalities of running a celebrant business.

“Known for her kindness, calm confidence and genuine love of people, Katie brings professionalism and authenticity to every ceremony she performs.”

When she’s not officiating weddings, Katie enjoys strength training, live music and comedy — and she’ll never say no to a cocktail, a good coffee, or a cat.

Jackie Warburton– CELEBRANT MENTOR — WEDDINGS

Jackie’s path to celebrancy is the kind that produces truly exceptional mentors. A former Headteacher, she brings skills in public speaking, leadership and creating calm, supportive environments that translate directly into guiding students with confidence and clarity. Before that, her time as a Registrar gave her an intimate understanding of the structure and precision that ceremonies require.

What drew Jackie towards independent celebrancy was the desire for something more personal. In 2019, she launched her own celebrant business and has since performed over 150 ceremonies, building a reputation for warm, relaxed and deeply personal weddings that truly reflect each couple’s story.

“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.”

For students who want a mentor with deep roots in both education and the ceremony world, Jackie is an exceptional match.

Arabella Wilde – CELEBRANT MENTOR — WEDDINGS & FUNERALS

Arabella’s route into celebrancy is one of the most distinctive on the team. After years in Australia and Southern California, she returned to the UK in 2019 with a background in graphic design and magazine publishing — creative skills that now inform the way she crafts individual stories and brings personality to every ceremony she writes.

Her celebrant career began in the most personal of ways: officiating her own daughter’s wedding. That experience unlocked a vocation. Since the start of 2024, Arabella has built a successful celebrant business that spans weddings, funerals, vow renewals and naming ceremonies — in the UK and overseas. The pace of that growth speaks for itself.

“Arabella prides herself on writing each individual story from the heart, making sure always to include humour when appropriate — because the best ceremonies feel like they could only ever have been written for that one person.”

Arabella is a champion of chocolate, wine, dog walks with her Irish Terrier John, and time with her three children. She’s also genuinely excited to help AMC students find their own path to success — because she knows exactly what that journey feels like.

Grace Weatherburn– CELEBRANT MENTOR — FUNERALS

Grace has been a funeral celebrant since 2021, and in that time she has built a practice grounded in something essential: the belief that every life is unique, and every farewell should reflect that. Her approach is calm, compassionate and inclusive — qualities she brings equally to her ceremonies and to her mentoring.

Her background is unusual and well-suited to the role. Having worked as a drug and alcohol support worker and a 999 call operator, Grace has spent years showing up for people in their most difficult moments. That experience has made her exceptionally attuned to the emotional weight of funeral celebrancy — and to what students need as they prepare for it.

Grace also runs a Death Café for her local community, encouraging open conversations about grief and loss. She brings that same openness to her work with AMC students: a genuine belief that talking about death, and doing it well, is one of the most important things a celebrant can offer.

“Each funeral brings its own nuances, and that is why Grace loves what she does — and she can’t wait to share that with celebrants in training.”

Sarah Bowness – CELEBRANT MENTOR — WEDDINGS, FUNERALS & NAMINGS

Sarah has been creating ceremonies since 2016, when she qualified as a wedding and naming celebrant after nearly a decade working in the wedding industry as a vocalist and wedding planner’s assistant. Her move into celebrancy wasn’t planned — she came across the word ‘celebrant’ whilst researching registrar roles, and everything changed. Nine years on, she still describes officiating a wedding as winning the lottery.

Funeral celebrancy came later, and almost by accident. Invited back by her course co-ordinator to complete the funeral training, Sarah discovered it was the area where she felt most completely herself — and she has since conducted hundreds of bespoke, dignified ceremonies for bereaved families across North Wales.

Sarah holds a Masters in Theatre and trained in British Sign Language in 2022, and is now in demand for her inclusive signed ceremonies for Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. It’s a specialism that speaks to her broader commitment to making celebrancy accessible to everyone.

“Known for her down-to-earth personality and her ability to adapt to ever-changing situations, Sarah has built an excellent reputation on the wedding scene where professionals recommend her without question.”

As a mentor, she’s particularly focused on helping students find their own self-belief and confidence. When she’s not working, you’ll find her at the theatre or deep in a book — her performing background will always draw her back to the stage.

A new student champion: Nia Bates

Nia is a wedding celebrant and AMC graduate who understands the training journey from the inside. After 15 years as a lawyer, she made the leap into celebrancy in search of a more meaningful, people-focused career — and she knows exactly what it takes to make that transition with confidence.

Since training with AMC, Nia has co-founded Seren Celebrants with her husband Huw, building an award-winning celebrant business. She has also co-run a successful entertainment agency since 2017, which has given her genuine expertise in marketing, client experience and business growth — knowledge she now shares directly with students as they build their own practices.

“Nia brings a powerful blend of creativity, professionalism and real-world business experience to her role — and she understands the AMC journey well, having walked it herself.”

As student champion, Nia will be offering encouragement and practical insight at the moments students need it most: as they grow in confidence, approach their assessments and prepare to graduate into the industry.

Outside of celebrancy, Nia enjoys gin, iced coffee, 90s music and a well-timed Friends quote.

An already exceptional team, now even stronger

Katie, Jackie, Arabella, Grace, Sarah and Nia join a mentor team that already includes Penelope Boycott, Miranda Ash, Sonal Dave, Laura Crockett, Sarah Wickham, Marcia Bravo, Julie Chudleigh, Helen Jubb, Christine Mabbott and student champion Nikki Wood — all working celebrants at the top of their field, each bringing real ceremonies, real experience and genuine investment in student success.

This is what AMC mentorship looks like: not career trainers, but people who are living the career you want. People who know the highs and the harder moments, and who are here to guide you through both.

If you’re ready to find out whether celebrancy is the right move for you, the best place to start is our free quiz.