Why retirees are choosing celebrancy — and why it might be the best decision you ever make

From police officers and teachers to TV presenters and military veterans, a growing number of people over 45 are discovering that celebrancy offers something rare: a career that values your life experience, fits around your life, and fills every working day with genuine meaning.

When Channel 5 News invited AMC’s very own Penny Boycott to feature on the rise of celebrants in the UK, one statistic stood out: roughly 70% of trainees at the Academy of Modern Celebrancy are aged 45 or over. It’s a pattern that tells us something important about what people want from the next chapter of their working lives.

Across the country, there are now an estimated 4,000 active celebrants leading weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies, and celebrations of life. Many of them came to celebrancy after decades in completely different fields. They weren’t looking for ‘just a job.’ They were looking for something that mattered.

Why are so many people over 45 turning to celebrancy?

For many, the trigger isn’t a sudden flash of inspiration. It’s a quieter realisation that builds over time. Perhaps you’ve spent years in a career that offered security but not satisfaction. Perhaps you’ve hit a fixed retirement age in the police, fire service, or military and find yourself suddenly untethered from the structure that defined your days. Or perhaps your industry has moved on, leaving you feeling undervalued despite decades of expertise.

The truth is, many people leave full-time careers not entirely by choice. Fixed retirement ages, ageism in industries like sales and technology, and roles that don’t offer the flexibility to scale back when life demands shift — caring for elderly parents, helping with grandchildren — all push capable, experienced people out of the workforce before they’re ready.

Celebrancy offers a different proposition entirely. If you don’t need to work for financial survival, you can actively choose something that gives you more than a pay cheque. And if you do need an income, celebrancy can provide a genuine, flexible livelihood.

One celebrant featured on Channel 5 News shared that he’d already conducted around 100 wedding ceremonies and 25 to 30 funerals that year (October 2025) — proof that Celebrancy can be far more than a hobby. We see this echoed by many celebrants who’ve decided to go for it!

In celebrancy, your age is your greatest asset

Here’s something you won’t hear in many industries: being older is genuinely seen as a strength.

This is particularly true in funeral celebrancy. When a family is navigating one of the most difficult experiences of their lives, they want someone who brings maturity, empathy, and the kind of emotional intelligence that only comes from having lived. A 25-year-old fresh out of university may be talented, but a 55-year-old who has weathered loss, raised a family, navigated career changes, and understands the weight of a life well-lived brings something irreplaceable to the role.

The same applies to weddings. Couples want their celebrant to ‘get it’ — to understand the significance of what they’re committing to. Your life experience isn’t baggage. It’s the very thing that makes you extraordinary at this work.

Your transferable skills are more valuable than you think

One of the celebrants featured on the Channel 5 segment was Debbie, a former television presenter who made the switch to ceremonies. Her point was striking: years of writing scripts, presenting to camera, and staying composed under pressure translated directly to celebrancy. If you can remain calm when the news desk erupts, you can certainly handle a dog running off with the wedding ring.

But you don’t need a background in broadcasting to bring valuable skills. Consider what you’ve already developed over decades of working life:

• Communication and listening skills — essential for consultations with couples and bereaved families
• Writing ability — ceremony scripts are the heart of every celebrant’s work
• Public speaking and presentation — whether from teaching, management, or community roles
• Organisation and time management — running a small celebrant business requires exactly these skills
• Empathy and emotional intelligence — the qualities that make ceremonies deeply personal and meaningful

Celebrancy doesn’t ask you to start from scratch. It invites you to bring everything you’ve built and channel it into something profoundly rewarding.

More than a pay cheque: purpose, community, and creativity

Ask any working celebrant what keeps them going and you’ll rarely hear them talk about money first. They’ll talk about the couple who cried happy tears during their ceremony. The family who said their mum’s funeral was ‘exactly what she would have wanted.’ The energy of standing before a room full of people celebrating the most important moments of their lives.

As one celebrant put it on national television: “You feed off the energy that comes with the ceremony. You become instantly energised. It’s just the best feeling.”

Beyond the ceremonies themselves, celebrancy opens the door to a creative and social life that retirement can sometimes lack. You’ll write bespoke scripts, develop your personal brand, build a professional network, and become part of a supportive community of fellow celebrants. For people who have spent years in structured environments, this combination of independence and connection can be genuinely life-changing.

And if the thought of daytime television fills you with dread but you also want to choose how and when you spend your time, celebrancy offers that balance beautifully.

A career that fits around your life, not the other way around

One of the most compelling aspects of celebrancy as a later-life career is its flexibility. You decide how many ceremonies you take on. You can work weekends for weddings, weekdays for funerals, or a mix of both. You can work close to home or travel further afield. You can go full-time or keep it part-time alongside other commitments.

This flexibility isn’t just convenient — it’s essential for the life stage many over-45s find themselves in. Whether you’re juggling grandparent duties, supporting ageing parents, pursuing other interests, or simply wanting to work on your own terms, celebrancy adapts to you rather than demanding you adapt to it.

Weddings and funerals: two sides of the same meaningful coin

Many celebrants choose to train in both wedding and funeral celebrancy, and for good reason. Together, they offer a breadth of work that keeps the role varied, emotionally rich, and consistently in demand.

Wedding celebrancy places you at the heart of people’s happiest day. You work with couples to craft ceremonies that reflect who they truly are—their story, values, and personalities. No two ceremonies are the same, and that creative freedom is something celebrants consistently say they love.

Funeral celebrancy is equally powerful, though in a different tone. Families trust you to honour their loved one’s memory, to tell their story with care and authenticity, and to create a space for grief and celebration to sit side by side. It’s deeply moving work, and celebrants often describe it as one of the most meaningful things they’ve ever done.

Training in both gives you the widest range of opportunities and a career that moves between joy and solemnity, always grounded in the privilege of being present for life’s most significant moments.

How to get started: training with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy

If you’re reading this and thinking “this sounds like me,” then the next step is simpler than you might expect.

AMC’s training is delivered entirely online, meaning you can study from anywhere in the world, at your own pace, without needing to attend a physical classroom. You’ll be paired with an experienced celebrant mentor for one-to-one support, join weekly group Q&A sessions, and become part of a supportive community of fellow trainees and graduates.

The courses cover everything from ceremony writing and officiation skills to business setup and marketing — so you’ll graduate not just as a trained celebrant, but as someone equipped to build a thriving practice from day one.

Whether you choose to train in weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies, or go for the Master Celebrant programme that covers all three, AMC provides the tools, guidance, and ongoing support to help you succeed.

Ready to explore celebrancy as your next chapter?

Take the first step today. Visit our course page to explore AMC’s accredited training programmes, or take our free quiz to find out if celebrancy could be for you.

Your life experience isn’t behind you. It’s the foundation for something extraordinary.