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- Celebrate a variety of ceremonies, or specialise in one area
- Use sensitivity and good communication skills to help individuals with funerals or weddings
- Opportunities to set up your own business
As a celebrant, you'll usually be self-employed, helping those in need of planning weddings, funerals or naming ceremonies.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Meeting with couples and families to plan the ceremony they want
- Offering practical advice on things like venues, music and timings
- Helping clients to write personal vows, tributes or readings
- Organising a rehearsal before the actual event
- Leading the ceremony on the day
- Making sure everyone is involved in the ceremony
- Advising clients about legal obligations, like registering a marriage
- Producing a copy of the ceremony for the clients to keep
- Marketing your business to attract clients
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You'll usually combine celebrant work with a second career, such as wedding planning, events management or funeral directing.
You could work at a venue, client's home or place or worship. Your work might be outdoors some of the time.
You'll need
This role is ideal for someone with sensitivity and understanding, customer service skills, excellent verbal communication skills, business management skills, the ability to work well with others, leadership skills, and the ability to use your initiative.
You do not need formal qualifications to become a celebrant, although training may help your career prospects. There are a number of different courses you can do with private training providers and through organisations like Humanists UK. Courses include a Level 3 Certificate and Diploma in Celebrancy; wedding, funeral and naming ceremonies training; and a postgraduate Master's in Existential Humanist and Pastoral Care.
Experience in wedding or event planning can prove helpful but is not essential.
You'll also need to pass background checks for this role.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could train to conduct different types of ceremonies, or set up your own celebrant training business. You could also offer related services, like wedding or event planning. You could even use your skills to move into areas like counselling, such as bereavement counselling or family mediation.