Our Programme
Please ensure you have read the following website on how to become a celebrant in New Zealand
The Celebrants Training College programme comprises three courses. These are:
Each course begins with a weekend workshop which comprises 14 hours of face-to-face teaching via Zoom, by one of our four trainers. During the weekend, you will learn essential concepts, skills and knowledge to enable you to confidently begin celebrant practice. Workshop content is extended by a series of assignments. Delivered via our on-line learning platform, these assignments enable you to further develop your knowledge and skills. Throughout your on-line learning, your trainers give you support and feedback.
Our programme is offered flexibly and we suggest that you tailor the programme to your own needs and career aspirations. You may choose to:
Attend a weekend workshop and receive a Record of Attendance. Not a Certificate of Completion. Complete follow-up assignments and achieve competency, with support and feedback from one of your trainers.
- Successfully complete Marriage Celebrancy and Law - AND - Ceremonies and Business (weekend workshops and assignments) and obtain a Certificate in Marriage Celebrancy, and/or:
- Successfully complete Funeral Celebrancy - AND - Ceremonies and Business (weekend workshops and assignments) and obtain a Certificate in Funeral Celebrancy, and/or:
- Successfully complete all three courses (weekend workshops and assignments) and obtain a Diploma in Celebrancy.
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Please note our courses are always subject to achieving minimum numbers. Once minimum numbers are achieved we will notify each student enrolled.
Our Courses
We offer the following courses:
Marriage Celebrancy and the Law
By the end of the training you will be able to:
- Describe the legal responsibilities of the couple and the celebrant
- Discuss marriage ceremony structure and components
- Discuss marriage ceremony as a rite-of-passage ceremony
- Explain and apply the three-stage transition model
- Describe a step-by-step process from client booking to post-ceremony reflection
- Develop key documents and resource
- Demonstrate effective client interviewing skill
- Demonstrate spiritual and cultural responsivenes
- Demonstrate personalisation of ceremony with words, music, ritual enactments and movement
- Write a marriage ceremony
- Deliver a marriage ceremony - (provided you are legal authorised authorised)
9am-4pm each day
Capacity: 16
Face to Face Cost: $695.00
Online Live Zoom Cost: $595.00
Creating Excellent Ceremonies and Business
Ceremonial Writing
By the end of the first part of the weekend workshop, you should be able to understand:
- Ceremony as a rite of passage
- The elements and structure of an effective ceremony
- Creating an engaging story within a ceremony
- Rituals and traditions
- Effective use of poetry and readings
- Crafting beginnings, endings and links
- Style, flow and rhythm
The Celebrant Business
By the end of the second part of the weekend workshop, you should be able to:
- Describe the features of an effective celebrant business
- Discuss the rationale for a business plan
- Discuss issues in working from home
- Identify the components of a business plan
- Write components of a business plan that includes:
- Business strategy
- Legal framework
- Marketing research and promotion
- Marketing strategy
- Financial plan
Saturday 02 August, 2025 - 9:00 am
Saturday 01 November, 2025 - 9:00 am
Saturday 11 October, 2025 - 9:00 am
9am-4pm each day
Capacity: 16
Face to Face Cost: $695.00
Online Live Zoom Cost: $595.00
Funeral Celebrancy
- The funeral service as a rite of passage ceremony
- Step-by-step process: from booking to post-service reflection
- Working with grieving people
- Cultural considerations
- Documents and resources
- Client interviewing
- Writing the service: structure and content
- Effective funeral service delivery
- The funeral director – celebrant relationship
- Self-care
9am-4pm each day
Capacity: 16
Face to Face Cost: $695.00
Online Live Zoom Cost: $595.00
