Celebrating Community

Celebrant-led ceremonies are becoming ever more popular for hatchings, matchings and dispatchings – but what about the many other kinds of occasions that have traditionally been marked with ritual?

This course will examine the what, why and how of community celebrancy, inspiring and equipping you to expand your celebrancy offer. Exploring both traditional, and new and emerging forms of ritual, we will look at ceremonies for seasonal celebrations and neighbourhood events; individual and group rites of passage for coming of age; ‘light touch’ and spontaneous ceremony; and consider other ways that we as celebrants can serve our wider communities.

Full course information and booking details coming soon.

Sessions

We’ll begin the course by exploring the historical origins of handfastings and the question of whether it is a specifically celtic or pagan rite. We’ll look at some of the other rites often included in contemporary handfastings, considering how they can be personalised for different ceremonies. 

You’ll be invited to reflect on your own aims as a celebrant as we explore what makes a handfasting ceremony truly meaningful.

We’ll consider what magic means in the context of nature inspired ceremony, and the role of the celebrant in conducting ceremonies that feel truly engaging and meaningful. We’ll discuss the language of ceremony; prayer and invocation; and explore different ways of invoking the directions and elements in handfasting ceremonies.  

You’ll be offered some examples, and prompted to write your own inclusive nature inspired welcoming words for a handfasting ceremony. 

We’ll complete the course with a mainly practically oriented session: looking at how to work with clients to plan and prepare for bespoke handfasting ceremonies; how to support them with vow writing; how to make / source handfasting cords, and different ways of actually tying the knot!

We’ll also explore the art of blessing and you’ll be encouraged to write your own words for tying the knot, and nature inspired closing blessings for your handfasting ceremonies.

Enrol Here

Course Delivery

No special software is required to access this course. It is delivered via three online lessons, which you can work through at your own pace. Course materials include video presentations; downloadable documents, and examples drawn from real-life ceremonies; resources and suggestions for your own research.. The course and all materials will remain accessible and free to review at any time.  

These self access sessions are supported by an interactive course platform where students can ask questions, and participate in discussions, as a well as a rolling programme of drop-in webinars with the lead tutor. 

River Jones, Celebrant

About the tutor

River Jones is a celebrant with over twenty years’ experience of delivering bespoke ceremonies for people from all walks of life. With a background in adult education and community outreach she worked for over fourteen years at the University of Sussex, where she taught and convened courses ranging from Creative Writing through to Shamanic Consciousness. She has been course director at School of Celebrancy since 2015, and is a sought after workshop leader and speaker, contributing to events and publications for the Celebrants Collective and the Association of Independent Celebrants.

What People Say

Jacki Clement, Cornwall, UK
I found this course to be really useful and informative. It has been an excellent grounding in celebrancy as service. I have a much better understanding of how I can be of service to clients, and how I can hold the space to create a sacred and meaningful ceremony for them.
Awen Rowan-Nelson, Washington, USA
As a former professor, I recognize a well-prepared, knowledgeable, and experienced instructor when I encounter one, and River is all of these things…This course is thoughtfully designed, well organized, and professionally executed, and, just as importantly, it is a wee bit magical.
Chrissy Fice, Hampshire, UK
The online learning suited me perfectly, being able to pick it up in the bursts of time life affords us. But I also felt good connections through the online chats and videos. I can't thank you enough for sharing so much of your experience.
Colette Corcoran, Vienna, Austria
I have really enjoyed doing this course…it has offered me much food for thought. I am now much clearer on how to conduct and hold ceremonies and what essence I want to bring to them.
Shawn O’Niel, Washington State, USA
River, as an instructor and guide, we couldn't ask for better. Your experience, dedication, knowledge, and communication skills are incredible. You offer so much… making the course both enjoyable and exceptional.
Tabitha Taylor, London, UK
I am so happy to complete the course! It has been even more meaningful than I had anticipated and I am very grateful to you for such excellent course material. It really has been a fantastic course and I have learnt a lot.
Daniel Smith, Hampshire, UK
The course was easy to follow with a perfect mix of media to maintain interest and ensure all learning styles are catered for. The downloadable resources are invaluable. Having examples and templates offers a reassuring guide to my first opportunities when they come, which I'm sure they will.
Casey Das, Arizona, USA
The course itself was incredibly interesting… I've been an ordained minister with the Universal Brotherhood Movement for many years… This course was particularly helpful in broadening my understanding of various ceremonies and refining my preparation process. Overall, this was an incredible experience, and I'm deeply grateful for it.
Shawn O’Niel, Washington State, USA
The lessons were the right length, the included videos, links, attachments, suggested reading materials, and meditations were all of great help… River's reviews were very helpful and aided me in fine tuning where I needed to improve.
Jacki Clement, Cornwall, UK
The videos, downloads and sample ceremonies were invaluable. I’ve been encouraged and inspired to continue to deepen my connection with nature, my fellow humans, myself and with spirit. I’m grateful for the time, effort and love that has been put into this course for the benefit of us all.
Holly Keithth, Essex, UK
My experience on this course has been nothing but positive. I feel I have grown to understand the delicacies of holding space in a way that serves and holds others. I also feel inspired and permitted to create ceremonies in my own way that feel authentic to me, whilst also fully reflecting others. My creative side has felt nourished, writing beautiful words and coming up with beautiful ideas for others. But I have also been pushed.
Ulf Leonhard, Jettenbach Germany
The course was interesting and instructive for me. I took away valuable tools so that I have a good framework for creating my own ceremonies.
Awen Rowan-Nelson, Washington, USA
I recommend this course highly to anyone who wishes to create unique, individualized ceremonies and rituals, and to perform them with grace, humor, and excellence.
Peter Müllerlei, Nuremberg, Germany
I really liked getting an individual answer to every homework assignment and always being met where I was in a very friendly manner…it was nice to get lots of different examples and also to have more organizational topics discussed [which] made it easier for me to now take the step and offer my services publicly.
Shawn O’Niel, Washington State, USA - SLD 2025
I am very impressed with this course… it is self-paced [so] I was able to work on it at my leisure without deadlines … and review as needed. I really liked that I was able to use personal experience and create my own items throughout.
Eve Salthouse, Cornwall, UK
The course has been wonderful. The wisdom in the lessons, the resources. The practical information. The monthly get togethers. Knowing that there is someone I can turn to as I take these first steps. It’s been an amazing time.

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