A celebrant is someone who conducts ceremonies for life transitions and rites of passage such as baby namings and welcomings; weddings, vow renewals and other relationship celebrations; and funerals and memorial services. Other ceremonies conducted by celebrants can include age related rites of passage, celebrations of new identity, and non-religious blessings of new homes, businesses or endeavours.
The dictionary definition of a celebrant is a person who leads a religious ceremony or civil ceremony – and as such can include priests and other ordained members of religious and spiritual paths, as well as as civil registrars. However, the word is increasingly more widely used to describe professional celebrants, who offer ceremonies for people regardless of their religious or spiritual outlook – often as an alternative to traditional religious ceremonies and rites of passage.
Celebrancy as a profession in its own right was first established in Australia, where the Marriage Act of 1961 made provision for non-religious celebrants to become officially appointed to be able to conduct legally binding wedding ceremonies. In the UK, the British Humanist Association, now known as Humanists UK, was the first organisation to establish a training programme for non-religious celebrants, and during the 1970s and 1980s, humanist celebrants became widely recognised within the funeral profession, as providers of an alternative to religious funerals.
Whilst some professional celebrants continue to be affiliated to particular organisations, including humanists, pagans and those who identify with other specific outlooks or spiritual paths, an increasing number are independent, offering bespoke ceremonies tailored to the needs and outlooks of the people they serve. This aspect of service is key to the role of celebrant. Unlike a priest or religious leader, a celebrant is not in a position of authority – rather their role is to reflect the beliefs, aims and outlooks of those that the ceremony is for. Most independent celebrants strive to ensure that the ceremonies they conduct are personalised, meaningful and inclusive.
The majority of ceremonies conducted by celebrants, including funerals, vow renewals and namings are of no legal significance. In most parts of the world, ceremonies associated with the beginning and end of life have always been separate from the legal registration of births and deaths. However, wedding ceremonies are much more widely associated with the legal registration of marriage. Regulations as to who may conduct a legally binding marriage ceremony vary widely across different countries and states. Even in countries where independent celebrants cannot conduct legally binding marriage services, celebrant-led wedding ceremonies are becoming increasingly popular, with many people choosing to separate the legal and ceremonial aspects of their wedding.
Whilst celebrancy is not currently a regulated profession in most parts of the world, the majority of practicing celebrants have undertaken some form of professional training. Training courses for celebrants have proliferated in recent decades, with many training organisations promoting celebrancy as a rewarding personal business opportunity. Here at School of Celebrancy, our focus is on celebrancy as service, within a context of openness to the inspiration of nature.