Find the Right Celebrant Training

Not all celebrant trainings are created equal — and that’s okay. Whether you're just beginning to explore this work or are ready to step up to it professionally, it helps to know which type of program is the best fit for your goals, values, and readiness.

Below, you’ll find a comparison between the course you're currently considering here — offered through Celebrant Academy — and several other celebrant training options.

If you’ve felt inspired by death-positive content but are wondering what comes next — how to actually hold space, write ceremonies, and serve families — this course might be your next right step.

What makes a celebrant training right for you?

Personal values - does the training align with your personal values and style? What balance do you want of religiosity, inclusion, and tone or style?

Professionalism - Does the course content and quality enable you to become a professional celebrant? Does the course offer certification or is it geared toward someone seeking personal transformation?

Ceremony craft - Custom end of life ceremonies in the U.S. generally require significant creativity and writing skills. Does the course teach these?

Realistic practice - Will you be learning on challenging cases or will you be practicing using a friend or family member's life for reference?

Total skillset - Does the course provide opportunities and techniques to improve your public speaking, ritual design, writing, day-of ceremony coordination, family interactions, and cooperation with other professionals in the field?

Instructor support - How much engagement is there with the instructor?

Business skills - Does the course cover the business realities and how-to's of this work?

Camaraderie and community - Does the course encourage you to interact with fellow students and create a sense of community? End of life work can be lonely; having a crew who gets you can be very supportive.

Feedback and grading - Will you get honest feedback and guidance on how to improve, or just encouragement? Does the course have a standard level of skill it requires in order for students to be certified?

Find the kind of program that makes sense for you

First...

Notable programs

Celebrant Academy (this course, taught by Beth), Celebrant Foundation & Institute, Center for Celebrant Training

Death Wives, Going with Grace, La Mort

InSight Institute

Academy of Modern Celebrants, Celebrants Collective, Life Celebrants International

Best if you:

Want to be a professional celebrant delivering custom funerals in the U.S.

Want to become a death doula or to explore personal growth in grief and spirituality

Want to work on staff at a funeral home and support a high volume of families

Plan to work as a celebrant in the UK, Australia, or Canada

Teaching approach

Focuses on custom ceremonies for the wide range of ceremony styles typical in the U.S.

Exploration of death, spirituality, and doula skills

Geared toward funeral service professionals working in a funeral home

Emphasizes short, lightly personalized services typical in Commonwealth countries (UK, AU, Canada)

Kind of program

Non-religious U.S. celebrant courses

Death-positive workshops and doula training

National Funeral Directors Assn. training

International funeral celebrant courses

Compare specific programs

Then...

Program

Celebrant Foundation

and Institute

Center for Celebrant Training

Life Celebrants International

Celebrant Academy

This is the course you're considering

Course format

Six weeks with live weekly Zooms (120 min), real time exercises, graded weekly assignments, significant final project, pass fail grading

(approx. 16 hours)

Fifteen modules with weekly live Zooms (90 min), assignments, and feedback

(approx. 22 hrs)

Self-paced online modules

(approx. 10 hours)

Two and a half days online training (approx. 16 hours)

Content emphasis

Deep focus on custom ceremony design, writing strong eulogies, inclusive practices, unique rituals, and practical tools to handle the wide variety of funeral ceremonies. An emphasis on originality and a modern approach for both ceremonies and business models.

Lifecycle-focused curriculum emphasizing traditional style and structure. While thorough, the material reflects a more historical approach to ceremony design, rituals, business models, and marketing. Minimal attention to inclusion, innovation, or digital presence.

Covers general funeral ceremony skills via short video lessons and ungraded exercises, with occasional instructor engagement.

A rapid entry-level intro to the major elements of funerals but condensed, with little time to integrate learning, apply feedback or practice techniques.

Best for:

Students who want solid instructor support, as well as depth in the practical and creative skills to design and lead custom full-length end of life ceremonies.

Students who want solid instructor support, and who are comfortable with a conventional ceremony style and traditional business model.

Independent workers looking for an introduction with light support.

Beginners seeking a quick starting point.

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