Hold space, make ceremony
A six-week course in the art
and craft of funeral celebrancy
October 5 - November 9, 2025
Six live two-hour classes over Zoom
Plus on-demand videos, course book, and business templates.
Apply by September 22, 2025
Six weekly live-online sessions plus on-demand videos for a total of 16 class hours
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Prepares you for a wide variety of end-of-life ceremonies
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College-level curriculum
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Access to effective tools and tested business templates
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Class pays for itself quickly. The national median fee for an end-of-life ceremony is $575.
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Lifelong mentors & community
$897
End of Life Ceremonies
All new for 2025
The End of Life Ceremonies course is perfect for...
Experienced officiants who are comfortable creating other ceremonies, handling the writing load that comes with longer ceremonies, and who are confident public speakers.
Grief counselors or therapists looking for more emotionally uplifting and creative professional options to expand how they support people.
Death doulas who want to add ceremony-craft to their skills in supporting people through their dying days.
Creatives, performers, and experience designers of all kinds - theater kids, writers - who want to use their existing talents and skills in new ways.
Mid-career changers and people new to the job market who want to skill quickly and confidently.
Location independent/digital nomads who want a meaningful and profound career.
Anyone who's death curious and fascinated with this essential aspect of human existence.
What you’ll learn:
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How to design and deliver a modern, personal funeral ceremony
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Write eulogies that are engaging stories, not just lists of facts
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Leverage tried and true ceremony templates and flows
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Use rituals, readings, and music to create an intentional emotional arc
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Create end-of-life rituals that truly reflect the life of the deceased
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Interview and interact with next of kin and families
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Feel comfortable in the wide variety of end of life ceremonies
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Handle ceremonies for traumatic deaths and challenging situations
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Define your roles and responsibilities
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Market yourself and work with with funeral homes and cemeteries; pricing models and tips
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Take advantage of changes in the funeral industry and trends that are leading us into the future
Seven years ago I looked for a role that provided meaning, beauty, and significance to people...
...and that allowed me to be creative, challenged, and flexible with my schedule. Funeral officiating is a livelihood, but it's also profound, humbling, and deeply kind work to do.
Every ceremony is different, both in content and in tone — but I'm always fascinated and restored by working with families to honor a loved one.
I’ve trained dozens of new celebrants and am always excited to support people taking on this work. Come connect with a cohort of students as you take on this fulfilling role!
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P.S. End-of-life celebrancy is a great role for both introverted and extroverted people, for midlife career changers. If you have questions about the role or the course, get in touch. I'm happy to talk!
The next course will be Sundays, from October 5 - November 9, 2025.
Interested students must apply and register by September 22, 2025
FROM YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Why this course exists
Most Americans describe themselves as spiritual, yet the majority are unaffiliated with a specific religion. This is creating a need for secular ceremonies of all types—but particularly end-of-life services. People may know whether they want to be buried or cremated, but they don't know where to turn for a nonreligious service with personal meaning.
A Humanist approach
This course is grounded in a humanist framework — one that values the dignity of every person, the power of community, and the importance of truth-telling in times of loss. That foundation shapes our attention to voices and communities historically underrepresented or under-served in traditional end-of-life spaces. We explore how celebrants can create ceremonies that reflect not only individual lives, but also the social and cultural realities they exist in.
Got questions?
How many lessons/classes are there? There are six live lessons held weekly on Zoom with the instructor and other students. Classes are 2 hours long with a short break included. There are additional on-demand videos, some of which are required watching before the course starts.
When do classes meet? Classes meet Sundays from 1:00 - 3:00 pm Eastern (10:00 am Pacific, 12:00 noon Central). You'll receive a link to the zoom meeting before your first class begins.
What are the assignments? During our time together, you’ll build an end of life ceremony from start to finish using one of our challenging case studies. Week by week you'll add skills: creating an outline, to writing parts of the ceremony, to crafting rituals, to writing the eulogy, and finally adding music and readings. The final assignment is a written version of the completed ceremony and a short committal ceremony. Students who want more confidence and skills in presenting ceremonies may want to add our Public Speaking and Presentation Skills course to their calendar.
Is there a time limit for completing the course? Yes, this course has a fixed start and end date. Final assignments for the End of Life Ceremonies course are due a week after the last class. The class syllabus will spell out this information, and you can ask the instructor if you're in doubt.
Is there work required outside of class? Yes! Be prepared to do 1-4 hours of work outside of class, depending on the week’s assignment. We put the most challenging assignment in the middle of the course so you're moderately grounded in the material, yet still have time to get feedback for improvement. The first week and second-to-last week tend to be lighter on work outside of class.
Is there a limit on the number of students? We intentionally have a 12 student maximum for the course. This allows me to get to know you and your goals better, and gives me more time to answer questions & give individualized feedback. We also like to have a minimum of 5 students. Ceremonies are so unique that it helps students significantly to see how their classmates interpret the assignments and to hear peer feedback on other work.
How do I access the course materials and assignments? Course materials and assignments are available on the learning platform at Celebrant Academy, where the course is hosted. After enrolling in the course, you'll receive instructions on how to access and navigate the platform to find course resources. If you haven’t received this information at least one week before the start of the class, please contact us so we can make sure you’re registered and we have your correct contact information.
How can I interact with the instructor and other students? With our small class size, we interact with the material, pause where there’s interest in going deeper, raise questions, role play, and have discussions. Everyone is encouraged to participate actively so you experience a wide range of views. Outside of class time, instructors are usually available by email or have standing office hours where you can ‘drop in’ for questions, guidance, feedback, and encouragement. Occasionally students connect outside of class to role play and brainstorm. Graduates and alumni are invited to join a private discussion group where we continue learning, sharing, and supporting each other in this work.
“Ashes to ashes, funk to funky.”
“Let’s exchange the experience.”