Ever wondered what it’s like to officiate weddings for a living? We asked wedding celebrant and owner of The Celebrant Directory, Jennifer Claire Constant, what her life is like..
A wedding celebrant is someone that creates bespoke wedding ceremonies and officiates them in any location the couple chooses.
But hey, it’s actually much more than that! A wedding celebrant makes a wedding day super special as you get to work with them before your wedding to craft the perfect wedding ceremony, one that is totally unique.
If you want something different, you can have a totally alternative wedding ceremony. If you are of mixed faith, you can respect both through the ceremony. Or even if you are totally traditional but want to have a ceremony outside, a celebrant is 100% for you.
Read more: How one bride combined two cultures at her wedding
I trained to become a celebrant in 2010, took the plunge and went for it. I’d seen someone have a celebrant led wedding and had a celebrant for my own wedding and it just clicked as the ideal business for me.
You’re probably wondering what are the basic requirements for becoming a celebrant? You need to be creative and have confidence to speak in front of up to 200 people.
It’s a fantastic business to get into. I run The Academy of Modern Celebrancy and have trained people to become celebrants from all backgrounds – teachers, government workers, singers, etc.
When I was officiating ceremonies, the days were so much fun! A typical day would involve the following: get prepped – hair, makeup – and then making the journey to the venue. Whilst at the venue I would be taking time to network and find my way around the ceremony area.
I’d then meet with the couple individually and make sure they are confident and happy with the set up and timings. Then, of course, the big event comes around and before you know it you are asking everyone to stand!
Nowadays though, I focus more on supporting the industry. I launched The Celebrant Directory in 2017, a directory and blog focused on personalising celebrations from weddings to funerals. I also launched my training academy this year, the Academy of Modern Celebrancy, and I just love teaching people how to become modern and awesome celebrants.
I didn’t always do this – for 12 years, I worked in fundraising management working for some of the top charities and travelling the world. This job required getting up in front of hundreds telling a story and giving calls to action – just like a wedding! I changed paths as I had enough of commutes and long days.
If I didn’t work with wedding celebrants doing what I do, I’d love to run my own wedding venue. We are currently looking for some land in Southern Spain to build a glamping site. I can just picture such a stunning setting in the mountains, tons of fairy lights and yurts with the most gorgeous stone circle for ceremonies.
Read more: Getting married abroad – what you need to know
If you love to write stories, meet people and are confident speaking in front of a crowd, this could be a great option for you. Choose a training provider that suits your style and personality and do some training first. My training academy focuses on teaching modern celebrancy for the modern wedding industry and not only how to become a celebrant but also how to be a successful celebrant which is just as important.
Of course, it’s so easy to make snap judgments about couples in this job. I had one couple who had clearly had a few cross words before the ceremony itself. There was a lot of tension through the ceremony and turns out the groom may have had a few too many the night before and didn’t actually go to bed. She was not impressed by his hungover look!
Without sounding totally cliché though, every ceremony is a highlight. As a celebrant, we get to witness so much individuality and personality that it never, ever gets boring – just more and more interesting!
The best part of the job it’ll have to be sending the couple back down the aisle after the kiss. It’s such a happy time full with love and romance!
One of the most memorable moments of my career involves being flown to the vineyards of Portugal to officiate a wedding for one of the most exclusive and wealthy families in the region. It was three days of banquets and parties, and a ceremony location to die for and all expenses paid of course!
I practise what I preach too: I’m married to a wonderful man and we had a celebrant officiate our bash. We had a wedding in the Brecon beacons where we rented out a manor house for four days. I wrote my own ceremony and it was super special.
Read more: Writing your own wedding vows – everything you need to know
If you think celebrancy is a good option for you, reach out to me! It has to be one of the best jobs in the wedding industry as you get to witness and write love stories for a living. Not much can beat that.
Read more: The diary of a wedding planner
