Celebrant Training: what a I look for in a celebrant
As co-founder and co-tutor at Heart-led Ceremonies Celebrant Training, there are many things I look for in a celebrant who is training with us. These are the same skills and qualities that I’d expect them to exhibit and employ when they are working as a celebrant. These include things such as:
. are they punctual?
. do they listen?
. are they friendly?
. are they disciplined?
. do they have compassion and empathy?
. are they willing to take direction?
. are they curious?
. can they express their creativity?
. do they have excellent command of the language, both written and oral?
. are they enthusiastic to learn?
photograph by veronika robinson
A great celebrant will be:
Empathic
Kind
Friendly
Thoughtful
Warm
Understanding
Self-confident
Ability to take direction from clients
Ability to give direction
Awareness of self and others
Knowledge of what works/what doesn’t
Creative
Possess excellent writing skills and imagination
Helpful
Practical
Reliable
Sense of humour
Sense of occasion, and respect for ritual
Love of ceremony
Approachable
Energetic
Strong sense of duty
Committed
Reliable
Solid, clear, well-articulated voice
Good storyteller
Calm, composed and able to relax clients
Serene, soothing, gentle presentation
Caring
Unflappable
Able to produce bespoke ceremonies
Able to officiate according to the client’s beliefs, rather than their own.
Photograph by Veronika Robinson
People come to celebrancy at different ages and stages of life. There are often many skills we’ve developed along the way which are essential and/or useful as a celebrant. There are qualities, which we may have naturally, such as empathy, that are invaluable.
At the forefront of our thoughts, when working as a Heart-led Celebrant, is that we wish to give the people we work with the best experiences we can.
Veronika Robinson has had the immense privilege of being a celebrant, internationally, since 1995, and has officiated across all rites of passage. Her passion for ceremony, ritual and excellence in the craft and practice of celebrancy extends to her role as co-founder and co-tutor at Heart-led Ceremonies Celebrant Training and as editor of The Celebrant magazine. She is also an author, novelist and workshop facilitator.
