Ceremony and Celebration – kick start your celebrant training here!
31 January/1st Feb & 14/15th February 2026 (online across 2 weekends)Is now the time? Have you been wondering what a celebrant does, what makes a good ceremony, or how to become a celebrant? Have you long wanted to be a marriage celebrant? This course gives a realistic preview of the role, explores a range of ceremonies, and starts to build the skills that are essential for practising as a professional celebrant. It is recommended as the first course towards the Certificate in Celebrant Studies (although other entry points are possible). You will gain a firm understanding of the nature of ceremony and ritual and the role of the celebrant in Aotearoa-New Zealand, build essential writing and delivery skills, and receive a framework for the planning and design of a broad range of contemporary ceremonies for births, deaths, marriages and more.
Weekend 31 Jan and 1 Feb 9.00am – 4:00pm each day then skip forward two weeks to
Weekend 14 and 15 Feb 9:00am – 1.00pm each day ie the course runs across two weekends
Invest in yourself and your confidence and competence as a professional!
Note: We are delivering this programme fully by Zoom, but be assured that we have mastered how to keep you so engaged that time will fly on Zoom. Feedback from past participants shows that you build both skills and a professional network and have fun in the process!
Earlybird fees close 27 December, so get your enrolment in before Christmas.
Marriage Celebrant Essentials
starting Tuesday 4th November 2025 (the final MCE for 2025)This very popular, on-line, short course provides all the essentials for starting out on the right foot as a marriage celebrant. MCE ensures a thorough knowledge of the legalities imposed by the Marriage Act and recent changes affecting celebrants. You will be well set up for applying to be appointed as an independent marriage celebrant by Internal Affairs (Births Deaths and Marriages, BDM), and dealing with the tricky legal questions that invariably arise in a public role. You will learn about designing ceremonies at the simpler end of the spectrum.
Enrol by 30 Sept and you catch the earlybird rate!
Enrolments less than one week before course commencement incur a 10% surcharge to cover the additional admin.
AfterGlow Ceremony – a ritual for fully & semi-retiring celebrants
Sunday 15th February 2026 at 4:00pm (by Zoom for approx 1hr)Have you decided to relinquish your registration as a marriage celebrant, or semi/fully retire from your wider celebrant role? During your celebrant career you have been a beacon for others, crafting ceremonies to shine light on important transitions and rites of passage including births, marriages, and deaths. Now it is time for your service to be acknowledged, and how better than to use the celebrant métier of ritual?
With support from Dept Internal Affairs, BDM, this ceremonial event is an opportunity for you to mark this transition with your peers as you bathe in the AfterGlow of your unique journeys as celebrants.
Based on a successful pilot in early 2024, Ceremonies NZ has commissioned transition ceremony specialist, Kerry-Ann Stanton, to design and facilitate this event. Some preparation will be necessary, so please register your participation so we can send you the details nearer the date.
A long lead-in time has been planned to allow the word to spread through the celebrant community. Please share this event with others at a similar career stage.
There is no fee for participation, but if you have both the means and the inclination, an optional koha to help cover costs will be appreciated.
Photo credit – photographer Mohamed-Nohassi
Marriage Celebrant Essentials – start early!
starting Tuesday 13th January 2026START YOUR CELEBRANT TRAINING EARLY! Put intention into practice by getting your training underway early in the year. This popular course fills quickly and is an ideal short course for aspiring marriage celebrants. It provides all the essentials and ensures a thorough knowledge of the legalities imposed by the Marriage Act and recent changes affecting celebrants. You will be well set up for applying to be appointed by BDM, and for dealing with the tricky legal questions that invariably arise in a public role. You will learn about designing ceremonies at the simpler end of the spectrum. For those keen to stay in the flow and move into ceremonies which are fully personalised, this particular MCE dovetails perfectly with Ceremony and Celebration, a broader and more comprehensive foundation for working as a celebrant in Aotearoa-New Zealand. Secure your enrolments 6 weeks before course starts to benefit from the lowest course fees.
Tuesday 13 January 2026: 7:00pm-9:30pm
Tuesday 20 January 2026: 7:00pm-9:30pm
Tuesday 27 January 2026: 7:00pm-9:30pm