Professional Practice – Build Your Brand
Monday 16, 23 & 30 March 2026Prerequisite: This is designed for students who have already completed at least one Certificate paper. Practising celebrants wanting to improve their management and marketing systems are also welcome to enrol in this as Ongoing Professional Development (OPD) which is recognised by CANZ.
Student feedback has shown that celebrants often start making decisions about their brand early in their training, so to help avoid expensive mistakes, we now offer our Professional Practice paper in two, shorter, stand-alone courses, each with a distinct focus. This first one (BYB) helps you to define and/or refine your brand and to establish the systems to manage, market, and support your practice. This course can be taken at any point during your training.
The course consists of three Zoom evening sessions held 7.00pm-9.30pm on Monday 16, 23 & 30 March and an applied assignment on which you will receive individual feedback.
Please enrol early to take advantage of earlybird rates closing 5 March, and to provide adequate time for pre-course work which will require some research on which to base your celebrant branding and systems.
Polish Your Practice (PYP), the ceremony design part of Professional Practice, will be offered both in May as well as later in the year as the final paper in your Certificate. Our Graduation ceremony will be in November.
Polish Your Practice (Prof Practice – Pt 2)
starting Monday 18 May 2026Prerequisite: This paper is one of the two components of our Professional Practice strand, and is typically completed last in your CertCelSts qualification. It may, however, be taken prior to Pt 1 – Building Your Brand. Please contact the Director if you are uncertain about your eligibility.
Polish Your Practice consolidates your learning across the four quadrants of professional celebrant practice and provides a final refinement of your performance standards.
This paper focuses on strengthening client engagement for more complex ceremonies, deepening your understanding of ceremonial purpose, and advancing your capability in working with diversity, difference, and sensitive contexts.
In addition, we examine emerging sector issues, including the role of technology and artificial intelligence in contemporary celebrancy. Participants may request specialist topics of interest, allowing the cohort’s needs to shape elements of the curriculum.
The course is delivered over four Zoom sessions, held weekly, 7.00pm-9.30pm (NZT) on these dates:
Monday 18 May 2026
Monday 25th May
Monday 1st June (note: this is the Kings Birthday Weekend)
Monday 8th June
Sessions combine discussion, case studies, skill-building exercises, ceremony delivery, and facilitated peer reflection.
Enrol by 7 May for earlybird rate