Ka Mua, Ka Muri – Honouring the Past, Inspiring the Future
Celebrating Milestones: 30th Anniversary, Graduation, & Workshop! Sunday 22 November 2026Join us for a special day of connection, celebration, learning and inspiration as The Celebrant School marks 30 years since formal celebrant training and the Certificate in Celebrant Studies began in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Whether you are a current student, graduate, practising celebrant, future celebrant, supporter of ceremony, or simply curious about the profession, this event is an opportunity to come together, honour our shared history, and explore what lies ahead.
Throughout the day, you will enjoy meaningful opportunities for reflection, whakawhanaungatanga, professional development and celebration as we:
- Reflect on the past 30 years with special guest Mary Hancock, founding Director of The Celebrant School and pioneer of celebrant education in New Zealand.
- Celebrate the present through an inspiring workshop led by acclaimed Australian celebrant educator Wendy Haynes, while acknowledging and welcoming those reaching significant milestones in their celebrant journey.
- Explore the future of ceremony, ritual and celebrancy in a changing world, including the implications of an AI-enhanced future.
This gathering celebrates the people, relationships, learning and leadership that have shaped our community over three decades. Whether you’ve been part of the journey for many years or are just beginning to explore celebrancy, we warmly invite you to be part of this milestone occasion.
Venue
Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae
Unitec, Auckland. Free on-site parking.
(Entry via Gate 3, Carrington Road, Mt Albert)
Registration Options
Full Day Experience | 10.00am – 5.00pm (recommended)
- Early Bird: $150 incl GST (until 10 October)
- Standard Price: $225 incl GST
Afternoon Ceremony Only | 2.20pm – 5.00pm
- Start with afternoon tea
- $75 incl GST
Optional Extras (add on at checkout)
Celebration Dinner Join us from 5.45pm at Nomad Bar & Restaurant, Pt Chevalier. $55 per person (food only. Drinks available to purchase at the venue as an additional cost)
Supporter Donation Unable to attend but would like to support the event or help make attendance possible for others? Contributions are warmly appreciated and will be acknowledged on the day.
If you want more details, contact Kathrine or our TCS info email.
Ceremony and Celebration – kick start your celebrant training in the New Year!
20/21 & 27/28 February 2027 (online across 2 weekends)Is now the time? Have you been wondering what a celebrant really does, what makes a ceremony meaningful, or whether celebrancy could be your next professional step? Perhaps you have long wanted to become a marriage celebrant, or you have completed Marriage Celebrant Essentials and are ready to explore the deeper ceremonial dimensions of this mahi. Did you start with other papers and still need Ceremony and Celebration to complete your qualification?
Ceremony and Celebration offers a realistic and inspiring exploration into professional celebrancy. The course covers a wide range of contemporary ceremonies and builds some core skills required for practice as a professional celebrant. It is recommended as the first course in the Certificate in Celebrant Studies (although other entry points are possible to fit your schedule).
You will:
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Develop a strong understanding of ceremony and ritual
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Explore the role of the celebrant specifically in Aotearoa-New Zealand
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Build essential writing, presentation, and delivery skills
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Learn a practical framework for planning and designing ceremonies for births, deaths, marriages, and other significant life events
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Gain confidence, clarity, and a grounded sense of professional practice
The most frequent feedback we get is that students didn’t know what they didn’t know until they started this training.
Course dates and format
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Weekend 1: 20 & 21 February, 9.00am – 4.00pm
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Weekend 2: 27 & 28 Februray, 9.00am – 1.00pm
(ie The course is delivered across two weekends.)
Delivery
The programme is delivered fully via Zoom. We have created an engaging online learning experience that keeps participants connected, active, and involved. Past participants consistently report strong skill development, meaningful professional connections, and genuine enjoyment throughout the course.
Invest in yourself — and in your confidence and competence as a professional celebrant. Enrol by 30 January to secure the discounted earlybird fee.
Important Note: If you are wanting to gain a professional level qualification and graduate within the year, this is your best foundation to make all subsequent papers flow on easily.
Māori Language for Ceremonies: He Karanga ki te Reo Māori
Two Zooms: Wednesdays 21 & 28 October 2026; 7.30-8.30pmThis popular ceremony-specific training is designed for you if you are a celebrant who wants to use te reo Māori in your ceremonies, but are not confident with the language. The workshop is practical and aims to improve pronunciation and help you feel more confident, competent, and culturally grounded when using te reo Māori.
Our facilitator, Karen Tangaere (Ngāti Porou), who is both celebrant and teacher, has been highly endorsed by previous workshop participants for creating such a supportive, encouraging learning environment that gently reduces fear, builds understanding, and supports accurate pronunciation and respectful use of te reo Māori in ceremonial contexts.
In this workshop you will:
- Explore opportunities to incorporate te reo Māori into your ceremonies
- Practise pronunciation of the Māori words you already use (or want to use)
- Rehearse greetings, commonly used phrases, and blessings relevant to various ceremonies
- Identify common barriers to using te reo Māori — and learn practical ways to move through yours
You will have time to ask questions, voice concerns, request specific content, and most importantly, practise aloud (but in private).
The workshop is delivered over two sessions, allowing space to consolidate your learning and build real confidence in your language use, so you can stand proudly as a professional celebrant of Aotearoa-New Zealand!
If you miss a session, a recording or written resources will be provided — though nothing replaces the value of live practice.
He Karanga ki te reo Māori – invite Māori language into your ceremonies now.
Tūwhitia te hopo! Feel the fear — and do it anyway.
Funeral Celebrant – fabulous combo of online and face-to-face training
starting Monday 10th May 2027Don’t miss this fantastic combination of online and face-to-face funeral celebrant training. It gives you the best of both worlds – the convenience of Zoom to begin and the added depth of in-person training to complete. If you want to competently and confidently design and lead funeral ceremonies in NZ, there is no better option. You will build some skills and knowledge in the online classes and then meet for an intensive, practical weekend in Mt Eden, Auckland. Here you get the inside view of the funeral industry with Q&A’s, site visits and presentation practice to a real live audience. This enriching experience has been highly endorsed by past students – it’s real and builds your collegial network at the same time!
We prefer you to have completed the Ceremony and Celebration paper first (available in February 2027), as this provides the in-depth planning a design components you will apply in this course. Practising celebrants, funeral directors, and others with experience in the industry and/or with loss and grief work may also apply. (Contact the Director to discuss your suitability). Grab this opportunity for the ultimate funeral celebrant training package.
Save the dates:
Monday 10th May: 7:00pm-9:30pm online
Monday 17th May: 7:00pm-9:30pm online
Monday 24th May: 7:00pm-9:30pm online
Monday 1st May: 7:00pm-9:30pm online
Saturday 12th June: : 10:00am-5:00pm face-to-face in Auckland
Sunday 13th June: 9:00am-3.00pm (Please note: the weekend times allow for those travelling)
Earlybird rate available until 1 April. Payment plans are offered up till this date.
Precourse work is sent prior to the first Zoom session, so early enrolment enables precourse prep and a smooth start for the group. Ideally we like all enrolments/course admin to be concluded 10 days before commencement – enrolments after this incur a 10% surcharge. Please enrol early. This course sold out in 2026.
Marriage Celebrant Essentials (final for 2026)
starts Tuesday 27 October 2026 on ZoomThis very popular, on-line, short course provides all the essentials for starting out on the right foot as a marriage celebrant. It 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 or renewing your appointment with 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 and practical tips to build your confidence.
Class times on Zoom:
Tuesday 27 October 2026: 7:00pm-9:30pm
Tuesday 3 November 2026: 7:00pm-9:30pm
Tuesday 10 November 2026: 7:00pm-9:30pm
This is the final MCE for the year and will sit well alongside the first Ceremony and Celebration course for 2027 for those wanting a strong foundation to their celebrancy.
You are encouraged to enrol before 6 October to access the earlybird rate, after which the standard course fee of $425 applies. Saving a few dollars always helps, but the main reason to enrol early is that this course often sells out so it is advisable to secure your place. To enable smooth processing of enrolments and adequate time for pre-course student preparation, we require enrolments at least one week before course commencement. Enrolments after this date incur an admin surcharge.
Build Your Brand – Professional Practice
Wednesday evenings 17, 24 & 31 March 2027Prerequisite: Intended for students who have completed at least one Certificate paper, but practising celebrants wanting to improve their management and marketing systems may enrol for Ongoing Professional Development that is recognised by Celebrants Aotearoa. This first part of our Professional Practice strand is complemented by Polish Your Practice, PYP.
Student feedback has shown that celebrants often start making decisions about their brand early in their training, and appreciate some guidance to help avoid expensive mistakes. This is the reason we now teach our Professional Practice in 2 parts. This first part, BYB, helps you to define and/or refine your brand and establish the systems to manage and support your practice.
The course consists of three Zoom evening sessions held at 7.00pm-9.30pm on Wednesday 17, 24 & 31 March.
Enrol before 10 February to access the earlybird rate. Early enrolment ensures there is adequate time for pre-course work which requires some research on which to base your celebrant branding and systems.
Part 2: Polish Your Practice will be available twice during 2017 for anyone eligible to graduate in November 2027.