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Do Celebrants Need A Diploma or a Certificate?

Feb 13, 2023

A celebrant is a person whose role is to write and deliver ceremonies, whether it be a wedding, a funeral, a baby naming ceremony, a gender ceremony, renewal of vows, or something else! They play a crucial role in helping individuals and couples through life’s most important milestones. The role is diverse, rewarding, flexible and challenging, and not everyone is up to the task! If you think you might have what it takes to be a professional celebrant, take our quiz.

One question you might have is, what qualification do you need to become a civil celebrant? The short answer is - none. Anyone is legally entitled to do the job. But this does not mean anyone should. There are multiple qualifications available, two of which are offered by us at The International College of Professional Celebrants. 

Why have a qualification in celebrancy?

If you don’t need a qualification to be a celebrant, why bother doing one? Well, there are many reasons why this is the smartest option. 

  1. Qualifications give you knowledge and skills you won’t otherwise have, and in celebrancy this is crucial. There are many things celebrants need to know about and understand in order to provide good quality services. 
  2. Qualifications enhance customer trust. People are more likely to hire a qualified celebrant than an unqualified one. 
  3. You’ll enjoy your career more if you know what you’re doing, getting repeat work and avoiding mistakes that unqualified celebrants might make. 

What celebrant qualifications are there?

Courses for celebrancy vary widely, and include Diplomas in Celebrancy, Master’s in Existential Humanist and Pastoral Care, or private courses run by celebrancy academies. You can read more about the broader options for qualifying as a celebrant here. 

Our residential training pathways include one of two NOCN qualifications, as well as a year’s membership with the ICPC and public liability insurance. Participants also benefit from access to our online community. You should be aware that our qualifications are included in the price of the training course. The training course lasts 5 days, but the qualification can be done in your own time at home. 

The 2 qualifications available are:

The Level 3 Certificate in Civil Celebrancy. This is a NOCN certified qualification that all of our celebrants trained up until April 2023 have earned. The cost of this qualification is £2725 rising to £2925 in May 2023. This cost includes the residential training and all of the benefits mentioned above. 

The Platinum Double Diploma. This is a brand new qualification that combines the NOCN Diploma in Couples and Naming, and the Diploma in Funerals. It is the highest possible qualification level available and is offered exclusively by ICPC. The cost of this double diploma is £4500 inclusive of the residential training course and associated benefits. This double diploma is available from April 2023. If you book residential training before this date, it will not be available to you, but you can take the Level 3 Certificate instead and then do the Double Diploma after April 2023 at a reduced cost. 

Can I do the Certificate instead of the Platinum Double Diploma?

After April 2023, our delegates will have the option to do either the Level 3 certificate or the Platinum Double Diploma. There is no obligation to choose one over the other, as both are valid and respected qualifications within the market. 

You might be wondering if it’s more beneficial to do the Double Platinum Diploma over the Certificate - which you can read more about here

We understand there is a big price difference between the qualifications, and so also give our delegates the option to do the Level 3 Certificate now, and progress on to take the Double Diploma in the future when you feel it is more affordable for you, or when you have more time to do the projects.

Whichever qualification you choose, you will set yourself apart from many celebrants on the market, especially those who chose to remain unqualified. 

Talk to us more about your qualification options today.

You can also listen to our podcast on the Platinum Double Diploma