Why “Forgotten” Generation X Make Brilliant Celebrants

Aug 31
If you’re somewhere between cassette tapes and Spotify playlists, still remember your landline number, and have a sixth sense for getting stuff done… hello, Generation X.

That’s those of us born between 1965 and 1980—so right now, we’re mostly in our mid-40s to early 60s.

Too young to retire, too experienced to be ignored, and too resilient to get rattled easily.
We’re the so-called “forgotten generation.” The spotlight is usually on Boomers, Millennials and Gen Z. Yet it’s us, Generation X, who are quietly holding the whole show together.

In this blog post we'll explore why becoming a Celebrant is perfect for Generation X.

Celebrancy is an unregulated profession in the UK. This means you don't need a government-recognised or academic qualification to become a celebrant. The fastest way to start is to put your Gen-X skills through a practical training course to get certification, accreditation and one-to-one support.

Who are Generation X?

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Let me paint the picture....

Chances are you’re:
  • Helping your elderly parents with appointments, shopping or intimate care.
  • Stepping in for childcare during school holidays or after school so your grown-up children can work.
  • Still sharing your house with adult offspring you thought would have flown the nest years ago.
  • Acting as the “Bank of Mum & Dad” to get them on the property ladder. 
  • All while holding down a job that hasn’t got easier, is more stressful than ever, and where it feels like no one really appreciates you.
  • Instead, the talk is all about integrating AI , limited budgets & cost cutting.


It’s no wonder so many Gen X-ers are looking for something new—something that feels meaningful, flexible and human. And that’s exactly why becoming a celebrant fits us like a glove.

Why becoming a celebrant fits Gen X like a glove

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1) You’ve already done the “people work.”

Teachers, nurses, social workers, retail, hospitality, customer service, HR, supervisors & managers—you’ve got decades of listening, organising, speaking, and calming chaos. That’s the core of being a celebrant. We’ll help you shape those skills into being a confident & successful funeral and/or wedding celebrant. 

2) Freedom with purpose.

With most of your major financial liabilities sorted, you can now choose your diary, your fees, your ceremonies and your creative style. It’s flexible without being flaky—real work, real impact, real income.

3) A brilliant “ramp” to retirement.

Since the life & wellbeing lessons from the Pandemic, thousands of over 50s have re-evaluated their work-life balance. Perhaps you can't fully afford early retirement yet. But if you’re planning the next 5–15 years, becoming a professional celebrant lets you step away from the "nonsense", the bureaucracy and burnout whilst keeping your brain sharp, your heart engaged, and your work-life on your terms.

4) Creative, personal, memorable.

From fun & unique weddings to life-affirming funerals, you’ll create moments people remember forever. No reports or paperwork. No KPIs. No boxes to tick. Just Moments that matter.

Weddings vs Funerals (and why many do both)

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Wedding Celebrant:

Think setting the stage and launching the happiest, biggest (and most expensive) day in the lives of couples in love. Think fun & engaging storytelling, warm stage presence, crafting personal romantic (& sometime humorous) wedding vows, weaving readings and rituals into something that feels totally personal & unique for them. 

In England and Wales, couples still need the dull but important legal bits  with a registrar, but this can be done cheaply (from as little as £67) and separately from their unique & engaging celebrant-led ceremony. 

This means, couples feel more relaxed and looked-after with you, their chosen wedding celebrant, whose focus is only on them and where you have no restrictions on the ceremony —any time, any place, any style.

Funeral Celebrant:

This is where Gen X gravitas shines. You’ll meet families, capture the essence of a life, co-create and officiate funeral services that are honest, uplifting, and deeply comforting. Demand is steady year-round and many celebrants begin here because with the right practical skills training, personality & confidence, referrals from funeral directors can build quickly. Plenty of us train in both—it broadens your income channels and evens out the seasons.

Busting the 5 Myths about becoming a Celebrant

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1. The Celebrant Industry is Saturated

Many people train to become a celebrant and never get work or find it really tricky to get bookings. But this isn't because the celebrant industry is saturated, it is because it is very competitive and you have to be well trained and good to work and grow your business. If you're looking for the best celebrant training in the UK that's practical, flexible and accredited by Celebrant Training School, our free discovery modules are the perfect starting point (learn more about these later).

Many existing celebrants will tell you it is saturated because they naturally don't want more competition or they have struggled to get work themselves. Some funeral directors may tell you the celebrant industry is saturated, but that is because they are fed up of seeing poorly trained celebrants who have simply been talked at for 3 or 5 days, got a certificate of attendance and now think they can be trusted to look after a bereaved family. Or alternatively, they have been assessed for an academic qualification by writing coursework and essays but lack the practical skills and coaching needed really do the job properly.

Many Funeral Directors are feeling the heat from increased competition from cheap Direct Cremations. As a result, they need high quality & confident celebrants to care and support their client families. Families don't want celebrants who get names wrong and mis-represent their loved ones in a eulogy. The days of "easy work" as a funeral celebrant are now gone. Quality matters. 
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2. Celebrants Can Earn A Lot

People become professional celebrants not for the money but because it is so creative, varied, flexible and rewarding (in the satisfying and meaningful sense of the word...not the financial meaning).

If you think you can earn a lot of money working as a celebrant, then you should best think again. Some celebrant training academies and providers exaggerate how much celebrants earn simply to get people to sign up for their courses.

For example, they may use figures from Scottish Belief Celebrants where because marriage law is different,  they can also do the legal marriage ceremony like registrars. But this isn't possible in England & Wales or even in Scotland if you want to work as an Independent Celebrant (and not a Belief Celebrant).

Some training providers will feature celebrants who only work in central London where, like most things, fees are significantly more than working elsewhere in the UK. Celebrant fees vary a lot across the different regions of the UK.

Some celebrant training academies and providers also highlight the work of TV & Radio personalities who have also trained as Celebrants. This suggests that being a celebrant is a glamorous and well paid side-hustle for high earning celebrities. 

The truth is, there are many other ways of earning more income than becoming a celebrant. You can probably earn up to average earnings (circa £34,000) but this wont be in your first year. Like most small businesses, it may take between 3-5 years for your celebrant business to get established and to reach this level of income. As a result, most trainee celebrants are advised to have an alternative source of income or a back-stop as they launch and grow their business. 

You can read more in detail about how much you could earn as a celebrant in this previous blog post here. 
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3. You Need a Recognised Qualification

Despite what some celebrant training academies and providers suggest in their marketing (and hence what AI search bots tell you), there is no legal requirement or advantage to having an academic qualification in Celebrancy. 

Check for yourself on the UK Government National Careers Service website.

Engaged couples, bereaved families and funeral directors want someone who’s capable, kind, organised and a great communicator.

The NOCN Level 3 Certificate or Diploma in Civil Celebrancy  does not equip individuals with the skills to become a successful celebrant. Many celebrants who start the academic NOCN course discover it can take 1 - 2 years before you get your award and it doesn't actually prepare you for real weddings or funerals.  It is a tick box qualification and like many of the worst NVQs, you are assessed on your ability to write essays and coursework about the things you need to do. You are not assessed as to whether you can actually do any of the most important celebrant skills! 

That's why so many people turn to practical celebrant training courses like ours - because you'll be confident and working in months, not years. 

You can read more about Celebrant Qualifications here. 
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4. You Need Insurance & Membership

Again, many celebrant training academies and providers will feature in their marketing that they provide Public Liability Insurance and/or Membership of their Organisation as if these are benefits you should have. The reality is that you simply don't or these features are wanted, they can be achieved more cheaply and/or more effectively by yourself. 

FACT: A business only legally needs Public Liability Insurance if it has employees. Most celebrants are self-employed and so do not need it. If you do want Public Liability Insurance for peace of mind, you are already likely covered if you have other business insurances.  If you feel you need to take out Public Liability Insurance (for example some wedding venues and some Funeral Directors will ask for it), then you can get it cheaply in your own name. Business Insurance price comparison site are a good place to start. They wont know what a "celebrant" is as an occupation, so instead, you should list yourself as a "public speaker" or "consultant". If something were to go wrong and you ever needed  to make a claim on your insurance, then you will be thankful you can contact the insurance company directly, rather than through the part-time staff of a third-party organisation. 

FACT: The only insurance all celebrants should get is "business cover" on your car insurance. Contact your car insurance company directly as most will give this to you for FREE.

FACT: You do not need to join any celebrant organisation to work as a celebrant, although again, some unethical marketing would suggest you do. Some organisations offer on-going CPD but check the annual membership fees because they sometimes give the first year for free or at a reduced rate before the fee ramps up. The CPD or on-going training they offer can often be very questionable as most celebrant organisations have strong links with training providers and it is just another marketing strategy for them. One so-called Celebrant Digital Marketing Expert offers very out-dated SEO advice and has an embarrassing Instagram presence.  Doing your due diligence before you accept any celebrant training is very important. This is why I urge my prospective trainees to check me and my work out as a current celebrant, including my reviews on Hitched, BrideBook & Google (www.acorn2oakceremonies.co.uk)  as well as with trainers from other academies and providers.

In contrast to other celebrant training providers who will charge you for refreshment courses or a membership fee on-going training and CPD,  at Celebrant Training School, we provide all this for FREE:
  • You get lifetime access to all instructional videos & downloadable resources
  • You get notified when videos & resources are updated or added

  • You are invited to attend FREE bi-monthly Celebrant Skills Workshops
  • You are invited to join our positive & supportive Celebrant WhatsApp group 

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5. How You Become An Accredited Celebrant

Whilst other celebrant training academies and providers will hook you in with their marketing about the NOCN qualification, they will then simply award you a certificate for simply turning up.

Most participants on these courses don't even go on to complete the NOCN qualification coursework when they realise it will take them between 1-2 years to complete the coursework. Some may start, but then realise that is really quite dull and they realise that most celebrants don't have the qualification and don't need it anyway, they abandon it. 

In contrast, Celebrant Training School offer:
  •  1-to-1 practical written skills assessments (written tasks that celebrants actually have to do, not coursework or essays)
  • 1-to-1 practical live skills assessments (on Zoom, in a realistic setting with constructive development to build your competence)
  • 1-to-1 coaching to build your  confidence
  • Celebrant Training School only award certification and accreditation based on your ability to do the job as a celebrant
  • Along with teaching & coaching you all the up-to-date marketing skills & strategies you will need to launch and grow your business - our celebrant graduates get bookings and become successful. 
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Your Gen-X Short-Cuts to Success as a Celebrant

  • Public-sector polish: duty, diplomacy, safeguarding instincts, going the extra mile, calm under pressure.
  • Communication: writing clearly, speaking confidently, reading the room.
  • Organisation: timelines, multi-tasking, logistics—weddings and funerals adore a safe pair of hands.
  • Empathy: you’ve lived a bit; you understand context, you “get” people. That wisdom, trust & authenticity is priceless.

Why Choose Celebrant Training School over AMC, FCA, ICPC or others?

No essay-based NOCN qualification needed

Our graduates get trained, developed, coached & accredited through real-life celebrant skills assessments, not by completing dull & unnecessary coursework.

Flexible & FREE Discovery Modules

  • Test drive your celebrancy training, something our competitors do not offer: Try our discovery modules to learn what being a self-employed professional celebrant is really like. See if you have the right transferable skills and experiences to become a successful celebrant (warning: this isn't some shallow AI-driven marketing quiz that our competitors offer, this a proper assessment marked by a human).  Experience our learning platform to see if online learning is for you.

FREE Funeral Celebrant Training

Enrol for FREE by simply registering with your email address (you will need to verify your email so check your spam folder... we have to keep those bots out)
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FREE Wedding Celebrant Training

Enrol for FREE on Module 1 of our Wedding Celebrant Course using the same login if you have already enrolled onto the FREE Funeral Course.
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Start Your Celebrancy Journey Today
- No Qualification Needed

Before you invest in the paid-for elements of courses, Modules 2-6, you can always hop onto a FREE Successful Celebrant Workshop where you can meet other people also interested in becoming a celebrant and get all your questions answered. 

We promise you:
  • This is not a pre-recorded Webinar - it is a genuine human group video-call
  • All your questions get answered honestly without any "corporate" spin
  • You wont get hounded by a team of sales people trying to earn commission
  • We don't offer discounts on things that should be included in the course
  • All our prices are clear & transparent - you choose the package you want
  • A choice of single payment,  as well as 12-month or 6-month payment plans

If you have completed one or more of our FREE Discovery Modules and you feel you are ready to learn more, then book your FREE place here. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a qualification to become a celebrant?

No official or OFQUAL qualifications are required to become a celebrant in the UK. Some providers promote the NOCN Level 3 Certificate or Diploma in Civil Celebrancy , but many trainees discover it is lengthy, academic and unnecessary. Engaged couples, families and funeral directors care far more about your skills, empathy and professionalism. Celebrant Training School offers certification and accreditation based on what you can actually do - so you're confident, competent and ready to work.

How much can a celebrant earn?

Celebrant fees vary greatly across the UK and can depends upon the ceremony,  the time of year (for weddings), the day of the week (for weddings), how much travel is involved and the experience of the celebrant. 

On average in September 2025, Funeral Celebrants can expect on average a fee of £250 per funeral rising to £275 in the South East of England, £350 in London and lower in other parts of the UK. 

On average in September 2025, Wedding Celebrant can expect on average a fee of £750 per wedding rising to £1,000 in the South East of England, £1,500 in London and lower in other parts of the UK. Newly trained wedding celebrants will need to charge less than more experienced wedding celebrants with many testimonials. 

Read more in this blog post here. 

How long does celebrant training take?

Celebrant Training varies greatly depending upon how you access it. Some offer introductory training over 3 or 5 days. Most online courses are self-paced and so consequently you can spread the training over weeks or months but can also be completed within a week if you really blitzed it. 

Read more about how long celebrant training takes here.
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How much does Celebrant Training cost?

Celebrant Training costs vary widely between different private celebrant training providers from £500 to £5,000. The cheapest is for a correspondence course only where you get sent information to read, coursework to complete and return. The most expensive will be residential and therefore include accommodation and significant staffing costs. It is important to do your research and assess who your tutors are, their teaching qualifications, how much one-to-one assessment and coaching you get, how assessment for any accreditation is done and what level of on-going support and resources do you get included in your original enrolment fee. 
Read more about how much it costs to train as a celebrant here.
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