It’s important to be cautious of celebrant training providers who exaggerate earnings to attract trainees. Claims that funeral celebrants can earn £50,000+ in their first year or charge £1,000 per wedding as a beginner are unrealistic and often misleading.

The fees celebrants charge for their services depend on several factors, including the type of ceremony, location, and experience. Realistic fee ranges in the UK are as follows: 

£200–£350 per funeral service.

Celebrants are paid a local fee regardless of their experience because although Funeral Directors largely book celebrants, it is the family who pays the fee (via the Funeral Director's invoice). Consequently, funeral directors and arrangers have no incentive to go for cheaper celebrants and would rather all the celebrants they use charge the same price for simplicity and accuracy. Only the most experienced and sought after celebrants tend to be paid above the local rate and funeral directors will often agree a higher rate with the family if they anticipate the celebrant's job will be more complex than usual. Funeral Directors have a long-term interest in looking after "their" celebrant which is why selecting who to work for is an important aspect of being self-employed. 

£400–£1000 per wedding ceremony.

As celebrants win bookings directly from couples they have more control over the agreed fee. Wedding celebrant fees vary widely depending upon location and the experience of the wedding celebrant. More affluent areas of the UK and wedding venue "hotspots" will command much higher rates, e.g. London, Edinburgh, South East of England, Cheshire and North Yorkshire.

When wedding celebrants are in their first year, they will need to be very competitive  and charge lower than existing local wedding celebrants to get initial bookings and to get established. Over time, with experience and with a long list of 5-star online reviews, wedding celebrants can charge more. 

Experienced, prestigious and premium wedding celebrants can command fees of £1,500+ but these celebrants are the exception. The average wedding celebrant fee in the UK is £750 per wedding. 

Services like vow renewals or baby naming ceremonies are not in high demand like funerals and weddings but the fee can range from £150–£600.

It’s important to set realistic expectations, particularly for those just starting out.

 In their first year, once newly trained funeral celebrants have introduced themselves successfully and professionally to their local funeral directors, if they win their trust, they can expect to perform 1-2 funerals per week depending on if they do this full or part-time.

Established celebrants with around five years of experience may perform 2-4 funerals per week, again depending on whether they do this full or part time. As long as celebrants do an excellent job for funeral directors and their families and they constantly work on developing their network of funeral arrangers, they can anticipate a steady and reliable income.

For wedding celebrants, the first year is usually slower. Most will perform 1-5 weddings in their first year, as it takes time to build an online presence and secure bookings. Once established (after perhaps 3-5 years), successful celebrants can  perform between 20-50 weddings per year, depending on their reputation, their marketing efforts and whether they work full or part-time.

Many celebrants start with funerals for immediate income and later expand into weddings, providing a more balanced workload, a mixture of clients, variety of work and a higher income.

As a self-employed professional celebrant whilst your income comes from fees, you will also have a range of expenses to pay for which will reduce your overall income. This again varies depending on whether you do funerals only, weddings only or both.

Funeral celebrants typically have fewer expenses:

Wedding celebrants have more start-up costs and higher expenses:

Newly trained funeral celebrants can begin earning money almost immediately by visiting funeral directors and securing bookings. Payments are often made within 2-3 weeks of getting booked, ensuring a quick and steady cash flow.

Whilst the average fee for a wedding is £750 rather than £250 for a funeral, wedding celebrants face a longer lead time. Couples typically book their celebrant 6 months to 2 years in advance, paying a booking fee (usually 50%) at the time of booking to "save the date" and the balance closer to the wedding. It can take 6-12 months to establish a reliable cash flow, making wedding celebrancy a longer-term albeit a more profitable investment.

The following table shows potential net income for different celebrancy scenarios over time and whether it is approached as a part-time or full-time venture. These figures are based on realistic expectations for newly trained and experienced celebrants, factoring in average earnings for funerals, a lower average wedding fee in year 1 compared with a higher average wedding fee once established and average expenses for funerals and weddings.

Scenario	Year 1	Once Established
P/T Funerals Only	£11,500 (50 funerals a year)	£17,000 (70 funerals a year)
PT Weddings Only	£3,000 (5 weddings a year)	£24,000  (25 weddings a year)
F/T Funerals Only	£18,000 (75 funerals a year)	£34,000 (140 funerals a year)
F/T Weddings Only	£4,000 (8 weddings a year)	£44,000 (45 weddings a year)
F/T Funerals & Weddings	£15,000 (50 funerals + 5 weddings a year)	£41,000 (70 funerals + 25 weddings a year)

Celebrancy, like any new business, requires time and effort to establish. It’s faster to begin earning as a funeral celebrant, as bookings can be secured almost immediately by visiting funeral directors. Wedding celebrants, on the other hand, must invest in a website, SEO, and social media marketing, and bookings typically come 6–24 months in advance.   For these reasons, many celebrants start with funerals and gradually expand into weddings. Maintaining part-time employment during the first year can also help ensure financial stability while you build your client base.

At Celebrant Training School, our mission is to help you achieve your goal of running your own celebrant business. Unlike other training providers, we don’t exaggerate potential earnings or blur the realities of this career.

As founder and principal trainer I bring years of experience as a business educator and school leader, including as headteacher. I provide realistic, practical and personalised support to help you succeed.

Celebrancy offers the chance to do meaningful, fulfilling work while earning an income that suits your lifestyle. Whether you’re starting part-time or aiming for full-time celebrancy, our courses provide the skills, support, and business tools you need to thrive.

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