• As reported on NPR, CBS, and the New York Times.

    • Become a Professional Celebrant in North America!

    New 2006 & 2007 Courses

    Thank you, for your interest in becoming a Celebrant! The Celebrant USA Foundation & Institute is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to training North American Celebrants and to promoting the use of ceremony to mark the milestones and transitions in the lives of individuals, families, communities and organizations. Celebrants are professional officiants trained to create personalized ceremonies to meet their clients’ needs. The ideal of Celebrancy is that the client's beliefs and values are paramount, and that the beliefs of the Celebrant are immaterial in the process of ceremony creation. As a Celebrant, you would collaborate with your clients to help them realize their vision for their day, giving them final approval over the ceremony script. No two Celebrant ceremonies are alike.

    Celebrants officiate at all types of life event ceremonies, for babies and adoptions, coming of age, marriages[1], commitment ceremonies, funerals and memorials. Celebrants also develop ceremonies to enrich daily life, and for community, corporate and civic events. The opportunities to use ceremony to create connections among neighbors and families, and for healing and celebration, are as varied as are our Celebrants.

    Celebrants serve a basic need in today's society, and the interest in the Celebrant USA Foundation and our graduates demonstrates this. Please visit our website's Press Room to listen to the National Public Radio (NPR) feature segment about our organization that ran in December 2003:
    Celebrant Press Releases

    We've also been featured in the "Wall Street Journal" (downsizing ceremonies); "USA Today" (divorce ceremonies); "CBS Nightly News with Dan Rather" (the Celebrancy profession); "New Jersey public television" (store launching ceremony), "The New York Times" (the wedding Celebrancy profession and ceremonies), “The Utne Reader” (The World as your Classroom & Life long Learning), and more.

    The upcoming 2006-2007 course schedule, content, tuition information and application requirements are detailed on the information sheet attached. Please contact me by phone or email if you would like further information or are interested in applying to the Celebrant USA Foundation & Institute's programs in Celebrancy. Thank you.
    Sincerely,

    Cynthia Reed, Director of Academic Studies
    Direct Dial 973.249.3974
    Cynthia.K.Reed email

    [1] In order to comply with state laws governing who may officiate at marriages, most wedding Celebrants must also become ordained non-denominational ministers, notaries public or other administrative officials. Please note that the legal requirements to officiate at marriages vary by state. The Celebrant USA Foundation is not a religious organization and does not ordain Celebrants, nor can it guarantee that students can become legally authorized to perform weddings in their state of residence. The Foundation will assist its wedding Celebrants, wherever possible, to become legally authorized to perform marriages in their states of residence.

  • Open and download an admission form here

    • What is a Celebrant? Celebrants are trained professionals who believe in the power and effectiveness of ceremony and ritual to serve basic needs of society and the individual. The Celebrant’s mission is to help the client create a ceremony that reflects his or her beliefs, philosophy of life, and personality. The beliefs of the Celebrant are immaterial in this process.

    Celebrants come from all walks of life and a college degree is not a prerequisite. We’re looking for highly motivated students who have an interest in ceremony and ritual, public speaking experience, excellent writing abilities, organizational skills and a love of the arts and working with people. Foreign languages and computer skills are a plus. Above all, the Celebrant candidate must be committed to creating personalized ceremonies for people of all beliefs and value systems.

    The Course in Celebrancy. The Celebrant USA Foundation offers three certificate tracks:

    • Weddings and other Ceremonies for Couples
    • Funerals and other Ceremonies for Healing
    • Ceremonies for Families, Children and other Life Transitions

    Students are immersed in the history of rituals and traditions around the world, the choreography and management of ceremonies, and ceremonial public speaking. They also have opportunities to learn from experienced Celebrants before they officiate on their own.

    Students will read from authors who provide the foundation for the study of ritual, mythology, weddings and death and dying, including such texts as The Rites of Passage by Arnold van Gennep, Deeply into the Bone by Ronald Grimes, The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell, The Conscious Bride by Sheryl Nissinen, Gay & Lesbian Weddings by Toussaint & Leo, Joining Hands and Hearts by Susanna Macomb, Sacred Dying by Megory Anderson, The Mourner’s Dance by Katherine Ashenberg, and Caring Dead by Lisa Carlson.

    Course Schedule. Your courses will begin in September 2006. Your initial Celebrancy certificate program is as follows:

    • From September 11 to October 14th, 2006 you will participate in an online independent study program. All materials will be posted in an online classroom, and you will have access to an ongoing online student forum to discuss the readings with your classmates from all over the country as you go along. The Foundation also provides you with streaming online videos of Celebrant-conducted ceremonies for you to observe. Because the course is so computer-intensive, it is highly recommended that students have a high-speed Internet connection.

    • From October 15th to December 9th, 2006 you will take the core course “Fundamentals of Celebrancy”, a three-month course covering the history of ritual and ceremony, the creation and practice of effective ceremonies, and ceremonial public speaking.

    • From January 8th to March 31st 2007, you will join begin your specialty course in the certificate program of your choice – Weddings, Funerals or Families.

    • You will graduate as a Certified Celebrant in April 2007, date to be announced.

    Initially, it is recommended that you take one certificate course at a time. Once you obtain your initial certificate, however, you can take future certificate courses simultaneously if you choose.

    Tuition. All tuition payments can be made by personal or bank check to: Celebrant USA Foundation or by credit card, Visa/Mastercard only. Tuition for your initial certificate program is $1800.00. Tuition may be paid by personal or bank check to Celebrant USA Foundation, 93 Valley Road, No. 2, Montclair, NJ 07042; or by Visa/MasterCard by calling the office at 973.746.1792. Credit card transactions will be subject to a 3% transaction fee.

    You may select from one of the two following payment plans.

    1.You may pay in two equal installments of $900.00, payable as follows:

  • $900.00 due on September 1st, 2006
  • $900.00 due on January 1st , 2007

    2. You may pay in three equal installments of $600.00, payable as follows. The payment plan includes an additional $20.00 administrative charge per payment.

  • $600.00 due on September 1st, 2006.
  • $600,00 due on November 1st, 2006
  • $600.00 due on January 1st, 2007

    Additional Costs: Students are required, during the course of study, to arrange and pay all fees for a qualified professional vocal evaluator to assess their public speaking and presentation abilities. Additional textbooks that may be required to be purchased are solely the responsibility of the student and not the Celebrant USA Foundation & Institute. It is important to note that the vast majority of study materials are included in tuition and are downloadable from the Institute’s web site.

    Refunds. Tuition, other than the initial deposit of $300.00, is refundable until you (a) receive your password to access the course materials or (b) the first day of class, whichever comes earlier.

    Where do I take classes?
    For area students who so choose, classes are taught at our North Jersey Institute in Montclair, New Jersey.

    For distance students, classes are taught in an innovative online program in small groups. Your journey to becoming a Celebrant will be enhanced by interaction with your online chat group and experienced Celebrants, as well as via telephone conferences with your instructors, as you help to pioneer the Celebrancy movement in North America.

    All students will have access to our online classrooms and the online library, which features sample ceremonies of all types, sample contracts and client interview questions, and more. The classrooms contain your homework assignments and readings, as well as a bulletin board where you can discuss Celebrancy topics with students all across the country.

    How do I apply for admission? Students interested in applying for admission should contact Cynthia Reed, Director of Academic Studies, at the Celebrant USA Foundation & Institute by telephone (973-746-1792) or by email to at information@celebrantusa.com.

    To apply, you’ll need to submit to the Celebrant USA Foundation & Institute the following:

    • Your resume
    • An application cover sheet (attached); and
    • A personal statement on why you want to become a Celebrant (250 words).

    The Foundation may then conduct an in-person or telephone interview with you. Your application materials may be submitted by email to cynthiakreed@aol.com or by mail to:

    Celebrant USA Foundation & Institute
    93 Valley Road, Second Floor
    Montclair, New Jersey
    07042
    Attn: Admissions Committee

    NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS The Celebrant USA Foundation & Institute admits students of any race, color, gender, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs and other school-administered programs.

    Certificate Programs: Celebrant USA Foundation & Institute
    (effective July 1, 2005)

    Core Course: Fundamentals of Celebrancy
    Prerequisites: None
    Concepts Covered:

  • History of and Comparative Cultural Ceremony and Ritual
  • Survey of Multicultural Ceremonial Traditions
  • Elements of Effective Rites of Passage
  • Conversations in Celebrancy: Discussions with Experienced Celebrants
  • Public Speaking and Vocal Technique
  • Introduction to Developing Client Relationships and Interviewing

    Certificate Course: Weddings and other Ceremonies for Couples
    Prerequisite:     Fundamentals of Celebrancy
    Prepares students to officiate at:
    Weddings, Commitment Ceremonies, Vow Renewals, Engagements and Anniversaries
    Concepts Covered:

  • Comparative Rituals for Weddings, Commitment Ceremonies, Vow Renewals, Engagements and
  • Anniversaries
  • Interviewing Clients
  • Rehearsals
  • Legal Issues for Marriage Officiants
  • Case Study: Interfaith Weddings
  • Case Study: Civil Weddings
  • Case Study: Involving Children of the Couple or either Spouse
  • Case Study: Same-Gender Ceremonies
  • Case Study: Engagements, Vow Renewals and Anniversaries
  • Ceremony Observation
  • Ceremony Writing Exercises

    Certificate Course: Funerals and other Ceremonies for Healing
    Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Celebrancy
    Prepares students to officiate at:
    Funerals, Memorials, Life Transitions (divorce, retirement, downsizing, illness), Survivor Ceremonies
    Concepts Covered:

  • Comparative Rituals for Funerals and Memorials
  • Creating Ceremonies for Life Transitions
  • Interviewing Clients and Working with Families
  • Working with the Funeral Industry
  • Case Studies: Funerals and Memorials
  • Special Issues: Ceremonies for Infants & Children, Violent Deaths, Suicide
  • Ceremony Observation
  • Ceremony Writing Exercises

    Certificate Course: Ceremonies for Families, Children and other Life Transitions
    Prerequisite:     Fundamentals of Celebrancy
    Prepares students to officiate at:
    Baby Namings & Welcomings, Ceremonies for Adoptive Families, Coming of Age, Rituals for Blended Families, Birthdays and Graduations, House Dedications, Ceremony and Ritual for Every Day, Croning
    Concepts Covered:

  • Comparative Ritual: Ceremonies to Welcome Children and Create Families
  • Comparative Ritual: Coming of Age
  • Case Study: Ceremonies for Birth and Adoption
  • Case Study: Coming of Age
  • Case Studies: Birthdays, Graduations and Special Achievements, House Dedications, Men’s and
  • Women’s Midlife Rituals
  • Ceremony and Ritual for Everyday ~ Honoring the Seasons, Celebrating the Earth
  • Interviewing Clients and Working with Families
  • Ceremony Observation
  • Ceremony Writing Exercises.

    Thank you.