Can You Actually Make a Living as a Celebrant?
(Spoiler: Yes — but not if your marketing strategy is waiting for your mates to get married.)
Let’s start with the question on everyone’s lips (right after “how do you not cry?”):
Can you actually earn a decent living doing this?
Short answer:
Yes.
Slightly longer answer:
Yes — but you’ve got to treat it like a proper job. Not a hobby. Not a favour. Not something you occasionally do when Sue from Pilates asks if you can “say a few words” at her niece’s wedding.
Because while celebrancy can be incredibly flexible and meaningful, it’s still a job — one that needs time, effort, and a bit of savvy to make it financially sustainable.
So… how much do celebrants earn?
Let’s break it down.
Weddings
Wedding celebrants typically charge £500–£1,000+ per ceremony, depending on experience and location. Do one a week from April to October and you’re looking at £15K–£30K part-time.
(This is not going to happen in your first year, BTW.)
Things you might want to consider:
– Am I happy to do fewer ceremonies for less money at first?
– To maximise income, am I willing to travel wherever the wedding (work) is?
– Do I mind losing my Saturdays… or do I love that my Saturdays are spent rocking a posh frock and making people very happy?
Funerals
Funeral celebrants are usually paid £200–£300 per funeral, often via a funeral director. Do three funerals a week and that’s a very steady income — plus, funerals happen all year round.
But that’s not what we advocate. Here’s why:
Relying solely on funeral directors to feed you work means giving away all your client-recruiting power. You don’t control your own destiny — and your fee will almost always be capped.
What do we think you should do instead?
Treat your funeral business like any other self-employed role: market directly to your community and attract clients who like you and what you do.
Charge what you’re worth. Build your own name.
Things to ask yourself:
– Am I prepared to give it time to build my reputation and income?
– Would I rather do fewer funerals, at higher production values, for a better price tag — rather than churning them out just to make money?
– Do I understand the importance and value of this role — and am I prepared to charge accordingly, without feeling totes awks about it?
Celebrant Directory – Match & Dispatch
Extras
There’s more in your celebrant toolbox than weddings and funerals. Think:
– Vow renewals
– Pet funerals
– Naming ceremonies
– Script-writing for nervous best people or tongue-tied parents
If it involves words and meaning, there’s probably a way to offer it.
But is it consistent work?
It can be — once you’ve built your reputation. That’s why training with the right organisation (hi there 👋) matters.
We don’t just teach you how to write a beautiful ceremony. We show you how to:
– Find clients
– Get repeat bookings
– Make sure your work is valued — emotionally and financially
You’ll also learn:
– How to build relationships with venues and suppliers
– How to market yourself without feeling the ick
– What to put on your website (besides “Hi I’m Susan and I love love!”)
– How to manage the practical side of being self-employed
A note on privilege, side-hustles and second acts
Let’s be real — celebrancy doesn’t work the same way for everyone.
Some people ease into it while still teaching or nursing.
Some build it slowly after retirement.
Some go all-in, maybe with a nest egg or a supportive other half.
It’s flexible by design.
But it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes time, effort, and a bit of a hustle mindset — which we help you build, without making you cry into a Canva template.
Real talk from real people
We’ve trained celebrants who now:
– Have built sustainable careers and left teaching or nursing burnout behind
– Only take bookings that fit around the school run
– Mix celebrancy with other roles in a flexible, fulfilling portfolio career
Some of our trainees only do funerals. Some only do weddings. Many do both.
This is a job that works how you want it to work — and your income reflects that.
Final answer?
Yes, you can make a living as a celebrant.
But only if you treat it like the meaningful, professional, people-powered career it is.
Curious what that looks like in practice?
Join our next free info webinar, where we break down the real costs, income, and life of a celebrant — and answer all your “but what if…” questions.
Kate & Kate x
