Elevate Your Funeral Services: NFDA Teams up with InSight Institute to Host Celebrant Training Workshops in 2025

Brookfield, Wis. – Every life deserves to be honored in a way that reflects the individuality of the person being remembered. As more families seek personalized ways to honor and celebrate the lives of loved ones, funeral professionals are embracing Certified Celebrants. To help funeral directors, funeral home staff, and other deathcare and end-of-life professionals create deeply meaningful services, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is proud to partner with InSight Institute to host two Certified Celebrant Training workshops in 2025. 

A certified celebrant collaborates with families and funeral directors to craft personalized funeral or memorial services that capture the essence of a person’s life. This training is especially valuable for those who wish to offer non-religious or alternative services that still provide comfort, connection and healing. NFDA will offer two Certified Celebrant Training workshops in 2025:

• June 25-27 at NFDA headquarters in Brookfield, Wisconsin
• October 24-26 in Chicago, Illinois, in conjunction with the NFDA International Convention & Expo 

What You’ll Gain from Certified Celebrant Training 

Guided by InSight Institute’s Glenda Stansbury MA, CFSP, this engaging and hands-on training will equip attendees with essential skills to:

• Lead meaningful and compassionate family meetings
• Design personalized ceremonies that celebrate life
• Incorporate music, readings and storytelling to create impactful tributes
• Enhance presentation skills for heartfelt delivery
• Serve as a Master of Ceremonies with confidence and grace
• Introduce the celebrant concept to their communities 

As traditional funeral services continue to evolve, certified celebrants play a vital role in helping families find comfort and healing through uniquely tailored ceremonies. This training is ideal for funeral service professionals ready to bring more personalization and heart to the services they provide. Registration for the June certification workshop is now open; registration for the October workshop opens June 2. Visit NFDA.org/Celebrant to learn more and reserve your spot. 

Scholarships Make Training Accessible 

The Funeral Service Foundation is committed to supporting professionals who wish to enhance their service to families. Up to 10 scholarships are available for the June session, each valued at up to $2,000. Scholarships cover the full registration fee, two nights of hotel accommodation and up to $500 in travel reimbursement. Scholarships are available to those who are verifiably affiliated with at least one funeral home and are interested in becoming a Certified Celebrant.

The scholarship application is open through April 15 at FuneralServiceFoundation.org/Scholarships. NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world.

NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit NFDA.org. 

I received an unsolicited e-mail the other day about taking a course that would lead me to become a “Certified Funeral Celebrant”.  I’m not interested in that but, more and more, I see greater numbers of the consumer public shedding the idea of using formal clergy in the memorialization of their loved ones.

And, as I was thinking about the thought of funerals, memorial services, and out-of-the-norm death care services, I started to think that “Funeral Celebrants” are in more and more demand everyday.  The crux of my service as a funeral director was from 1980 thru 2013, which is now ten years ago.

Even in my time the trend was for increasing numbers of families that questioned how, or who, since they have no church membership, would “officiate” at the funeral of their loved one.  Luckily our funeral home was in a large retirement area and we had several retired clergy around who appreciated the chance to “spread the gospel” to families who had either “fallen away” from the church or never joined a church.  Most of these retired clergy relished the chance to have an audience where they could spread the good news of the gospels once again.

And, most families appreciated those thoughts and the message that was delivered.  But today, as you can see from the small graph below, the decline of church membership continues in this country and I’m of the belief that more and more mourners now prefer a “secular” officiant over a “religious” officiant at a death care service.

In researching this article I found this information from SCI’s Dignity Memorial branch giving consumer information on a “Funeral Celebrant”.  Just by having it available for consumer information on their website gives some indication of the growing popularity of the idea.  Here’s is what they say about why you might want to use a celebrant:

• You need help personalizing a funeral service and you’re not sure how to do it.
• You want someone who is more flexible and experienced than a traditional minister to guide the service.
• You are looking for someone to act as an officiant and as the main speaker at a memorial.

In my lifetime I’ve also seen a movement whereby American citizens more often than not look for answers from an “expert” than dig deep inside themselves to find their own answers to questions that they may have.  I’ve even moved that way — for instance looking at a YouTube video on fixing my lawn mower instead of just getting out there with my tool set and going at it.

On this website titled “The Ultimate guide to a Celebrant-Led funeral” I can see why many would look to a celebrant for guidance on something that they are not familiar with.  The website states this, as to how a celebrant will help, among other things:

• Be a point of support and guidance from the very first meeting right through until the end of the service

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  The one obstacle I see from the funeral home’s point of view is that I think it may be difficult for mourning family members to separate the guidance that they get from a funeral celebrant from the guidance that they get from the funeral director during the death care process.  From my point of view the jobs of the two are distinct and different — but I’m not so sure that every family will recognize that.

Because of that I think it is probably best that the funeral home have an incredible working relationship with the celebrant, or better yet, have a celebrant on staff for the families that they serve.

I think celebrants will be used more and more going forward and because of that I would suggest having funeral directors who are interested in being out front and not intimidated by being a speaker and leader of a service look into celebrant training.  By doing so a funeral home can be assured that its philosophy for guiding a family from grief through memorialization to remembrance is not intercepted by someone with a differing philosophy.

I’d go as far to say that having celebrants on staff and the care that they give as a celebrant can be a seamless “continuity of care” to the family from the funeral home.  That continuity on how a family can be cared for by, in order, a funeral director, a celebrant, and an aftercare program could be a difference maker in many consumer choices for funeral home selection. . . . . .especially when there is no organized church and/or clergy involved.

If I was still operating my funeral home and I had not done so yet, I would look for ways in which I could present secular celebrants to families . . . . . . just the offer and opportunity may move families from a simple direct cremation with no services to a more thorough memorialization with ancillary services.

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

Most of us know what wedding officiants do. They work with couples to design the perfect wedding ceremony and then conduct the proceedings. But did you know there are also funeral officiants—professionals who are trained to help plan and conduct funeral ceremonies? These experts are called Funeral Celebrants.

What does a Funeral Celebrant do?

Funeral Celebrants collaborate with the family to create a personalized ceremony that truly reflects the life of the person being memorialized. The celebrant gets to know the deceased by asking questions, listening to stories, and curating the information provided by the family. In designing the ceremony, they pay careful attention to the music, readings, poems, and rituals that are incorporated into the ceremony.

The Celebrant’s role during the ceremony is up to the family. In many cases, the Celebrant and family will divide the duties. For example, the Celebrant might give the eulogy and lead the songs while family members present readings and prayers.

How is a Funeral Director different from a Celebrant?

According to the National Funeral Director’s Association, the key duties of a funeral director include:

• Arranging for the removal of the deceased from the place of death
• Providing support to the bereaved during the initial stages of grief
• Preparing the body according to legal requirements and the wishes of the survivors
• Arranging and directing funeral ceremonies
• Securing information for legal documents, filing death certificates, and other legal papers
• Helping survivors when filing death benefits claims, as well as assisting them in adapting to their lives post-death

As you can see, that’s quite a broad portfolio of duties. That’s why the exact duties performed by a funeral director can vary depending on the funeral. This is especially true when it comes to acting as the funeral officiant. The funeral director may conduct the ceremony or work with a celebrant or officiant to perform the service.

The key role of a celebrant is to ensure that the funeral ceremony is personalized. Most are unaffiliated, that is to say, not directly employed by the funeral home. Their job is to focus on the funeral service or memorial ceremony. They are independent professionals who can conduct funerals at any location or within the funeral home. Unless they are also a funeral director, funeral celebrants do not handle body preparation or any of the specialized tasks that funeral directors are trained and certified to do.

Celebrants receive training and certification at organizations such as the Celebrant Foundation & Institute.

Can I use both a funeral director and a funeral celebrant?

Professional funeral celebrants are accustomed to working closely with funeral homes and are happy to do so. If you are using both, then generally, the funeral director will be responsible for transportation and care of the deceased and various organizational and administrative tasks while the celebrant takes care of the emotional and personal elements of the service. The choice between a funeral director and a funeral celebrant, or both, depends on your preferences, cultural or religious beliefs, and the specific needs of the funeral you are planning. It can also depend on regulations. When a burial is chosen, many states require that a funeral director be on hand throughout the process.

Traditional funerals where the casket is present almost always involve the services of a funeral director. If you are having the funeral at a place of worship, a clergy member will likely be involved. There are many options for where to hold memorial services because they can be held at any time following a burial or cremation. The services of a celebrant are an excellent choice for a memorial service to celebrate the life of the deceased.

What about religion?

Most celebrants are happy to design ceremonies that incorporate spiritual rituals. In fact, many clergy are also trained as celebrants.

A key reason that people like working with celebrants is that they focus on making the funeral ceremony extremely personal. If religion was important to the deceased, then, of course, it should be part of the ceremony. How active a celebrant is in conducting a funeral’s religious elements depends on your denomination. In many religions, only an ordained priest or minister can offer the rites.

So, back to the original question: Do you need both a funeral director and a funeral celebrant?

Fortunately, today, we have many options when it comes to handling funeral ceremonies. There is an important role for both the funeral director and a Professional celebrant. If your ceremony includes a funeral where the body is present, you will need the services of a funeral director. If you are having a memorial service rather than a funeral (the body is not present), then a Celebrant will be able to handle all the details.

>>Visit our Directory of Funeral Celebrants

>>Download our Guide to Using a Funeral Celebrant

>>Read: Using Funeral Celebrants

>>Read: Yes. Planning a Funeral is Like Planning a Wedding

Sources: NFDA Careers Page (https://nfda.org/careers)

Most of us know what wedding officiants do. They work with couples to design the perfect wedding ceremony and then conduct the proceedings. But did you know there are also funeral officiants—professionals who are trained to help plan and conduct funeral ceremonies? These experts are called Funeral Celebrants.

What does a Funeral Celebrant do?

Funeral Celebrants collaborate with the family to create a personalized ceremony that truly reflects the life of the person being memorialized. The celebrant gets to know the deceased by asking questions, listening to stories, and curating the information provided by the family. In designing the ceremony, they pay careful attention to the music, readings, poems, and rituals that are incorporated into the ceremony.

The Celebrant’s role during the ceremony is up to the family. In many cases, the Celebrant and family will divide the duties. For example, the Celebrant might give the eulogy and lead the songs while family members present readings and prayers.

How is a Funeral Director different from a Celebrant?

According to the National Funeral Director’s Association, the key duties of a funeral director include:

• Arranging for the removal of the deceased from the place of death
• Providing support to the bereaved during the initial stages of grief
• Preparing the body according to legal requirements and the wishes of the survivors
• Arranging and directing funeral ceremonies
• Securing information for legal documents, filing death certificates, and other legal papers
• Helping survivors when filing death benefits claims, as well as assisting them in adapting to their lives post-death

As you can see, that’s quite a broad portfolio of duties. That’s why the exact duties performed by a funeral director can vary depending on the funeral. This is especially true when it comes to acting as the funeral officiant. The funeral director may conduct the ceremony or work with a celebrant or officiant to perform the service.

The key role of a celebrant is to ensure that the funeral ceremony is personalized. Most are unaffiliated, that is to say, not directly employed by the funeral home. Their job is to focus on the funeral service or memorial ceremony. They are independent professionals who can conduct funerals at any location or within the funeral home. Unless they are also a funeral director, funeral celebrants do not handle body preparation or any of the specialized tasks that funeral directors are trained and certified to do.

Celebrants receive training and certification at organizations such as the Celebrant Foundation & Institute.

Can I use both a funeral director and a funeral celebrant?

Professional funeral celebrants are accustomed to working closely with funeral homes and are happy to do so. If you are using both, then generally, the funeral director will be responsible for transportation and care of the deceased and various organizational and administrative tasks while the celebrant takes care of the emotional and personal elements of the service. The choice between a funeral director and a funeral celebrant, or both, depends on your preferences, cultural or religious beliefs, and the specific needs of the funeral you are planning. It can also depend on regulations. When a burial is chosen, many states require that a funeral director be on hand throughout the process.

Traditional funerals where the casket is present almost always involve the services of a funeral director. If you are having the funeral at a place of worship, a clergy member will likely be involved. There are many options for where to hold memorial services because they can be held at any time following a burial or cremation. The services of a celebrant are an excellent choice for a memorial service to celebrate the life of the deceased.

What about religion?

Most celebrants are happy to design ceremonies that incorporate spiritual rituals. In fact, many clergy are also trained as celebrants.

A key reason that people like working with celebrants is that they focus on making the funeral ceremony extremely personal. If religion was important to the deceased, then, of course, it should be part of the ceremony. How active a celebrant is in conducting a funeral’s religious elements depends on your denomination. In many religions, only an ordained priest or minister can offer the rites.

So, back to the original question: Do you need both a funeral director and a funeral celebrant?

Fortunately, today, we have many options when it comes to handling funeral ceremonies. There is an important role for both the funeral director and a Professional celebrant. If your ceremony includes a funeral where the body is present, you will need the services of a funeral director. If you are having a memorial service rather than a funeral (the body is not present), then a Celebrant will be able to handle all the details.

>>Visit our Directory of Funeral Celebrants

>>Download our Guide to Using a Funeral Celebrant

>>Read: Using Funeral Celebrants

>>Read: Yes. Planning a Funeral is Like Planning a Wedding

Sources: NFDA Careers Page (https://nfda.org/careers)