Description
The School of Civil Celebrancy are pleased to offer the NOCN Level 3 Diploma Funeral, Naming & Couples Celebrancy training course.
| Title: | NOCN Level 3 Dual Diploma in Funeral, Naming & Couples Celebrancy |
| Accreditation: | This course is accredited by the National Open College Network (NOCN). |
| Cost of the course: | The cost of this course is £3995. This course is VAT exempt. |
| Booking the course: | To book your place on the course, we ask that you first complete the Pre-Course Readiness Check. This is a simple document that helps us understand your interest in celebrancy, your current understanding of the role, and whether you may need any support before starting the course.
Once your Pre-Course Readiness Check has been completed and reviewed, you can book your place online. Simply select the course date you wish to attend, click Add to Basket, and then follow the information provided within the shopping cart. Payments can be made by PayPal, credit card, debit card, or bank transfer. All bookings must be made online. If you choose to pay by PayPal, you may be able to pay in instalments. This will depend on your own PayPal account status and the options available to you at the time of booking. |
| Course duration: | This course is run over six consecutive days and we allow you twelve months to complete this course. Allowing you to study at your own pace. We fully understand that we have busy lives. That’s why our course is designed to be flexible and accessible. Allowing you to study at your own pace, from anywhere in the world, through our user-friendly online learners portal. |
| Course start time: | Our course times are 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, giving you flexibility to manage everyday tasks. We also offer evening support sessions from 7.30 pm till 8.30 pm. Please note that you will have homework to complete on days 1, 2, 4 and 5 of your course. |
| Venue: | This course is taught in the comfort of your own home using Zoom and our online learning portal. Throughout your course, you will receive face-to-face teaching, tutor support, guided learning, practical activities, and access to course materials designed to help you build the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to become a professional celebrant. Please see our blog post about our Zoom classroom, please click the link to see this post. |
| Brief: | The School of Civil Celebrancy are pleased to offer you the opportunity to take our ‘Dual-Diploma’ in the comfort of your own home. The ‘Dual-Diploma’ option combines the NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy and the NOCN Level 3 Dual Diploma in Funeral, Naming and Couples Celebrancy, making them available to you at a special discounted rate. During this course, you will complete both the NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy and the NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Naming and Couples Celebrancy. The Dual-Diploma offered by the School of Civil Celebrancy is a comprehensive and specialised assessment program designed to determine whether you have the expertise and skills necessary to create and deliver exceptional celebrant-led ceremonies and if you possess the qualities and characteristics to become a professional civil celebrant. We will equip you with a development program to address any shortfalls. |
| Requirements: | You must have undertaken foundational celebrant training before you can attend this course. Our course will take you from your foundation training through to an NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral, Naming, and Couples Celebrancy qualification. You must have basic computer skills to complete this course and to use our online learners portal. |
NOCN Level 3 Dual Diploma in Funeral, Naming & Couples Celebrancy Training Course – More Details
The School of Civil Celebrancy are pleased to offer you the opportunity to take our ‘Dual-Diploma’ in the comfort of your own home. The ‘Dual-Diploma’ option combines the NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy and theNOCN Level 3 Dual Diploma in Funeral, Naming & Couples Celebrancy, making them available to you at a special discounted rate. During this course, you will complete both the NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy and the NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Naming & Family Celebrancy. This course will guide you through the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to become a confident, compassionate and professional celebrant. You will learn how to create and deliver meaningful funeral services, naming ceremonies and family celebrations that truly reflect the people and families at the heart of each occasion.
Throughout the course, you will explore the role of a celebrant, how to work with families, how to write personal and thoughtful ceremonies, and how to deliver services with warmth, care and professionalism. You will also develop your understanding of ceremony structure, public speaking, client care, equality, inclusion and professional practice.
This diploma is ideal for those who are new to celebrancy, as well as those who wish to gain a recognised qualification and build a strong foundation for their celebrant career.
You will be taught by fully qualified NOCN celebrants who work full time within the profession, bringing real experience, practical knowledge and genuine care into your training.
By completing this diploma, you will gain the confidence to support families with kindness, respect and professionalism, while creating ceremonies that are personal, meaningful and memorable.
This course is suitable for anyone wishing to train as a funeral celebrant, family celebrant, naming celebrant, or those who want to offer a wider range of family-focused ceremonies.
During the course, you will cover the following topics:
- A full understanding of Funeral Celebrancy
- Grief and the Bereavement Process
- Cultural and Religious Perspectives on Death and Mourning
- Creating Personalised Funeral Ceremonies
- Scriptwriting and Eulogy Development
- Public Speaking and Effective Communication
- Supporting Families in Funeral Arrangements
- Legal and Ethical Considerations in Funeral Celebrancy
- Introduction to Naming and Couple Celebrancy
- Rituals, Symbolism, and Traditions
- Understanding Naming Ceremonies
- Crafting Couples’ Celebrations
- Creating Couples’ Celebrations
- Creating Ceremonies Scripts
- Delivering Ceremonies
- Looking at different ceremony choices and options
- Working with your clients, planning ceremonies
- Working with Ceremony venues
- Equality and Diversity
- Marketing your celebrant business
- Health and Safety
- Communication and Presentation Skills
- Legal and Ethical Considerations
- Cultural Diversity and Sensitivity
The advantages of completing our NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy & the NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Celebrancy: Naming and Couples Ceremonies qualification online are…
- It’s a home study, so you can study in the comfort of your own home
- Study at your own pace
- Our course time are 10 am to 4.30 pm, so that it allows you flexibility to deal with everyday tasks
- Continually monitor your progress as you check off key milestones
- Learn real-life industry knowledge, not just theory from a textbook
- Suitable for complete beginners with no previous experience needed
- Build the confidence to write and deliver warm, meaningful, and professional ceremonies
- Learn how to support families and clients with compassion, care, and understanding
- Develop strong communication and public speaking skills in a supportive environment
- Understand the professional standards, ethics, and responsibilities of a celebrant
- Free access to the School of Civil Celebrancy Resource Centre
- Clear guidance to help direct your research and study
- Ongoing helpful tips and advice
- No regular travelling expenses or hotel expenses
- No hidden costs; the cost of the course covers all course fees
- No taking days off from your current role and using your valuable annual leave
- Train and be mentored with fully qualified, full-time working celebrants who understand the realities of the profession
Your course also includes a year’s membership to the Civil Celebrant Connections (CCC), offering you membership, bespoke insurance, and a supportive community. For further information on CCC, please click here.
Online learning is an excellent way to study because you do not have to travel to a training venue; you can fit studying around life’s demands, allowing you to work through the course at your own speed and enjoy the journey without the pressure of imposed timetables.
Our easy-to-use online course, together with our support, enables you to achieve your Celebrancy qualification in the way that best suits you.
Qualification gained:
NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy & the NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Celebrancy: Naming & Couples Ceremonies
Course accreditation:
This course is accredited by the National Open College Network (NOCN).
What does accreditation mean?
Accreditation means that our celebrancy training courses and qualifications are accredited through NOCN, one of the UK’s recognised awarding organisations. Accreditation means our courses and assessments have been independently checked to ensure they meet recognised national standards for quality, professionalism, and learning. This helps give learners confidence that their qualification is genuine, respected, and professionally recognised within the celebrancy profession.
Course pre-requisites:
There are no set pre-requisites; however, a good standard of spoken and written English is required for this role to ensure clear, professional, and effective communication at all times. You must have basic computer skills to complete this course and to use our online learners portal.
If you require any help or advice regarding your training, please don’t hesitate to call the School of Civil Celebrancy on 01273 974 958.
Learning outcomes & evidence of achievement:
Learners will be required to show achievement of a range of relevant learning outcomes and assessment criteria, as set by the National Occupational Standard and Accrediting Body:
- Practical assessments and theoretical knowledge will be assessed during your training time.
Successful completion of the NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy and Couples will lead to the award of the internationally recognised qualification, demonstrating the participant’s competence and readiness to embark on a professional career as a civil celebrant.
Sustainable training
At The School of Civil Celebrancy, we are committed to offering high-quality training in a way that is thoughtful, responsible, and more environmentally conscious.
Many of our courses are delivered through Zoom and supported by our online learning portal. This helps reduce unnecessary travel, fuel use, overnight accommodation, and printed materials, while still giving learners a warm, personal, and supportive training experience.
Our approach allows students to study from the comfort of their own home, while accessing professional tutor support, digital resources, and clear course guidance throughout their learning journey.
Where possible, we also reduce paper use by encouraging electronic coursework, online resources, and digital communication. Our main office is powered, where possible, by solar and renewable energy, helping us make more responsible choices as a training provider.
Celebrancy is rooted in care, compassion, and respect. We believe that care should extend not only to the families and communities we serve, but also to the world around us.
You can read more about our commitment to sustainable training. Please click on the link.
Understanding the difference between a certificate and a diploma
For a detailed explanation, please see a blog post that covers this in full. Please click here for the Blog post.
FAQ’s and additional course information:
Yes, we offer this through PayPal. If you are eligible, PayPal will allow you to split your payment over three months or longer if you have PayPal credit. This all depends on your PayPal account settings and status.
- An affordable and practical way to achieve your external qualifications in Civil Celebrancy
- Working with an ethical company with quality at its heart
- A qualification recognised by the industry
- A statement of the standard of your practice
- Reassurance to Clients at key milestones in their lives
- Self-directed learning with guidance along the way
- You decide the speed at which you complete yoru course
- Experienced, working Celebrants offering feedback on your progress
- Timely assessment
- An easy-to-use online learning portal that makes the administration and assessment process simpler and more visible
- Milestones and progress clear and simple
- Access to resources, tips and guidance
- Mentorship by working celebrants
We pride ourselves on our ethics and principles of fairness and accessibility. We charge what the course and the running of the course actually costs. Because we offer a self-managed learning programme, we are able to keep costs low. We don’t add money onto the training just because we can. By doing this we make the gaining of a Celebrancy qualifications more achievable for a number of people. We believe that Celebrancy qualifications should be open and available to everyone.
This depends on the level of qualification taken, your experience as a working Celebrant and the time you are prepared to commit. We allow you:
NOCN Level 3 certificate in Civil Celebrancy – six months
NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral celebrancy – ten months
NOCNLevel 3 Diploma in Naming and Family celebrancy – ten months
NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral celebrancy and Naming and Family celebrancy – twelve months
Please note that you must log into the Learners Portal within 60 days; otherwise, the portal will mark your course dormant. Please see the Booking Terms and Conditions for further information. No attendance is needed to complete this course.
As a company, we have chosen not to offer the Advanced Learner Loan. This is because it must be repaid with interest, and interest rates and repayment thresholds can change. We encourage learners to check the latest government guidance before making any decision about borrowing.
To book this course just click on the date you wish to book and then click ‘add to basket button. Then click ‘view basket’ (you can add as many items to the basket as you wish) and select ‘Processed to checkout’. You will then be required to complete the checkout process, which requires you to answer a number of questions. Now choose how you wish to pay; you have three options. PayPal, credit or debit card or bank transfer. Please note that payments cannot be taken over the telephone.
You will need to tick to confirm that you agree to and that you have read The School of Civil Celebrancy Booking T’s & C’s. Once you have pressed proceed and payment has been made or registered, an email will be sent directly to you confirming that we have received your order. This will then be confirmed via another email when the School of Civil Celebrancy have processed your order. Please note orders are processed during office hours.
Once you have booked your course, you will be able to start straight away.
If you have any questions regarding the course booking procedure or about the qualifications we offer at The School of Civil Celebrancy, please click here for further information or telephone The School of Civil Celebrancy on 01273 974 958.
The School of Civil Celebrancy produces all its training manuals electronically. These are downloadable as you work through your course.
Your certificate will be emailed to you once you have completed your course, the assessment process has been completed, and NOCN is satisfied that all learning outcomes have been met.
We do however recommend the Complete Celebrant Handbook by Han Hills. This is great resource and starts from £9.99.
For further information please see our reading list.
NOCN has been creating opportunities through learning and skills development for over 30 years. NOCN Group is an educational charity whose core aims are to help learners reach their potential and organisations thrive.
NOCN is a top fifteen Ofqual regulated Awarding Organisation.
NOCN is proud to be the very first awarding organisation to be given the ‘Leader in Diversity’ award by the National Centre for Diversity, a leader in promoting equality for all in the UK and also recognised by Ofqual, CCEA and the Welsh Government, working with a number of strategic partners in the UK and internationally.
We don’t currently offer the new Level 4 qualifications for Funeral Celebrancy (October 2023). Whilst we fully encourage CPD, in fact we believe it is a vital part of professional Celebrancy, we also recognise that different celebrants have widely different development needs. We acknowledge that our diverse celebrant colleagues work in a variety of ways and have a multitude of specialisms. To incorporate all these wonderful, advanced and specialised attributes into one Level 4 qualification would be unworkable! So we can see that necessarily the Level 4 qualification has had to limit the advanced training to a few key areas.
There might not be a qualification available for your chosen specialism or for the area in which you are developing. Individual study via reading, training, mentoring and multi-media resources can be used to achieve the required level of skill or knowledge. As an NOCN accredited organisation, we recommend that you maintain a log of your ongoing professional development including dates, methods and summary of learned content. This way all learners are able to upskill using the learning method most suitable to their learning style.
The Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy remains the best qualification in which you demonstrate your skill as a fully rounded funeral celebrant. It’s challenging, even for experienced celebrants. Once achieved, celebrants are confident they are highly qualified and have reached a level of expertise that far exceeds the Certificate in UK Celebrancy.
Established celebrants will find themselves gravitating to a certain niche, specialism or ways of working. Some choose to specialise in specific rituals. Others offer beautifully handcrafted stationary and mementos as part of their standard service. Some write their own poetry.
Some choose not to offer baby funerals (this can often be due to deeply personal reasons). Some work in teams or partnerships, playing to their strengths. These are just a few examples and they may not be for every celebrant. As long as Funeral directors and bereaved families receive an excellent service, we believe celebrants should work in their own unique way.
In our view, the Level 4 qualification is currently on-the-one-hand necessarily limited, but on the other too disparate. For advanced CPD, we would prefer to see a wider range of specialisms available from which celebrants may choose 4 or 5 to achieve the qualification. This would recognise a far broader range of gifts, talents and chosen specialist areas.
It would also allow for celebrants who work in partnerships or teams to concentrate on improving their specific skill set and / or niche.
With the possibility of future regulation for funeral celebrants, it is important that the recognised highest standard for a rounded funeral celebrant is the Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy, and that the celebrant industry remain united on this point to avoid splintering into a profusion of niches.
The Level 4 qualification will suit some celebrants as their next step for CPD however, it is not for everyone and remains one option. There are a plethora of others to suit experienced, Diploma qualified funeral celebrants.
The School of Civil Celebrancy are not currently a CPD training organisation but offer CPD through the Civil Celebrant Connections (CCC). For further information on CCC, please click here.
For further Frequently Asked Questions, please click here.

