Ontario, Canada-based certified celebrant, Jackie Cousins trained in our funeral celebrant training course and now conducts personalised and memorable services for loved ones.
Read on to learn more about Jackie's celebrant journey.
What did you do before becoming a celebrant or in addition to being a celebrant now?
Elementary teacher/ Special Education, Kindergarten.
What experiences or past skills do you think helped you with being a celebrant?
I am a “people “ person. In my teaching career, volunteer work and raising a family, I had to be organized and on schedule.
What made you want to train to become a celebrant?
I was retired and was looking for something interesting to do. I love weddings and became a wedding officiant in Ontario in 2017 and then decided to extend my services as a funeral celebrant with Celebrants Collective.
What did your friends and family think of your decision to become a celebrant?
At first, they thought I was crazy but when I started getting positive feedback, they are now very supportive.
Why did you choose to train with the Celebrants Collective?
I was impressed with the website.
Certified Celebrant Jackie Cousins
Did you have any worries about being a celebrant which the course has helped you resolve?
I am happy to have access to the hands-on materials if needed.
What was your most favourite part of the course and why?
The tutorials… they were very informative and I learned a lot just by listening!
How has your training with the Celebrants Collective helped you to become a confident celebrant?
I had been a wedding celebrant already and that experience will certainly help me with starting off as a funeral celebrant. Being able to continue with the tutorials even after I finish the course is also a great way to connect if I have questions.
What’s been your biggest takeaway so far about training to be a celebrant?
To be genuine with people.
What kind of celebrant do you think you’re shaping up to be?
Professional, personable, organised.
How have you been making a name for yourself since you became certified or in the process of getting certified?
Facebook, Instagram, creating a new website, advertising in a local newspaper, and word of mouth.
What would be your advice to someone looking to train to be a wedding or funeral celebrant?
My advice would be to have a mentor.
We are so proud and excited to have Jackie in our Celebrants Collective community and we know she'll be a fabulous celebrant ambassador.
If reading this makes you really excited about training to be a celebrant, make sure to check out our homepage for more on our celebrant training online and in-person courses.