North Warwickshire-based certified celebrant, Lynn Pallett trained in our funeral celebrant training course and now conducts personalised and memorable services for loved ones.
Read on to learn more about Lynn's celebrant journey.
What did you do before becoming a celebrant or in addition to being a celebrant now?
I was the Practice Manager of a Veterinary Clinic.
What experiences or past skills do you think helped you with being a celebrant?
I have been a trainer in various different organisations, so presenting to audiences is something that doesn’t phase me too much.
What made you want to train to become a celebrant?
I have been considering it for a long time! A combination of factors really sparked my curiosity. Firstly, my lovely mum died and her funeral seemed like such a massive big deal! I wanted it to be as good as it could be in her honour. The planning of it seemed overwhelming though. We did have a celebrant and he was pretty decent. But I couldn’t help but wonder if we could have had better. I also had been to A LOT of really rubbish funerals (this seems to happen when you get to a certain age!) and I was a bit dismayed that the services I was seeing bore no resemblance to the person’s life we were honouring.
So, I started to think… maybe I could do this?
What did your friends and family think of your decision to become a celebrant?
They were delighted! Of course, I got asked by a few “so are you celibate now?” That old chestnut! And there has been a lot of opportunity to educate people along the way on what a celebrant actually does.
Why did you choose to train with the Celebrants Collective?
I researched a lot of training organisations. I knew I wanted one that offered ongoing support and to be honest, Claire and Natasha sounded right up my street so I thought, this one is for me!
Certified Celebrant Lynn Pallett
Did you have any worries about being a celebrant which the course has helped you resolve?
Lots and lots of worries! Too many to mention really. One of my main concerns was how I would be able to manage my own emotions. I am a bit of a crier! But I have learned so many techniques from the training. Some of which I have passed on to clients who have expressed worries about cooing on the day. Let's just say sales of Rescue Remedy have gone through the roof!
What was your most favourite part of the course and why?
The assignments were great but challenging! But my favourite part was the weekly tutorials and being able to connect with other trainees. Just knowing that you aren’t alone is a comfort.
Has your training with the Celebrants Collective helped you to become a confident celebrant?
I absolutely think so. I love the ongoing support and access to resources. All of these things help me to gain confidence as my skills and knowledge improve.
What’s been your biggest takeaway so far about training to be a celebrant?
Take your time! Initially, I had grand plans to get the training done in 6 weeks. Start doing the rounds with funeral directors and then get doing funerals! Honestly, all of it takes time. And I found that I needed time to really make sense of what I was learning. In the end, it actually took me over 6 months.
What kind of celebrant do you think you’re shaping up to be?
I am still finding my groove! I have done a lot of services (over 50) in 7 months and they have really challenged me in different ways. I am not sure that I have a niche as such just yet. We shall see!
How have you been making a name for yourself since you became certified or in the process of getting certified?
So far, I have been focusing on my local marketing. I got someone to help with branding, a logo, and getting my website and email done. I also created new social media and am trying to get in the habit of posting very regularly. And I have spent a lot of time researching my local Funeral Directors. I identified some that seemed to share my values and I made appointments to see them. I can't lie… work doesn’t flow in overnight. But it will come! I have also had some recommendations from families which has led me to be approached privately, which is brilliant!
What would be your advice to someone looking to train to be a wedding or funeral celebrant?
I would say… this is a fantastic career and rewarding like nothing else that I have done. BUT, it isn’t for the fainthearted. Be prepared to be told that the market is saturated with celebrants (I have no idea if it's true by the way) and that you may not get work. If you really want this career, you have to properly graft to get there. But I love it!
We are so proud and excited to have Lynn 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.