The programs in civil ceremonies prepare students to plan and conduct public ceremonies of recognition such as weddings, namings and graduations, and ceremonies of grief such as funerals and divorce. They aim to enable graduates to provide expert advice on precedent and etiquette and to help people handle the often emotionally charged processes of moving through a rite of passage. The programs aim to prepare graduates to orchestrate the delicate issues of planning and conducting rites of passage with sensitivity, dignity and propriety. They are designed to develop an appropriate understanding of the possibilities and limitations of the role of a celebrant, including listening carefully to clients and, where appropriate, referring them elsewhere for professional legal and counselling advice. Literary and musical content of ceremonies are considered.
This emerging profession has grown substantially since the first appointments were made in 1973 such that more than half of all marriages in Australia are now performed by civil marriage celebrants. People who perform functions touching the lives of others are widely expected to have been trained to undertake what they do.
