I am blessed enough to be a full-time celebrant, having made the leap back in 2017, after six years of doing it as a ‘side-hustle’.
I was often asked by friends and family ‘Would you ever do this full time’ and my answer for many years was a heartfelt ‘No’. The reason? I didn’t feel I would be truly fulfilled being a full-time celebrant, and I also wasn’t sure I could survive on an unpredictable income.
Things changed for me when I was doing a job that I was starting to lose my love for, and it felt like a chore going to work each day. Mondays came around too quickly. I started to ruminate as to whether being a full-time celebrant might make me happier, and this idea ran around in my head for a good six months before I made the call.
Whilst I thought about it, I began preparing.
PREPARATION FOR FULL TIME CELEBRANT ROLE
I wrote a Business Plan
If this sounds fancy, it wasn’t. It did, however, help me think about:
- How many weddings I needed per year to make it financially viable.
- Ways to increase my bookings, including marketing, networking, advertising, etc.
- Milestones to measure if the move was successful.
I saved for a Safety Net
I already had some savings, but I went gung-ho and put extra money aside so I knew I could pay my mortgage and bills if my plan wasn’t successful. By the time I made the call, I had enough money to keep me afloat for a frugal six months.
I discussed it with my Employer
I was very lucky and had a great relationship with my boss. She knew about my plan, and together we reduced my days over a few months so I could spend more time on my Celebrancy business. Within six months, I’d gone from five days a week to three, and when I left, the door was open for me if I ever wanted to go back. And, in fact, I did go back. During COVID, when all my plans went up the swanny, I went back to my old company for three days a week for nine months to help supplement my loss of Celebrancy income.
I spoke with my Family and Friends
I spoke about my plans with everyone who might be affected. I warned them that I might not be able to afford to go out for dinner, or might not be available as much as I had been. I was at a time in my life where my children were all grown up, and I felt like my life could be that little bit more flexible, as I didn’t have dependents.
I had a partner at the time, and they were super-supportive too. I think this was key.
IMPLEMENTATION FOR FULL TIME CELEBRANT ROLE
The outcome of implementing my plan was beyond what I could have hoped for! One of my colleagues had said to me ‘Fortune favours the brave’ and he was so right. Having the time to invest into my career meant that I could do more:
- Networking, and doing one-to-one meetings with weddings planners, photographers and venues
- Blogging, which helped drive my website SEO
- Nail my administration which allowed me to become more efficient. This included setting up Studio Ninja, Xero, Calendly, as well as making my home office inviting to work in
- Training courses – I went on training courses for Google Ads, Instagram, face-to-face OPD, business planning… anything I could find that I thought would help me. A lot of these courses were free or minimal cost, and I found many of them through my local Council. Many councils have business support initiatives, so it’s worth doing some research into these
- Styled shoots, which helped with my networking, as well as providing me with images for my socials
- Website management. I use WordPress, and I’m still not an expert, but I love playing around with my content to see what works and what doesn’t
THE OUTCOME
Prior to going full-time, I was conducting 30 or so weddings a year. Now I conduct approximately 90 a year, with many being weekday weddings.
I’ve become happier, fitter (I can now spend time at the gym!), busier, and most importantly, have a great work/life balance.
I make sure I book out four weeks a year where I don’t work, and I usually spend some of this time in the UK to see my grown-up children. I book these holiday dates around the time when I know it’s quieter.
Of course, there are downsides. I rarely have a weekend off. I don’t have the protection of a super paid into by my employer or paid holidays or sick days. I am always wondering if work is going to dry up and it’ll all be over. I take every day where I’m a full-time celebrant as a blessing, and if for any reason it all stops tomorrow, I’d still be so happy that I’ve had this many years doing what I love so much.
SHOULD YOU DO IT? FULL TIME CELEBRANT?
It’s a ‘hell yes’ from me, but I also think it’s something which needs to be fully thought through before anyone decides if it’s for them. Only you can call whether your circumstances make it right for you. I wouldn’t have been able to do this until that specific point in my life where all my ducks were lined up in a row.
And, as that person said to me back in 2017 – ‘Fortune favours the brave’. Let me know how you get on if you make the leap!
Roxy xx
