CANZ National Education Programme - Marketing, Business Development and Public Awareness
2026-05-18 19:00 - 20:00 UTC | Southland
Join us for the second of six instalments of the 2026 CANZ National Education programme.
Marketing, Business Development and Public Awareness. Proudly sponsored by the CANZ Waikato branch.

Register for your free ticket here!
Celebrants Aotearoa National Executive warmly invite you to join them for the second instalment of the National Education Programme workshops.
Marketing, Business Development and Public Awareness
Facilitator: Kineta Knight Booker
This workshop is proudly sponsored by the CANZ Waikato Branch.
Event details
Date: Monday 18 May 2026
Time: 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: Online via zoom (zoom details provided upon registration)
Cost: Free for all CANZ members, proudly sponsored by the CANZ Waikato branch
Let’s be honest… Being an excellent celebrant doesn’t automatically mean you’re a booked-out celebrant.
If you’ve ever thought:

Why aren’t more people finding me?
What on earth do I even post on social media?
I know I’m good at this… so why does it feel so hard to grow my business?

…then this workshop is for you.
Join our CANZ communications manager and Christchurch celebrant Kineta Knight Booker for a dynamic, ideas-packed Zoom workshop designed to help you attract more clients, build your profile, and position yourself as a sought-after celebrant in your community.
Whether you’re just starting out or ready to take things to the next level, this session will give you practical tools, fresh inspiration, and real strategies you can start using immediately.
What You’ll Learn
Marketing that feels natural
What to post, how to stand out, and how to attract your ideal couples and families.
Smart business development strategies
Grow your income, build strong industry relationships, and create opportunities beyond the ceremony itself.
How to raise your public profile
Become known, trusted, and top-of-mind in your local area.
Find your unique edge
Clarify what makes you different – and how to confidently communicate it.
Actionable ideas you can use straight away
No fluff. Just genuinely useful content, prompts, and strategies.
Who This Is For

New celebrants wanting to build confidence and bookings
Experienced celebrants ready to refresh and expand
Anyone feeling stuck, quiet, or unsure how to grow
Celebrants who want to be more visible, more booked, and more impactful

What You’ll Walk Away With

Clear direction for your business
Fresh marketing ideas you’re excited to try
Practical strategies to grow your visibility
A renewed sense of confidence and momentum

Why This Matters
Celebrancy is evolving. Couples and families are looking for something more personal, more meaningful – and they’re finding celebrants in new ways.
This workshop will help ensure you’re not just keeping up… but standing out.
Let’s grow your celebrant business – together!
VCANZ professional competencies covered in this presentation are:

1.1, 3.1 and 3.2.

Register for your free ticket here!

CANZ Auckland | Simple Rituals, Big Meanings
2026-05-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Sorrento in the Park, One Tree Hill, Cornwall Park, Auckland, New Zealand
Come join us and learn more about rituals; why they are an important part of our lives and how they enrich our celebrant world. This is a FREE event for CANZ members.

Come join us and learn more about rituals; why they are an important part of our lives and how they enrich our celebrant world.
Sorrento will show us around their beautiful venue followed by Charles Grinter setting the scene with a philosophical perspective of human ritual practice and common themes.
Si’iva Stanley will share Samoan rituals for weddings and funerals. Brenda Chapman will share wedding rituals. Helen O’Shaughnessy will show us the Arras Coins ritual and Jumping the Broom (that promises to bring some laughter!)
Please come along and be willing to “give one get one” – share a ritual that you have done or considered doing and learn from your colleagues in a fun networking activity.
Event details:
Date: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Where: Sorrento in the Park, One Tree Hill, Cornwall Park, Auckland
Cost: This is a FREE event for CANZ members
Register for your FREE ticket here!

CANZ National Education Programme: Cultural appropriateness
2026-07-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Event
This is a free event for Celebrants Aotearoa New Zealand members only.

Join us for the fourth instalment of the 2026 CANZ National Education programme.

Cultural Appropriateness
Facilitated by Dr. Iwi Te Whau, JP, Ph.D, HonPhD, MinstD

This workshop is proudly sponsored by the CANZ Bay of Plenty Branch.In this workshop, Dr Iwi Te Whau, will cover ‘what is being culturally appropriate?’:

Cultural Identification
How to script your ceremony, in a culturally appropriate way.
Te reo Māori, the pronunciation of people’s names and its importance.
Pronunciation of vowels – a e i o u and ā ē ī ō ū.

Followed by an opportunity for you to ask any questions during a Q&A session.VCAN professional competencies covered in this workshop:

1.3, 1.4, 1.7, 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2

Register for your free ticket here!

Quarterly Branch Coordinator Meeting
2026-07-27 19:00 - 19:30 | Zoom Event
Register for this meeting here
The intention is not to create another formal meeting or reporting requirement, but rather a relaxed and supportive forum where Branch Representatives can:

Share what’s working well in their branch.
Discuss challenges and seek ideas from others.
Exchange resources and successful initiatives.
Identify opportunities for collaboration.
Raise feedback, suggestions, and concerns with National Executive.
Build stronger connections with fellow branch leaders around New Zealand.

These meetings be held via Zoom for just 30 minutes each quarter.
To get us started, we would like to invite all branch committee members to our first Branch Coordinator Meeting:
Register for this meeting here
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
We would love to hear your thoughts on the concept and whether there are any topics you would like included in our first discussion. You are welcome to send your questions or talking points to our support team here.
We’re really looking forward to connecting with you.
Ngā mihi / With our kindest wishes,
Libby Carson

Connect Local Auckland: The power and magic of your voice
2026-08-02 14:00 - 16:00 | The Grange – Davis Funerals, 400 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, Auckland, 1024
As celebrants, our voices are powerful tools that can inspire, connect, comfort, and create lasting impact. Yet so many of us never truly explore the full potential of our voice – the colour, confidence, warmth, and presence it can carry.
In this workshop, you will discover the power and magic of your voice. Before becoming a celebrant, Elaine Spearman worked in PR and communications, where part of her work involved training, voice development, and coaching. She holds an LTCL in Speech and Drama and a Diploma of Teaching. Over the years, Elaine’s worked with many people – individually and in groups – helping them discover not only their voice, but the confidence and presence within it.
The workshop is highly interactive and deeply practical, giving participants the chance to truly experience what their voice is capable of. Because of this, the numbers will be intentionally small – just 8 to 10 participants.
Activities will include:

Vocal warm-ups and breathing techniques
Strengthening and developing the voice
Adding colour, variation, and expression
Building confidence and authentic communication

Participants will complete a small amount of pre-work and workshop on a short section from one of their own ceremonies. The workshop is not about changing who you are, but about uncovering and developing the natural strengths already within your voice.
Ideal for anyone looking to refresh their skills, build confidence, and bring more life and presence to their speaking.​
More info:

Bring a pen, paper and a willingness to practice with your celebrant colleagues.
Dress comfortably – Participants will complete a small amount of pre-work and workshop on a short section from one of their own ceremonies.

Get your ticket for this event here – spaces are limited!

2026 Annual General Meeting
2026-08-05 19:30 - 21:00 | Zoom Event
This is a free event open to all Celebrant Aotearoa New Zealand members.
Register to attend here
Agenda

Upon registration, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join this Zoom meeting.
If you are unable to attend the AGM, but want to submit a proxy vote, you can do so here: [insert link]
To submit questions relating to the AGM to email our support team here by [Date to be confirmed]
Thank you all, and we look forward to hearing your voices at the meeting.

Waikato: Celebrants Connections
2026-08-06 17:30 - 18:30 | Smith & McKenzie Steak House, 13 Lynden Court, Chartwell, Hamilton
Celebrant Connection: Networking, Learning & Catch-Up

Waikato celebrants, and celebrants from across Aotearoa, are warmly invited to this free event hosted by the CANZ Waikato Branch.

This event is open to both members and non-members and entry is free.

Come along for a relaxed and enjoyable evening to connect with fellow celebrants, mingle, share stories from the job, and enjoy a few laughs along the way. Both Funeral and Marriage Celebrants are welcome.This is a great opportunity to build connections, swap experiences, and spend time with colleagues over delicious food and great company in a friendly, supportive setting.

What to Expect:

Upon arrival, grab yourself a drink from the bar downstairs and head up to our private venue area.
A complimentary grazing platter, courtesy of CANZ, will be served at 6:00pm, prepared by Smith & McKenzie.

Register your attendance here

We can’t wait to catch up with you!
Lisa Hardy (your Hamilton CANZ meet-up coordinator)

Workshop: How to become a validated member (VCANZ)
2026-08-25 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-10-27 19:00 - 20:00 | Southland
Making VCANZ easy! It’s a must-do to ensure your submission is AMAZING.

This is an extremely useful and practical workshop, with a no-nonsense walk-through of the VCANZ process for those who have not yet submitted their VCANZ.
You only need to attend a VCANZ workshop once.
In preparation for the workshop (recommended but not essential) it is suggested you:

Familiarise yourself with the eligibility criteria and application process
Think about what professional development (branch workshops, conferences, books, videos, lectures, first aid course, work-related professional development that may be relevant) that you have participated in.

If you complete this beforehand, you will get the most out of the walk-through we are going to do.

Terms and conditions

We require a minimum of six participants to run these workshops. If there are less than six participants, we’ll advise you, and move your registration to the next available workshop.
There are no refunds for this workshop.
In the unlikely event, that a workshop is cancelled at short notice, you will be rescheduled to a future date.
If you’re unable to attend this event, email us and we’ll ensure you’re scheduled onto the next available workshop.

CANZ National Education Programme: Finding the WOW factor in your ceremony storytelling
2026-08-30 14:00 - 16:00 | Zoom Event
This is a free event for Celebrants Aotearoa New Zealand members only.

Join us for the fifth instalment of the 2026 CANZ National Education programme.

Finding the WOW factor in your ceremony storytelling
Presented by Jane Godfrey, proudly sponsored by the CANZ Southern branch.

Get your ticket to this exciting free event here!
Celebrants Aotearoa National Executive warmly invite you to join them for the fifth instalment of the 2026 National Education Programme workshops.

This workshop will benefit all celebrants, from beginner to experienced, helping you to take your work up a notch by providing an understanding of the purpose of your ceremony and audience, leading to nuanced writing, better engagement, and the WOW factor within your ceremony writing.

Content will be consistently focused on both marriage and funeral celebrancy, with choice built in and lots of examples and guidance throughout the workshop.

Creative writing warm up
Writing activity, using the ‘Show Not Tell’ concept for story writing

VCANZ professional competencies covered in this workshop:

1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.8 and 3.1 and 3.2

Register to attend here!

Waikato: Celebrants Connections - Cancelled
2026-09-02 17:30 - 18:30 | Smith & McKenzie Steak House, 13 Lynden Court, Chartwell, Hamilton
*Event Cancellation*
The Celebrants Connections Waikato – September event that was scheduled for Wednesday 2 September has been cancelled due to numbers.
Book your FREE ticket to the November event by clicking the link below!
CANZ Waikato – Celebrant Connections – Thu, 5 Nov 2026

Celebrant Connection: Networking, Learning & Catch-Up

Waikato celebrants, and celebrants from across Aotearoa, are warmly invited to this free event hosted by the CANZ Waikato Branch.

This event is open to both members and non-members and entry is free.

Come along for a relaxed and enjoyable evening to connect with fellow celebrants, mingle, share stories from the job, and enjoy a few laughs along the way. Both Funeral and Marriage Celebrants are welcome.This is a great opportunity to build connections, swap experiences, and spend time with colleagues over delicious food and great company in a friendly, supportive setting.

What to Expect:

Upon arrival, grab yourself a drink from the bar downstairs and head up to our private venue area.
A complimentary grazing platter, courtesy of CANZ, will be served at 6:00pm, prepared by Smith & McKenzie.

Register your attendance here

We can’t wait to catch up with you!
Lisa Hardy (your Hamilton CANZ meet-up coordinator)

New Member Welcome Session
2026-09-07 19:30 - 20:30, 2026-12-07 19:30 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
An introductory session for new members.

Join us as we share information on what Celebrants Aotearoa New Zealand (CANZ) offers you in your membership, the structure of the organisation, important communications to look out for, and a brief intro to the membership site.
You’ll also learn about professional development options, and it’s a great opportunity to ask any questions.
This session is facilitated by Anna Flanagan, President of the National Executive team, and is open to any member that has joined Celebrants Aotearoa within the last six months.
Register for free by clicking here!

Taranaki Branch | Death without Debt Workshop
2026-09-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Toi Foundation, 121 Gill Street, New Plymouth, Taranaki, 4310, New Zealand
CANZ Taranaki Branch warmly invite you to join them for the Death without Debt workshop, hosted by DIY Funeral Workshops NZ.
This workshop is part of Taranaki Dying Matters Week with presenter Kim Maunder – Death Cafe host, End-of-life Doula and local Death Without Debt advocate.
Topics covered in the workshop include:

Funeral planning, wills, Enduring Power of Attorney, Advanced Care Plans, probate
After-death paperwork requirements and avoiding professional service fees
Care and transport of the body
When you need a coffin and when you don’t.
The pros and cons of cremation vs burial. Alternative and environmental technologies.
The politics and history of funerals
Different options depending on which district you live in
Community initiatives and collective action for funeral reform
And much more . . .

Event details:
Date: Friday 11 September 2026
Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Venue: Toi Foundation, 121 Gill Street, New Plymouth
Cost: $35.00 per person or by donation to DFWNZ
Inclusions in ticket cost: A 70 page D.I.Y. guide as well as tea and snacks.

Register your ticket by clicking here!
Note: This event is hosted by Death without Debt/DIY Funeral Workshops NZ. Registrations for this event are at the bottom of the page, linked above. Please select the New Plymouth/Taranaki event on Friday 11 September 2026.
If you have trouble registering, please email: info@deathwithoutdebt.org.nz

CANZ National Education Programme: Head, Heart, Hands and Feet - a lighthearted approach to a serious subject
2026-09-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Event
This is a free event for Celebrants Aotearoa New Zealand members only.

Join us for the sixth instalment of the 2026 CANZ National Education programme.

Head, Heart, Hands and Feet!
A lighthearted approach to a serious subject with Mel Stuart, proudly sponsored by the CANZ Auckland branch.

Get your ticket to this exciting free event here!
Celebrants Aotearoa National Executive warmly invite you to join them for the sixth instalment of the 2026 National Education Programme workshops.

This session covers:

How do we know when we are meeting all of our legal, ethical and professional obligations as marriage or funeral celebrants?
What laws and policies do we most need to keep in mind, when we meet with clients, and work with others in the ceremony/event space?

In this one-hour presentation, Mel will explore the most significant legislation and principles that apply to celebrants in Aotearoa New Zealand. She’ll break the issues down into “bite sized pieces”, and cover marriage equality, BDM documentation, privacy principles and copyright, as well as health and safety, anti-competitive practice, inclusion, and setting appropriate professional boundaries.
VCANZ professional competencies covered in this presentation include:

Professional practice 1.2, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7
Professional knowledge 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1 and 3.2

Mel has been a marriage and funeral celebrant in central Auckland for 15 years. She holds a law degree, Bachelor of Arts, and a Diploma in Celebrant Studies. She is a validated member of Celebrants Aotearoa, and has previously been the professional advisor to the CANZ National Executive.Register to attend here!

All Member Session
2026-10-14 19:30 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
This meeting is open to the whole membership of Celebrants Aotearoa New Zealand and we look forward to seeing you.

This is an opportunity to connect with your National Executive team, hear the latest information, have your questions answered, and connect.

Agenda: To be advised.

We look forward to having this opportunity to connect with our members and we hope you can join us.

This is a free event for members only. To register your interest in attending, email us here.

Southern Branch | Spring into Spring – with fresh ideas and inspired practice
2026-10-18 10:00 - 15:00 | Windsor Park Retirement Village – Community Centre, 9 Reaby Road, Gore, Southland, 9710, New Zealand
CANZ Southern Branch warmly invite you to join them for their Spring into Spring – with fresh ideas and inspired practice workshop.
Event details:
Date: Sunday 18 October 2026
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Venue: Windsor Park Retirement Village – Community Centre, 9 Reaby Road, Gore 9710
Cost: Members: $25.00 | Non-members: $30.00
Inclusions: Lunch, tea and coffee
What to bring: Please bring your laptop to access your own files during the workshop.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Register your ticket by clicking here!

Waikato: Celebrants Connections
2026-11-05 17:30 - 18:30 | Smith & McKenzie Steak House, 13 Lynden Court, Chartwell, Hamilton
Celebrant Connection: Networking, Learning & Catch-Up

Waikato celebrants, and celebrants from across Aotearoa, are warmly invited to this free event hosted by the CANZ Waikato Branch.

This event is open to both members and non-members and entry is free.

Come along for a relaxed and enjoyable evening to connect with fellow celebrants, mingle, share stories from the job, and enjoy a few laughs along the way. Both Funeral and Marriage Celebrants are welcome. This is a great opportunity to build connections, swap experiences, and spend time with colleagues over delicious food and great company in a friendly, supportive setting.

What to Expect:

Upon arrival, grab yourself a drink from the bar downstairs and head up to our private venue area.
A complimentary grazing platter, courtesy of CANZ, will be served at 6:00pm, prepared by Smith & McKenzie.

Register your attendance here

We can’t wait to catch up with you!
Lisa Hardy (your Hamilton CANZ meet-up coordinator)
