Find meaning in life-changing events
We empower purpose-driven individuals to craft and officiate heart-centered ceremonies including weddings, funerals and other milestones of the life-cycle.
We are living through what many call a loneliness epidemic. A time when people are more digitally connected than ever, yet often feel isolated, unseen, or unsupported in the real thresholds of their lives.
Ceremony is one of the oldest antidotes to that disconnection. It gathers people. It names what matters. It reminds us that we belong to one another.
OUR MISSION
NTI’s mission is:
- To promote transformative ceremony for life’s milestones through a gold standard celebrant training and certification program as well as through mentoring and support of the alumni community.
- To support conscious and holistic approaches to end-of-life through leading-edge educational offerings and resources.
In addition, NTI seeks to:
- Promote holistic death care in which traditional and non-traditional families and community play a key role, reconnecting them to the rite of passage that is death.
- Promote celebrant-led ceremonies that acknowledge, support, and celebrate the joys and profound meaning of the human experience across the life cycle.
- Build connection and meaning through supporting engagement in our vibrant Institute community.
OUR VALUES INCLUDE
Integrity
Inclusivity
Client-Centered Ceremony
Community-Centered Ceremony
Real World Relevance
Environmentally Responsible Choices
The Life-Cycle Celebrant™ Code of Ethics
The Life-Cycle Celebrant™ agrees:
- To support the goals and the mission of NTI by setting and maintaining a professional standard of service to the public that will bring credit and recognition to NTI, and its individual members.
- To serve each client with respect, sensitivity, and professionalism, and to provide all services in a timely manner.
- To offer every client a personalized ceremony that includes their story or information as revealed to the Celebrant through interview and questionnaires.
- To ensure that clients have complete choice of and final say over their ceremonies, and that the Celebrant’s personal beliefs are immaterial to this process. To encourage clients in choosing and/or approving a ceremony that is satisfying to them.
- To respectfully provide a ceremony that is as accurate as possible in all respects, including the pronunciation of the names of people, places, and things.
- To conduct a rehearsal where necessary to the ceremony.
- To perform the ceremony in a professional, prepared, and appropriate manner.
- To gift the client/honoree a keepsake (hard copy or electronic) copy of their ceremony.
- To provide a service that recognizes the unique personalities of the client, being sensitive to their needs, wishes, values, philosophical and spiritual beliefs, and cultural backgrounds.
- Not to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination or harassment (including all forms of sexual harassment and sexual violence) under any program or activity.
- To comply and keep current with all laws and regulation regarding the performance of marriage and any other ceremony in every country, state, province, or municipality in which the Celebrant practices, including personally obtaining the necessary legal authority to solemnize marriages and appropriately filing client marriage documentation as required by law.
- To be aware of and work with your clients to avoid and discourage rituals, elements or language that trivialize or adopt aspects of other cultures outside of their own, without proper recognition, representation, and respect.
- To be aware of and in compliance with all Copyright and Intellectual property regulations and uphold the highest standards of attribution and citations to all sources of origin for any works reference in ceremonies, marketing, or branding purposes.
- To promote and educate the public about Celebrancy and Celebrant services by communicating the importance of marking the milestones in life in a personal and authentic way through ceremony and to be an advocate for the mission of Natural Transitions Institute.
Our Faculty
Our courses are led by world-class learning facilitators and presenters recognized for their innovative approaches
Jen Boyes-Manseau
LEARNING FACILITATOR:
Fundamentals of Celebrancy, Funerals Celebrancy & Celebrancy Across the Life Cycle
Diane Gansauer
LEARNING FACILITOR:
Funerals Celebrancy
Benjamin Martin
LEARNING FACILITATOR:
Funerals Celebrancy
Catherine McColl
LEARNING FACILITATOR:
Fundamentals of Celebrancy and Weddings Celebrancy
Lenny Scovel
LEARNING FACILITATOR:
Fundamentals of Celebrancy
Karen Van Vuuren
LEARNING FACILITATOR: End-of-Life trainings
Our Core Team
Our core team includes seasoned experts with a passion for celebrancy and for informed end-of-life choices and personalized rituals.
Meet Our Board
NTI is blessed with a wonderful confluence of amazing people who come with the skill, the compassion and experience to lead NTI into the future. With the integration of the Celebrant Foundation & Institute, NTI now offers a revitalized platform for life-cycle celebrancy training and education focused on consciously meeting transitions throughout the life span. Great days are ahead because of great leadership.
- Board Chairperson
Founding visionary of NTI, co-founder of the National Home Funeral Alliance and The Natural Funeral, Karen is a respected thought leader and speaker in holistic approaches to end-of-life care and conscious dying.
- Secretary – Kate Hastings
Owner & Principal of Kate Hastings Consulting, specializing in nonprofit governance, resource development, and organizational management. Kate brings strategic clarity and depth to NTI’s mission and operations; Life-Cycle Celebrant
- Board Member – Linda Pedelty
A seasoned leadership consultant, public speaker, and emotional intelligence expert, Linda is known for creating emotionally resonant experiences that inspire trust and insight for her consulting clients. She brings a deep understanding of group dynamics, sacred transitions, and the human heart; Life-Cycle Celebrant.
- Board Member – Jamie Ziegler
Former executive in customer experience and advocacy for leading corporations, Jamie focuses on enhancing business performance and fostering courageous, barrier-breaking dialogue.
- Board Member – Elle Sojourner
Soul Guide, author, diviner, and founder of Spirit Fire Life Ceremonies. Elle’s ceremonial artistry and spiritual insight elevate community connection and metaphysical awareness; Life-Cycle Celebrant
- Board Member – Karla Combres
A multilingual connector and community builder, Karla brings expertise in ceremony, storytelling, and holding space—shaped by years of guiding individuals and leading inclusive, heart-centered initiatives that help people honor their lives and legacies; Life-Cycle Celebrant.
