Our Instructors

Lois Heckman is a Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant through the Celebrant Foundation & Institute and a full-time professional wedding officiant who has been creating unique ceremonies since 2005. Based in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania, her work draws on a diverse background in religious philosophy, music, and social justice, all of which inform the thoughtful and inclusive ceremonies she creates.

From 1990 to 2006, Lois worked as an educator and advocate in the battered women’s and anti-rape movement, teaching and working for social change. Earlier in her career she was a musician and singer-songwriter, performing on stages from New York City to Europe. She studied religious philosophy at Temple University in Philadelphia, an academic foundation that continues to shape her understanding of ritual, meaning, and the role ceremony plays in people’s lives.

Lois is also an endorsed Humanist Celebrant with The Humanist Society and a member of several clergy and wedding associations. Her leadership in the field has extended into writing and media, including a long-running and widely read wedding blog she has written for the Pocono Record since 2006. Her work has also been featured in the publication Life-Cycle Ceremonies: A Handbook for Your Whole Life, the Marlo Thomas book It Ain’t Over… Till It’s Over, and the wedding podcast Put a Ring on It.

At Celebrant Academy, Lois teaches Performing Rituals: Religious, Cultural, and Couple-Centered and Ceremony Writing for Weddings, helping celebrants develop the skills to thoughtfully design and lead meaningful ceremonies. She also serves as a member of the Celebrant Academy Advisory Board.

Lauren Hill is a licensed wedding celebrant based in Brooklyn, New York and the owner of Simply Weddings NYC. She works with couples across the United States and internationally, creating ceremonies that reflect their stories, values, and the life they are building together. Lauren believes the ceremony is the heart of the wedding day, and her work focuses on helping couples create meaningful, memorable experiences that truly feel like their own.

Through her work as an officiant, Lauren has guided countless couples through the process of shaping their ceremony, offering thoughtful support with vows, ceremony structure, and the moments that make a wedding uniquely personal. Her approach blends warmth, organization, and a deep respect for the stories couples bring into their marriage.

Lauren is a Certified Master Celebrant through the Celebrant Academy and continues to serve couples through Simply Weddings NYC while supporting the next generation of ceremony professionals.

At Celebrant Academy, Lauren teaches Public Speaking and Presentations as well as Business and Client Management, helping celebrants develop the confidence, communication skills, and practical tools needed to build meaningful and sustainable celebrant practices.

Keri Klein is a Celebrant Academy instructor and the founder of Flower City Ceremonies, based in Rochester, New York. She has been officiating weddings for over a decade and has created nearly 500 ceremonies for couples who wanted something personal, joyful, and meaningful.

Keri’s path into celebrancy began the way it often does. Two friends asked her to officiate their wedding because they didn’t want a boring ceremony. She replied, “Well, I’m not boring.” That moment launched what would become Flower City Ceremonies, and she has been helping couples celebrate their stories ever since.

In addition to her work as an officiant, Keri brings nearly 30 years of experience as a high school English teacher and coach of an improvisational comedy team. Her background in education and storytelling makes her a natural guide in the classroom, where she helps celebrants understand the structure, communication, and presence required to lead meaningful ceremonies.

Keri has also supported the Celebrant Academy community by assisting with new applicants and helping welcome incoming students. As an instructor, she leads the Academy’s Marketing Your Celebrant Business course, guiding students through the curriculum and helping them develop confidence in how they present their work to the world.

Keri lives in Rochester with her family and continues to officiate weddings while supporting the next generation of celebrants through her work with the Academy.

Michelle Sponseller is a professional celebrant based in Central Michigan who specializes in personalized ceremonies that honor life’s most meaningful moments. Her work is grounded in the belief that every life holds a story worth telling and that every farewell deserves to be met with care, intention, and authenticity. Through careful listening and thoughtful storytelling, she helps families create ceremonies that reflect the values, beliefs, and lived experiences of the person being remembered.

Michelle’s path to celebrancy grew from both experience and calling. After more than 20 years serving her community through local government, she developed a deep appreciation for how storytelling brings people together, honors legacy, and creates connection during times of transition. That understanding now shapes the way she works with families, guiding them through the process of remembering, honoring, and celebrating a life.

She is a Certified Master Celebrant through the Celebrant Academy and a Certified Funeral Celebrant through the InSight Institute. In addition to her end-of-life work, Michelle also officiates weddings, creating heartfelt ceremonies that celebrate love in all its forms. Whether guiding a family through loss or standing beside a couple on their wedding day, she brings a steady presence, thoughtful guidance, and deep respect for every story she is entrusted to tell.

Michelle also serves as the End-of-Life Instructor for Celebrant Academy. In this role, she mentors celebrants who feel called to walk alongside families during one of life’s most tender transitions. Drawing on her training and lived experience, she helps aspiring celebrants develop the presence, compassion, and confidence needed to create meaningful end-of-life ceremonies.