putting the elle in cellebrate

I’ve been on my own journey towards authenticity, acceptance of my unique self, and embracing my weirdness. I want every ceremony I lead to celebrate connection, equality, weirdness and joy in its fullest form.

Colorful illustration of a pair of white sneakers with pink soles, red hearts on the toes and sides, green and red stripes on the sides, and pink laces, linked by a common theme of love.

Four people smiling together at abar, with two wearing matching shirts that say 'Love Always Wins' as they celebrate the successful 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite in Australia.

I’d always loved the idea of being a marriage celebrant, but I knew I would never be able to say the words that were legally required to be said in all marriage ceremonies up to 2017 - “Marriage, according to the law in Australia, is the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life” (also known as The Monitum).

I could never speak those words in a marriage ceremony because I did not believe them - they were the antithesis of my own views on relationships and marriage. I have been on my own journey of acceptance with being a disabled neurodivergent trauma survivor, and I love my own chosen family of incredible diverse people so much. Part of my striving for allyship to the queer folx in my life was saying that I wouldn’t participate or support the heteronormative nonsense that was an institution reserved exclusively for a select group of people.

After a long-fought battle, Australia finally de-gendered marriage in Australia in November 2017. I signed up for my Cert IV in Celebrancy that night, champagne glass in hand and perhaps a little full of happy lovey dovey vibes (and the aforementioned champagne, which led me to pay the entire course fee upfront on my credit card).

My journey

An illustration of a pair of green Loop earplugs, an accessibility tool Elle uses as a neurodivergent person

I finally achieved my goal of becoming a registered civil marriage celebrant in Australia in August 2022. I now have well over 125 ceremonies under my belt, and have married over 250 people from unique and diverse backgrounds and walks of life, and I am LOVING bringing my own unique style of inclusive celebratory fun to Sydney, the Blue Mountains and across NSW and Australia.

I still feel so utterly stoked and privileged to get to say the current Monitum:

Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.

The union of two people. Any two people. From any walk of life, and any background, regardless of sexuality or gender. Love is love, and I am here to celebrate the shit out of it in all its glorious forms.

"Elle is an incredibly warm, genuine and lovely person and celebrant! We are so fortunate to have come across Elle because she made our marriage ceremony really special with so many heartfelt and personalised elements. She was so supportive of all the things we asked for and very responsive and helpful throughout the process. We highly highly recommend Elle if you’re looking for a down to earth, friendly and fun celebrant who will put you at ease and deliver a beautiful ceremony to remember." Angelica & Bernardo
"Elle is the Celebrant of our dreams. Would get married again just to have her as our celebrant! She helped us put together a surprise wedding in just 8 weeks and spent a whole day pretending to our guests that she was running a Murder Mystery Game. Elle is kind, inclusive, funny as heck and will make sure your ceremony is 1000% you. She organised everything from helping with our vows, organising a sound system for our favourite songs and serving gin & tonics to celebrate right after. This is no Celebrant, she is a One Woman Show - Wedding Fairy Edition. So in awe of all her magic!" Sina & Jacques
"We couldn’t have asked for a better human to marry us on our special day! Elle absolutely topped our energy, happiness, and love not just for us, but for all our guests too. She brought us together in the most perfect way, and the vibe was exactly us - full of love, joy, and just the right touch of sarcasm. So many of our guests commented on how awesome she was and how she made the ceremony unforgettable. If you’re looking for a celebrant who brings warmth, humour, and heart, Elle is the one" Rebecca & Vanessa

Elle the celebrant's hands holding two earrings made of sparkly resin letters, the left one spells "C-E-L-L-E" and the right one "B-R-A-N-T".

So, tell us more…

How do ya celebrant, Elle?

My marriage celebrancy practice is a modern one, which means it is:

Digital as heck - let’s save some trees and printer-related stress and do as much of the legal paperwork and information gathering as we can online or on my iPad
Flexible and inclusive - everyone’s welcome, and I value diversity in my business. I have designed my business with inclusion at its core, not as an afterthought, and it shows in how I engage with you and in the options we have for bringing your ceremony to life. Few celebrants have the combination of lived experience, formal qualifications and expertise in inclusion and accessibility, and actual experience in customer-centric design - I bring it all together for the benefit of my diverse client base!
Non-traditional - I love all things new and different, and co-creation is how we make magic in your ceremony! Let’s get creative and do something with your marriage ceremony that truly represents you and your love story - we can make that up together, or we can draw on the wide range of experiences and diverse ceremonies I’ve delivered to date. Also, please bring your dogs. Or I can bring mine. Let’s just make sure there are dogs there. I’ll even bring treats.

Marriage ceremony packages

You have every right to choose a marriage celebrant that aligns with your values, so I’ve tried hard to make who I am super obvious here so you can see if we’ll be a good fit! It’s okay if we’re not the same - I encourage you to find a marriage celebrant who is closely aligned with your own beliefs because everyone deserves the wedding day of their dreams, and being values-led is the best way to make your day reflect you so you can show up as your authentic self.

INCLUSIVITY

I believe that all people are created equal, everyone is worthy and deserving, and love is love in all its forms. I will never discriminate against anyone on the basis of background, circumstance, gender, disability, neurodivergence or minority status. I’m committed to making all reasonable accommodations so that your experience is as joyful, comfortable, and meaningful as possible, and I’ve probably got ideas for adjustments you’ve not even thought of yet (thankfully, I’m a sharer haha). My ceremonies are always free from language that excludes or disempowers, and you can trust that the words I use will reflect the values of equality, love and dignity. For me, this isn’t an afterthought - it’s at the very core of what I do.

SUSTAINABILITY

I believe in running an environmentally-friendly business, operating with consideration for our world and our communities, and promoting sustainable wedding practices wherever possible. I embrace all things digital to avoid destroying trees, so the only bit of paper you’ll get from me is your official Certificate of Marriage (also known as Form 15) on the day, and I only give it to you because the Marriage Act says I have to! If you’re into thrifting, Street Bounty, reduce reuse recycle, eliminating single use products, shopping local, and minimising your carbon footprint, then we are gonna get along for sure. Ask me for sustainable wedding ideas - I’ve got loads of suggestions and plenty of examples from previous weddings.

CARE FOR COUNTRY

We are living on stolen Aboriginal lands, and sovereignty was never ceded. I grew up on Dharug and Gundungurra Country in the Blue Mountains, and now I live on Wangal Country in Sydney’s Inner West, working throughout NSW. I honour the Traditional Custodians of the lands I work on and reflect this in every ceremony - this is non-negotiable and is written into my Services Agreement. Caring for Country is also part of my role, especially for outdoor ceremonies: I leave no trace and refuse to damage our natural environment for a wedding, and encourage everyone to do the same. Together, we show respect for the unbroken connection Aboriginal peoples have with these lands and waters.