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Guernsey’s first LGBTQ+ wedding celebrants

Guernsey’s first LGBTQ+ wedding celebrants

Monday 05 June 2023

Guernsey’s first LGBTQ+ wedding celebrants

Monday 05 June 2023


Two members of Guernsey’s LGBTQ+ community have been sworn in as wedding celebrants today.

Ellie Jones (CEO of Liberate) and Oli Bailey-Davis were sworn in at Guernsey’s Royal Court this morning and they will now be able to marry people in Guernsey.

Recent changes in the law means people have more choice of where and when they get married and can be celebrant-led as an alternative to a traditional marriage. 

Ellie said: “The point of any ceremony is to celebrate the partnership and to ensure that the couple has their closest friends and family around them to support and to celebrate their special day. 

“We’re about making people feel comfortable and giving them the wedding they want...the queerer the better! And for us ‘queer’ doesn’t always mean being LGBTQ+, it means being a little different, unusual or not heteronormative. 

Olli said: “As members of the LGBTQ+ community, we also understand the nuances that might come up as well as the legalitiees surrounding things like same sex marriage and gender identity. 

“Ellie and I are here to take away that stress and worry and let the couple focus on the important stuff, like whether they should have disco balls or feathers!” 

He said being a celebrant for any wedding is privilege, but supporting those getting married from the LGBTQ+ community is “extra special” because some people have wanted to marry their entire lives, but have only been able to recently. 

Pictured top: (L-R) Ellie and Olli. 

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