Ellen Carey, authorised civil marriage celebant, smiling directly at the camera after a wedding ceremony at Gabbinbar Homestead. Photo taken by Sam Wyper Photography.

A little bit about

Ellen Carey

Ellen will be your biggest advocate, your hype-girl, your friend, your ideas-person, and of course, your marriage celebrant! She believes a swim in the ocean can fix just about anything, always say yes to chicken salt on hot chips, humans really don’t deserve dogs, and that love, in all its beautiful shapes and forms, really is the best thing in life.

Ellen Carey and her fiance smiling at the camera on the beach at Fingal Head, NSW
Frankie, Ellen's dog, smiling at camera.

Ellen lives in Cabarita Beach, NSW with her fiance Dylan and their dog Frankie (both pictured).

She officiates weddings from Byron Bay up to the Sunshine Coast, but has travelled all around Australia for weddings, including Perth and the stunning K’Gari.

Ellen Carey cuddling up to her Mum for a photo after her first ceremony as a marriage celebrant for her Mum.

Ellen’s reason

To marry her Mum!

Tasked with finding the celebrant for her Mum’s small backyard wedding in 2018, Ellen struggled to find someone who was the right ‘vibe’ for what her mum was wanting. Both Ellen’s Mum and (now) step-dad had been married before, and they wanted a wedding that wasn’t very traditional, one that was intimate and special, but also laid-back, relaxed and fun! A true celebration of their love and the joining of their families.

Also, it just felt a little weird having a stranger play such an important role in such a private moment for her family. Not to mention, the idea of being the person to marry her Mum filled Ellen with so much joy and excitement! So Ellen obtained her Cert IV in Celebrancy, applied to the Attorney-General’s Department, and became registered as an authorised civil marriage celebrant in Australia. Her Mum’s wedding is one of Ellen’s most cherished memories.

Ellen Carey holding microphone addressing guests during ceremony at Gabbinbar Homestead

When she decided to go all in

Ellen was working her ‘day-job’ as a lawyer, and spending many of her weekends marrying her friends and family. Before long, word of mouth found Ellen marrying friends of friends, guests at previous weddings, and even complete strangers (who soon became friends!).

She found herself enjoying the celebrancy-side of her life, more than the lawyer-side. Ellen spent a lot of time in court, and she found that her court-advocacy experience prepared her well for being a marriage celebrant. She genuinely enjoys public speaking, and she prides herself on delivering ceremonies in a passionate, engaging and authentic way.

After some reflection, Ellen realised that she wanted to go all in!

Honeybee Celebrancy moved beyond the little Instagram account Ellen had created and into the world!