New marriage celebrants are sworn in
EIGHT new islanders have been given the authority to marry couples anywhere in the Bailiwick.
Sophie Yabsley, Viv Roussel, Ben Adkins, Emma Backhouse, Emma Chesters, Ellie Jones, Oliver Davies and Daniel Ormrod were sworn in at the Royal Court with Deputy Bailiff Jessica Roland welcoming them to their new official roles.
The Marriage (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2020 offers couples the option of being married in a Church, at the Greffe, or arranging a wedding ceremony where a civil celebrant can officiate at almost any location.
It includes outside, on a beach, at home, in a hotel, at a pub or restaurant, or on a yacht, aircraft or underwater within the Bailiwicks territorial waters and airspace.
The new law was one of the reasons Mr Adkins, 66, wanted to become a celebrant.
‘It’s very robust and open,’ he said.
‘I knew I wanted to be a celebrant when I retired so now’s my time, all my friends were saying I should go for it too.’
Mx Jones is Liberate Guernsey CEO and also cited the new laws as an inspiration to enrol.
‘Who doesn’t love love?’ she said.
‘Same sex couples have been restricted with where they could get married for a while so it seemed natural to take up this position.
‘It’s important to me to make LGBTQ couple feel comfortable with their celebrants who know all the right wording and phrases.’
Mx Jones officiated her first wedding on last week, less than a month after being sworn in.
n Contact details for all the celebrants are available on the Greffe website at guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/182137/Marriages
