After 17 years officiating weddings, Jasper Peach has left the profession, citing growing unease with the institution of marriage and concerns about safety. Peach, who began as a celebrant in the mid-2000s, says the role taught them about love but ultimately conflicted with their values.
From Auslan Interpreter to Celebrant
Peach, in their mid-20s at the time, became a 'professional yapper' after an injury ended their career in Auslan interpreting. Studying to become a civil marriage celebrant felt logical, as they wanted to understand love. Being appointed by the Attorney-General's Department required a Certificate III and a rigorous application process, including proving 'good standing' and belief in the definition of marriage. As a 'card-carrying homosexual,' Peach wrote about their belief in all kinds of love, including marriage, though they waited a 'long, loathsome decade' for recognition of committed partnerships.
Peach loved the detail-oriented nature of the role: legal requirements, stagecraft, varied workplaces, and public speaking. They compared it to karaoke but as an actual job. Over time, they found that being themselves helped couples reflect that authenticity.
The Intimacy and Transformation of the Role
Peach's favourite part was sitting with couples around a kitchen table, discussing their lives and reasons for marrying. They would lean into silence to let couples surprise themselves with their answers, turning stories into personal ceremonies. Wedding days were 'extraordinarily intimate,' with Peach absorbing the couple's hope and intention.
The industry itself transformed during Peach's career. Initially dominated by retirees with strong opinions, it later became more collaborative, with younger celebrants sharing advice and emergency cover. Peach also engaged in 'baby activism,' conducting mass illegal ceremonies on the steps of the registry office in Naarm to campaign for marriage equality. When equality arrived, they bristled at the term 'gay marriage,' seeing it as simply marriage for all consenting adults.
Growing Unease and Reasons for Leaving
Despite supporting the right to marry, Peach became uneasy with the institution. Too many marriages they officiated ended following intimate partner violence, leading to sleepless nights about signing paperwork that complicated leaving abusive relationships. 'Love should never become a barrier to safety,' they said.
Across 17 years, Peach asked every couple why they wanted to marry. The most common answers were tradition or marking a milestone. However, promises made during ceremonies were not always honoured later. Several factors converged: Covid-19 posed risks to their 'already glittery lungs,' they had to use their birth name at work despite social transition, and their writing career was growing. When the annual registration invoice arrived, their wife encouraged them to 'back yourself and back away.'
Life After Celebrancy
Peach now believes in love more than ever but insists it must include safety, autonomy, and the freedom to leave. They don't miss celebrancy, feeling grateful for rainy weekends and no longer mistaking weather for emergencies. Their uniform is now Crocs and overalls, and they find dopamine in tending their own love story rather than borrowing sparks from others. Attending enough weddings for several lifetimes was a privilege, but they are equally happy to have left it behind.
