Ashlee Bunney: Perth wedding celebrant willing to be banned from Facebook to fight ‘internalised misogyny’
Ashlee Bunney is no ordinary wedding celebrant and MC.
She’s a rough-around-the-edges-free spirit with no filter and no apologies. And her clients love her for it.
“I‘m not afraid to kind of go b***s deep with them, so to speak, to find out what makes them tick, the real juice in their relationship.”
“I’ve dropped a few C-bombs in ceremonies,” she admitted.
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An industry newcomer with a year under her colourful belt, Ms Bunney continues to work in manufacturing sales while breaking down societal norms.
The social media personality fears defaulted language and “internalised misogyny” still ingrained in Australians following the legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2017 ignores a growing portion of the population.
She even believes she was banned from a 20,000-strong Perth wedding group on Facebook for sharing her views publicly.
Ashlee Bunney is not your average wedding celebrant. Credit: FS Media
Ashlee Bunney promises a different experience. Credit: The Pink Tank Creative
“I wanna slap my fl**s with a fork,” she wrote, which resulted in a 24-hour ban and reports from users.
Granted, the LGBTQIA+ ally admits she could have used softer language to express her dismay at the language of those active on the platform.
“There’s just a lot of posts that were just like, ‘Hi ladies or hi brides’.“
“Probably the vast majority of active people in this group do identify as a lady or a bride, but there would be a lot of people that don’t identify as those terms.”
Ashlee Bunney is a modern wedding celebrant. Credit: Wild White Photo Co
She implores people to consider more inclusive language like, “Hi everyone” when addressing the masses.
“I just wanted to bring some consciousness and try and disrupt the default terminology,” she said.
“So if you go to post in a group of 20 people, and it’s a question that anyone in that group could answer, whether they’re a lady or a bride or a groom or a man, just often think about if you do actually need to only address it at ‘brides’ or ‘ladies’.”
Chants of “THANK YOU” and “legend!” quickly flooded in from individuals equally exasperated by having to justify themselves.
With legal paperwork now offering “partner” as a tick box in addition to “bride” and “groom”, the celebrant asks each of her clients upfront how they’d like to be identified.
“When I first book my couples, I asked for their gender pronouns, just for my own knowledge, so I’m referring to them in the correct way.”
But surprisingly, Ms Bunney still encounters wedding vendors frozen in time who fail to consider the effects of the gendered language they perpetuate.
“Two women booked this venue and it’s on their personal timeline, it’s a bride and groom listed all over it, so obviously, that’s the default template.
“And they’ve just put these two people’s names on it and not even thought about it. There is no groom at this wedding, and that was surprising,” Ms Bunney recalled.
While she believes some stakeholders know better, the celebrant aims to “shed light” on topics that may not receive the attention they should, while having an open dialogue.
“I welcome anyone with any opposing views,” she said. “I’d love to have the conversation.”
Ashlee Bunney has been a presenter at Perth Corporate Rumble. Credit: Perth Corporate Rumble
Aware her vibe is not for everyone, Ms Bunney has no qualms with people who make it clear she’s not the right fit for them.
“If you come across my Instagram or my website, you’re going to know within five seconds if I’m for you or not, and I think that’s what sort of separates me from the chart.”
But if you do choose her, she guarantees one thing — “No shi* bits.”
Ashlee Bunney is a wedding celebrant, MC, presenter and social media personality based in Perth.