Hi!

If you’ve wandered onto my “About Me” page, chances are you’re wondering whether I’m the right celebrant to share this moment in your life. So go on, grab a cuppa (and absolutely treat yourself to a biccy or two).

Get comfy, settle in, and let me share a little of my world with you…

 

My name is Mariaelena Carey and I’ve spent 46 years orbiting the sun (47 is already clearing it's throat, ready to make an entrance). I spent 19 wonderful years with my husband, Mark, 14 as his wife, before he made his journey to the heavens in October 2024 after being diagnosed with cancer.

We share 7 beautiful children, 4 girls and 3 boys. One dog called Tara who is anti-social and doesn't like going for walks, she must be the only dog in the world who runs the other way when her lead comes out!

3 cats, Lola who is a diva and runs the show, Binx (yes she is a black cat!) who is so cleaver that I have had to put a child lock on the cupboard that her food is kept in because she gets in the cupboard and starts dishing out the food to the dog and her sisters, like she is some sort of dealer and  Winifred, a naughty torti, who is not very cleaver and gets into all sorts of escapades and then needs help getting out of whatever she has got into.

And finally Thumper the rabbit, who is as grey and cute as his Disney counterpart, knows his own name and is very happy to run round the garden free range and then put himself away when he has had enough.

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I love music (don't worry, I will not be singing at your event, nobody needs to hear that!) Any guitar based band has got my vote, my favourite band growing up in the 90's was Bon Jovi (still is). I like heavier stuff too, such as Black Sabbeth, Led zeppelin, The Who and more modern bands such as Shine down and Black top mojo. But really, if its got a catchy tune and a good beat, I'll listen to it, Bowie is also one of my absolute favourites and all our children are very familiar with his music.

What else?

Im one of 7 children (again 4 girls and 3 boys), I'm the baby of the family, my parents had me and realised that they had at last reached perfection (if my siblings are reading this, you know its true!)

Some nick names, I have been given by my ever so lovely siblings are:

Pudding (when I was 5 and my brother was custard, it didn't last long)

Plob, no idea why.

Munchkin (the nicest of the nick names)

Smelly (not true!)

And the one I get called most often - The ginger kid, by my brother who is colour blind and can't see shades of red and green!

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I also love to sew and I have been sewing since the age of 4. My mother was a seamstress, (as was my aunt and grand mother) and I would sit and watch her at her machine and she would let me have the scraps of fabric and a hand sewing needle to make clothes for my dolls. As I got older, I used to sit and trace the photos in her magazines and design clothes that I wanted to make, which led me on to college to study fashion and design after I left school at 16.

I'm also a qualified massage and beauty therapist and ran my own beauty business for 12 years, I've run a gift shop and art gallery for Hall Place in Bexley, worked in admin and more recently been accepted to teach sewing at an adult education college.

 But honestly, none of that compares to the joy and deep satisfaction I find in creating ceremonies. Being a celebrant is my calling, so many things have led me down this path and I'm excited for the future. If you would like to know why I chose to train as a celebrant, please 

If anything I have mentioned above resonates with you, please do get in touch,

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