Lesbian & Gay Wedding Resources

Finding a Wedding Planner

Hope — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 00:08:07 +0000

I just received an email from someone asking for advice on how to find a good gay wedding planner. Unfortunately she did not include her city information but it did bring up a good topic: How do you find a gay wedding planner in your city. My advice may sound unconventional but it really does work - first seek out local gay friendly or gay owned bed and breakfast/hotels in your area. You would really be surprised at how many cities have them. If you’re not sure where to start try one of my favorite sites - purple roofs.

Next visit their web sites. Does their site mention weddings? You will find that many list wedding services right on their web page. If they perform weddings call them up and ask to speak with their wedding coordinator. If they do not have a wedding coordinator ask to speak to the person that handles weddings. Be honest with them and tell them you are getting married but don’t know where to start. Here’s the key even if you do not plan to have your wedding in their bed and breakfast they can usually steer you to gay friendly vendors. The world of weddings is a strange one in which everyone knows everyone else. Our minister was great at steering us to and AWAY from certain vendors. This does help to cut out the worry of dealing with people who are not into doing gay weddings (boo on them!)

Happy Anniversary!

Hope — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 23:31:32 +0000

I haven’t posted in a while but I have a great reason…my lovely wife and I just celebrated our three year anniversary. We saved up and finally took our first real vacation (honeymoon doesn’t count!) together. We went to the beach and had a great time. It’s been a really hard year thanks to Hurricane Katrina but through it all I know I am very lucky to have someone so wonderful to share the bad and good times with. I Love you honey!

Now that we are settled in I should be able to start contributing to the site again…so check back often.

Welcoming Churches

Hope — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 03:29:47 +0000

Here’s a link to Welcoming (i.e. gay friendly) churches in the U.S. Many of these churches are able to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies. Yeah! welcomingchurches

Custom Handmade Wedding Invitations!

Hope — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 03:25:36 +0000

OK so recently I’ve been getting questions about where people can find custom handmade wedding invitations for gay couples. You’ve got 3 options:

1. a local printing company

2. an online vendor

3. Do it Yourself.

My wife and I chose to make our invitations ourselves. We chose the DIY route for several reasons: 1.Availability - there weren’t many people around making gay friendly invitations 2.Cost - the companies doing it were very expensive 3.The look - The feeling we were going for was French old New Orleans and that’s not so common. Although we created beautiful invitations for ourselves, they was ALOT of work involved. One thing we did was to look at wording and design of the online guys. If you are wanting to have them printed I’d suggest that you find a local printer or take a look at this site, Outvite, they offer custom handmade wedding invitations.

ICCR - Good examples of Vows

Hope — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 04:41:33 +0000

This is an interesting site I came across. ICCR The International Commitment Ceremonies Registry (ICCR) offers several services but the vows directory seems like it would be really helpful to couples planning their wedding. Check out the vows for your commitment ceremony certificate link on the vows directory page.

Newspaper That Publish Same-Sex Union Announcements

admin — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 05:49:19 +0000

GLAAD.org, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance against Defamation, has been collecting and constantly updating a list of newspapers that have indicated that they have run same-sex union announcements — or that they would be willing to do so if asked by a local resident. Sorted by state, the list can also be downloaded in PDF format that includes circulation fugures.

I have to admit, I wish I had known about this when we got married. I had no idea that the Times-Picayune in New Orleans would have accepted our announcement. I was also happily surprised to learn that there were some small town Louisiana newspapers with progressive and accepting policies.

Wedding Photography Tips #1

admin — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 09:32:08 +0000

Tip #1
Providing your guests with disposable cameras is a wonderful way to add candid shots to your album. Make them available at your reception (never at the ceremony since a flurry of shutters snapping will distract from what is really important… your vows) by placing them at the entry table, at dinner placesettings or in baskets around the room. Make sure you get them back before guests leave by having a wedding party member collect them, or designating a camera return location by the door.

Tip #2
Most photographers retain ownership of the negatives. Ask your photographer if or when you might be able to purchase the negatives and what the cost will be.

Wedding Planning Tips #1

admin — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 09:16:33 +0000

Tip #1
Start an ideas folder. As you begin to explore options, you will find hundreds of ideas that you’ll want to discuss together. Rather than rely on memory to coordinate those tidbits of inspiration (trust me, memory just can’t do the job), invest in a binder that can keep them close at hand for you. Include: note paper for jotting down spur of the moment thoughts

folders for holding clipped magazine pages

sheet protectors for slipping in pricing sheets and menus

a zipable pocket for safeguarding vital receipts and documents.

Tip #2
Talk with other couples who have been there and lived to tell about it. Not only will they be uniquely able to understand how excited you are about your celebration, they will be able to provide valuable insight into the whole process. Don’t know any same sex couples who have had a ceremony? Mine your straight married friends for information. Despite the differences between straight and gay wedding ceremonies, planning any event takes a little finesse and these folks have pulled it off! Take advantage of that experience.

The Symbolism of Flowers

admin — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 09:11:01 +0000

Flowers have a long history of being a secret language between lovers. Discover their hidden symbolism and you might just want to imbue your wedding flowers with meaning.

The Knot

admin — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 14:30:50 +0000

TheKnot.com (a huge online wedding planning, advice and merchandise resource for straight couples) has devoted a few pages of their website to same sex marriages. While the Knot is certainly not making any effort to make gays and lesbians an equal part of their target audience, I did find that their articles were well written and thought out. Take a look at these articles… in particular, a lovely profile of Jenn and Michelle and their beautiful Seattle lesbian wedding.

Same-Sex Weddings: 10 Things to Consider
Same-Sex Weddings: Etiquette Q&A
Same-Sex Weddings: Expert Q&A on Unsupportive Parents
Same-Sex Weddings: Expert Q&A on Unsupportive Parents
Same-Sex Weddings: One Couple’s Story
Same-Sex Weddings: Q&A with an Officiant
Same-Sex Weddings: Real People, Real Stories
Same-Sex Weddings: The Basics
Gay Honeymoons: The Big Island of Hawaii