Raise your Glass

As this year draws to a close, I can’t help but think back to what Equally Wed was last December: a dream. Well, it was more than that. My wife and I had a plan, and we were working tirelessly to bring it to fruition. When we launched our online magazine for same-sex weddings in March 2010, we didn’t know what to expect. We hoped you’d find us, because we knew you needed us. We needed us when we were planning our own wedding in 2008 and 2009. When we were in the throes of wedding planning, no mainstream bridal publication or corresponding websites had covered a gay or lesbian wedding. We didn’t have that validation and respect that we have worked so hard to bring to you. And we didn’t have the resources—the gay-friendly wedding vendors and honeymoon destinations—that Equally Wed offers.

I’m so incredibly thankful for the success of Equally Wed magazine for 2010. The Winter issue marks our fourth, and during this short amount of time, we’ve found ourselves on CNN twice, CNN.com, as well as a lengthy feature on us in The New York Times and The Advocate named us one its top 150 reasons to be proud in its June cover story. There’s more, but those are our big highlights, and we’re beaming about what we’ve done together.

We’ve also got a rosy glow about us here at Equally Wed headquarters because of your exciting celebrations of love and commitment. Your wedding stories make us cry tears of joy and ooh and ahh over fabulous photography, delicious cakes, sweet kisses and fantastic family and friends. Two couples that really touched our hearts are Jessica and Lacey, who tied the knot in a fabulous Mexican affair, and Adam and Cliff, whose intimate Massachusetts wedding had all the right touches.

When planning your own big day, check out what celebrity planner Samantha Goldberg has to say on the subject (it’s a mouthful and you won’t want to miss her candid answers).

This issue is chock full of legal advice, fashion (for femme women, butch women and men), honeymoons (from the Caribbean Sea to Iceland), tips on including children in weddings, selecting great-but-lesser-known wines for your reception, and much more.

For all of you planning your fabulous gay weddings out there, I raise my glass to you and thank you for your continued readership. Please let us know what you think of our Winter issue at kpalladino (at) equallywed (dot) com. And send us links to your wedding photos. We want to share in your joy!

Kirsten Palladino
Editor in Chief