Equally Wed Business Education’s core mission is to elevate and transform the wedding industry’s understanding of the LGBTQ+ community while helping equality-minded wedding professionals get more out of their business.
WHO WE ARE
Launched in 2010 to New York Times acclaim, Equally Wed is an award-winning digital magazine and social community for LGBTQ couples planning their weddings, discussing romance, marriage, family matters, travel, relationships, fashion and equality. Since its inception, Equally Wed’s mission has been to value its readers’ relationships and level of commitment, to offer their marriages the validation that society and the government and traditional wedding publications were turning a blind eye to.
WHAT WE DO
We offer four components in our business education program:
- Equally Wed Master Class – first one Oct. 2015 – Atlanta
- onsite business training
- credentialing and certificates
- marketing materials editing and review
Because of our unique and respected position in the LGBTQ community, Equally Wed’s cofounder and editorial director Kirsten Ott has an established insider’s perspective to offer to businesses wishing to extend their hospitality to the LGBTQ community.
A seasoned speaker at wedding conferences and frequent CNN studio guest, Ott offers businesses a strategic edge to become more fluent and sensitive to the LGBTQ+ market by personally training staff, reviewing the company’s marketing materials, testing the staff, answering delicate questions, leaving behind training materials for new hires, certifying your company with Equally Wed’s seal as an equality-minded wedding vendor, and offering a marriage equality overview to what’s happening in today’s laws for your area, as well as the country.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Marriage equality will be an economic boost for businesses that are ready, but it could also be an economic bust for businesses if anyone on your staff discriminates against LGBTQ people or a couple. With social media holding so much power in 2015, it’s important that not just your marketing people know how to attract the LGBTQ community to the property, but also that the entire staff is trained to be sensitive and appropriate to the special needs to the LGBTQ community. It is deeper and more nuanced than just respect and nice manners.
Kirsten Ott will guide your staff through the ins and outs of what the LGBTQ couple needs and expects from you when they give you their business—and beyond.
To learn more about the business education options for your wedding business, email edu@equallywed.com. You can also follow our new business account on Twitter @wedbusiness.
