Congratulations, you’re planning the biggest day of your life! Planning a wedding (or proposal) is fun, exciting and not without a few challenges. Choosing wedding vendors is a vetting process, from looking at photographers’ previous work to tasting cakes or touring venues, it takes a lot of time and research to find a vendor who is a great fit for you and your wedding.
Sadly, we sometimes hear stories in the news of not-so-nice vendors that refuse to work with LGBTQ couples. This should never happen to anyone, and is a terrible way to be treated, especially when you’re trying to plan such a joyous occasion. As you research potential vendors, look for the answers to these questions to learn more about the equality mindset of your potential wedding service-providers.
Do they proudly display their views on equality?
If a vendor is equality-minded, oftentimes they want to show it proudly. Many vendors, especially photographers include “Featured on” badges on their websites that show where they have been featured (look for LGBTQ sites like Equally Wed) or that they have signed the Wedding Equality Alliance pledge.
Are there LGBTQ couples in their photo galleries?
Do you see photos of same-sex couples together in any of the materials you have been provided or in the company’s online photo galleries (especially any photos that are prominently displayed)? If not, this is not to say they are not equality minded. In fact, you might be their first LGBTQ couple, and your future photos will help them to become a resource for other LGBTQ couples planning their wedding.
Have they been published on any LGBTQ-friendly sites?
Married couples and/or their photographers tend to submit wedding and proposal photos to be published on blogs and in online magazines. Check their website for links to any features they might have, or see what other wedding resources come up when you Google them. In addition to photographers, wedding and engagement posts often give credit
What do the reviews say?
Whether you’re looking for equality-minded vendors or not, customer reviews say a lot about what it’s like to work with a person in general. Head to Google, Facebook and other wedding resources to learn more about what previous customers have to say about their experience. People are more likely to post negative instead of positive reviews, so any negative experience will be featured
What are they like personally?
While a vendor’s business page may say they are equality minded, that is on behalf of the business and its owners, maybe not all of its employees and those you might be working with. For example, if you work with a large event planning company, you may get their most equality-minded vendor, or their least. If you have access to the individual vendor’s personal social media pages, give them a look through just to make sure you aren’t finding anything that makes you uncomfortable.
Have they joined the Equally Wed Wedding Directory?
Many wedding vendors from venues to officiants to caterers and more are committed to making sure engaged couples know that they are committed to equality and have chosen to join Equally Wed’s Wedding Directory. Check out the directory to find equality-minded vendors for your wedding.
