Modern lush greenery wedding in Jacksonville, Florida

Bri and Fay wanted a modern wedding in early March with a fresh, lush feel. They filled their day with monochromatic colors and greenery. Fay proposed to Bri in Paris, France, and the two were engaged for two years before their wedding. Their first dance was to “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Haley Reinhart.

What advice would you give to engaged LGBTQ+ couples?

Plan a wedding that is true to who you are as a couple. Be different and show your unique qualities through the details. Love cotton candy? Serve that as a late night snack! Hate the bouquet toss? Me too, so don’t do it. Your wedding should be a reflection of you and your fiancee. Do not just follow the “wedding norms” because you feel you have to. We opted out of all the stereotypical wedding traditions and couldn’t be happier that we did.

Advice for vendors and venues working with LGBTQ+ couples?

Treat your LGBTQ+ couples like you would any other couple. The vendors that made us feel the most comfortable were the ones that said “brides” or bride 1 and bride 2 without even thinking twice. It is also important to have multiple contract templates so that when asking an LGBTQ+ couple to sign a contract, it does not say “bride and groom.” That was an immediate turn off for me and my wife during the process.

What challenges did you face as an LGBTQ+ couple planning your wedding?

We honestly did not face many challenges, per se, but did feel a bit uncomfortable sometimes. As I said before, we got sent contracts and timelines that said “bride and groom” and would have to correct them. I also had to politely ask vendors if they were LGBTQ+ friendly before booking. Thankfully all of our vendors were very welcoming, but it is still an uncomfortable situation to be in.