This wedding celebration brought a tropical paradise to Kansas City

After moving the date of their destination wedding in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico due to Covid-19, Brennan and Sylvanna decided to have a paradise-themed photo shoot and event at home in Kansas City, Kansas to celebrate with loved ones.

“We wanted to showcase tropical flavors with our palm leaf floral, custom lime name cards and one of a kind margarita display,” writes Brennan. “Our entire shoot was filled with big, beautiful bold colors and avant garde attire.”

What advice would you give to engaged LGBTQ+ couples?

Don’t sweat the small stuff! As a Covid couple, we had to reschedule, change multiple details and our plans were constantly changing. On the day of the event, we had some hiccups, but at the end of the day, you are in love and get to marry the love of your life. That is the only thing that matters. It does not matter who is there to witness. It does not matter what others think of you or your relationship. It does not matter if any problems arise or if your original plans change because at the end of the day, if you get married, the day was a success.

What advice do you have for vendors and venues working with LGBTQ+ couples?

Change your forms and questions to be gender fluid. Get away from saying, “Bride and Groom.” Instead, use Partner #1 and Partner #2 or Fiance #1 and Fiance #2. It makes LGBTQ+ couples uncomfortable when forms are incorrect or they have to correct you when you use the wrong pronouns.

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

Being a wedding planner, I luckily knew all of the vendors that are LGBTQ+ friendly. I do know that unfortunately there are vendors that are not LGBTQ+ friendly so I know the struggles that couples face. The biggest struggle we had was people assuming I was marrying a male and everyone would ask what the groom’s name is. As a wedding planner, I make sure to always use gender neutral pronouns and ask gender neutral questions, like “What is your fiance’s name?” instead of “What is the groom’s name?” I’ve learned to NEVER ASSUME someone’s identity, I wish other vendors would learn the same.

Did you encounter any pleasant surprises as an LGBTQ+ couple planning your wedding?

All of our vendors were very welcoming. We chose only LGBTQ+ friendly vendors. Having a smaller guest count allowed us to have an event where we did not feel pressured or uncomfortable to celebrate our love. Our closest friends and family are very supportive, which is why we chose to only celebrate with those people.