Gay marriage and the wedding market

A person’s wedding day is a huge deal for anyone, however even with the current legislation being passed stating that same sex couples can now get married all across the globe, the wedding market is still very homophobic and ignorant.

Only last year I decided to pluck up the courage and propose to my other half and at the time, I thought getting him to say yes was the most I had to overcome, well 7 months later I can see how blind I was; thankfully if you wondered, he did say yes and we enjoyed some amazing champagne to toast the start of our happy ever after.

When back in the UK however, we decided to book some wedding fares and get the preparation on the way because we want it all and that means having the time to pay everything off. I mean reports from the U.S, after their legal action to let same sex couples get married is staggering, same sex couples spend over 30% more than heterosexual couples and apparently “gay weddings” could boost the wedding industry by more than 2.5 BILLION dollars! So why is the wedding industry and it’s suppliers so far behind?

You may think I have no idea what I’m talking about, but I do. After attending several wedding fares now as a couple, we have faced some behaviour that would shock many. For example one stall decided to start giving out leaflets for their business and as we stood in the queue we thought their stall looked like it actually had potential, well once they got to us, all we received was a look of disgust and they carried on walking right by us and handing out leaflets to the “straight couple” in front of us!

So why do suppliers think it is acceptable to alienate same sex couples? Yes you may not like it, but at the end of the day business is business and you could potentially be turning down hundreds, if not thousands of pounds! Don’t get me wrong though, it isn’t just the suppliers that need to change. After picking 4 finalist venues that we loved the look at we started to book appointments, well the first one we attended and liked the look was okay, up until the point most of the staff arrived. We started getting glared at and then one member decided to barge into my chair 3 times while I was talking to the person showing us around, without a hint of concern they just carried on talking - not a place you would want a wedding.

Incentives!

Now who doesn’t love a bargain or getting something for free? I see it all the time, £10 off the brides hair cut or free goody bag for the first 100 brides. Now as the acting bridal party in my wedding due to me having bridesmaids, I should be entitled to these amazing incentives right? WRONG! After asking two business representatives about their offers on hair and make up, I was told that due to being male and the fact I was in a same sex relationship the offer didn’t apply to me and if you are wondering about the goody bag I was just told “woman only”.

What I’m trying to say is don’t ignore the fact that gay people want to get married, don’t limit your discounts and offers to “straight couples” and for god sake don’t be homophobic because we have told many people about the way some companies have treated us and they haven’t just lost our custom.

Look on the bright side though, some people are really clued on when it comes to the new wave of marriages in the modern society of today. After hunting the internet and shops for days trying to find a same sex wedding planner, because a scrap book just wont do. I came across a fantastic lady on eBay. Although if I was you I would visit her shop by clicking this link. They not only make the most perfect wedding planners but activity books for the wedding as well which is great if you have children in attendance. At the same time communication is top notch and if you want anything in particular you can always email and ask and expect the best customer service out there!

Now as a couple we have decided that surprises can be fun and we have kept two things secret, our suits and the cakes. Yes you heard me cakes! We are going to have one each, 3 layers and whatever we can imagine stuck on them! How does this link in with the article you wonder? With custom made cake toppers. Virtually impossible to find yet I managed to and same sex custom made ones at that. This etsy shopper is on the mark with their incredible toppers, no doubt I will be spending a fortune on them as well.

Remember when it comes to business don’t narrow your profit and don’t hate the people who keep you in business. Comment below if you have any same sex products of offers because people want to hear about them. I have had people turn round and tell me they have offers but you need to ask, yet you don’t if you happen to be the “normal” couple. I hate crosswords and fail badly at hide and seek, so make anything you have presentable and noticeable!

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to comment if you have something you think people want to hear about, you never know who is interested.