Gay Weddings are Good for Business

Research, data, advice and tips on the business of same-sex weddings from Bernadette Coveney Smith, the nation's leading gay wedding expert. In 2004, Bernadette opened 14 Stories, the first company in the U.S. to specialize in planning same-sex weddings.

Why 400 Gay Weddings Failed

Bernadette Coveney Smith - Monday, March 22, 2010
As the news became official that the District of Columbia was going to legalize gay marriage, a startup company called GLBT Wedding Services created an event designed to set the Guinness world record of the most number of couples married at the same time.  The previous record was 168 straight couples and the company was aiming for 400 same-sex couples.  It's a very sweet idea and if it worked, would have been pretty cool to see.

Unfortunately, only 10 couples participated.

There's a lesson in this that should be noted as gay marriage becomes legal in other places.   Mike Crawford says it best in this Washington Post article:  "We have been waiting a long time for gay couples to be able to marry, so people are focused on creating events that are going to be really special," says Mike Crawford, co-chairman of DC for Marriage. "And it's hard to be special when you're getting married with hundreds of couples you don't know."

The bottom line is this - gay marriage is rare, sacred and historic.  There aren't very many places where it's legal and only roughly 10% of the population is LGBT.  Gay couples aren't to be tokenized as gay marriage becomes legal.  Marriage is an important institution.  It means something special.  

And you have to be authentic to reach this market.  

How do you feel about large group marriages - even if you're straight?  Is that something you would ever do?

Comment (2) | Subscribe to this Blog | Contact Us | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink | Copyright 2010 14 Stories


Bookmark and Share
Comments
Lilia Ahner commented on 22-Mar-2010 06:27 PM
No one wants to be part of a mass wedding. Every one deserves to have a unique wedding that is a personal expression and very special.

And like Mike Crawford said, people have been waiting YEARS or DECADES to get married. When I was fortunate enough to photograph weddings for same sex couples in California in 2008, all of my couples had been together for years, and much longer than my straight clients. If you've been forced to wait that long, you deserve something special and out of this world.

Gay or straight, I think most people don't want to be part of a spectacle like a mass wedding. They just want something special, meaningful, and that brings their family and friends together to celebrate the love and union of this one couple.
LDPhotography commented on 25-Jan-2011 12:16 PM
I agree with you Lilia. When I got married, I think what made OUR wedding nice is that we only had about 70 guests. I have my first "large" wedding coming up in a month with over 350 people attending. Until now, 200 was large for me. The couple is great, and its a celebration, but it is also a "show." I have seen 6 weddings go on at once in Savannah, on 10-10-10... Is it about the couple or about the date?

I always consult my couples and let them know, the most important part of the day is that they will be Married! For GBLT couples, that is a day that some never ever thought would be realized. Just like all weddings, gay or straight, it should be held sacred.
Post a Comment




Captcha Image