Gay Weddings are Good for Business

What does this mean for vendors?  To start with, it means more business.  More engaged couples = more money.  Gay weddings are different, of course, so you'll want to make sure you're up to speed with your marketing materials, knowledge of the laws, and contract language.  

You're going to want to strike a delicate balance between reaching your current (likely heterosexual) market and this new market.  You'll want to do this in a way so you offend no one.  There's a learning curve so you can start by familiarizing yourself with some of the concepts I've posted about in the past:

• Be prepared for a nontraditional ceremony processional
• Don't use rainbows and pink triangles
• Don't have two separate websites, one for straight and one for gay clients
• Learn about the Defense of Marriage Act

I'll presenting a workshop to wedding vendors in New Hampshire on Tuesday, February 2 at the Highlander Inn in Manchester.  If you'd like to learn more, you can register right here.

What have you done to prepare yourself for gay marriage in New Hampshire?

Let's talk about the Live Free or Die State, that great very libertarian state of New Hampshire, and hows its laws affect gay couples and wedding vendors:

• New Hampshire, does, as of today, January 1, 2010, issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples
• Prior to this, New Hampshire had civil unions
• New Hampshire has a law banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (though not gender identity).  This means, as a wedding industry vendor, you are required by law to work with all couples, regardless of sexual orientation.  It's illegal to discriminate. 
• According to the U.S. Census, in 2005, there were 5,578 same-sex couples living in New Hampshire (about equal number of male and female couples).

A good number of my clients come from other states and will be legally marrying here in Massachusetts or in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont.  

Do you know of anyone planning to marry in New Hampshire?  How are you planning to prepare yourself to reach this market?