Gay Weddings are Good for Business

I talk with wedding professionals all the time, from around the country, and have been asked countless times when I'm going to launch a webinar series on the topic of gay weddings...

At long last, here it is!  Introducing the 14 Stories Gay Wedding Institute Certification!

Our same-sex wedding certification program will launch on March 9 with a three part webinar series (each session lasting at least an hour).  You must register for all three dates and attend all three sessions to be certified.  

Attendees will learn all about LGBT weddings:  laws, definitions, terminology, dos and don'ts, etiquette and much more.   At the end of each session, you will receive tangible homework/action steps designed to help ready your business for gay weddings.  Those who attend all three sessions will receive the 14 Stories Gay Wedding Institute certification badge for your website, a certificate in the mail and a resource guide.  Plus, we'll list you on our website to promote your support for same-sex weddings!  

Although we've trained hundreds of vendors from around the country, we're very excited to share our knowledge with an even greater audience!  The first of this three part series is on March  9 so don't hesitate - register today!  The early bird registration fee of $269 ends February 25!

Wedding vendors (particularly those in New England where same-sex marriage is legal in most states) please join us for a training at the Vermont Wedding Salon on Saturday, February 5!

We'll be educating wedding vendors on what makes a gay wedding different, gay wedding traditions, marketing to same-sex couples and much more.  The workshop is at 1pm on February 5 and is free for members of the Vermont Wedding Salon and $20 for non-members.  

Space is limited and pre-registration is required.  To register, please follow this link!

This Sunday I'm flying down to West Palm Beach, Florida, to speak at Engage! The Breakers.  My session, called "The Emerging Gay and Lesbian Wedding Market" will be co-facilitated with Kate Parker.  

A year ago, Kate and I collaborated to ensure that her new venture, www.MyKateParkerWedding.com was completely gender-neutral and non-heterosexist. We'll be talking about that process as well as the differences between straight and gay weddings.

I attended Engage! Cayman earlier this year and blogged about my experience.  I met such fantastic people and really enjoyed hearing stories from vendors around the country about their experiences (or lack thereof) with same-sex weddings.  This time, I get to take things to the next level and do some real education - and I can't wait!  I hope to see you there.

Please contact me if you'd like me to lead a workshop on same-sex weddings in your area.

I'm really honored to have been selected to speak at The Special Event Show.  This national conference covers all kinds of events, not just weddings, and my presentation, "Traditionally, at a Gay Wedding..." is part of the Wedding Trends track.   We are flying to New Orleans tomorrow for a few days of R&R before the Show.

I'm thrilled to be co-presenting with my real-life spouse and partner in crime, Jen Coveney-Smith.  The workshop will be held on Tuesday, January 12 from 10:45am-12:45pm in room 335.  Gay weddings are different and we'll talk about the hows and whys during the presentation.

I'm thrilled that gay marriage is legal in New Hampshire as of January 1.  For those couples for whom civil unions were not enough, the state will now legally marry same-sex couples

I was so pleased yesterday to see the Washington Post's article about how wedding industry vendors are preparing to reach the gay and lesbian wedding market.  I was interviewed by the Post last week for this story.  You can read the article here.