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“Every time a new state has legalised marriage, more people want to get into the business,” said Bernadette Smith, a wedding planner who specialises in ceremonies for gay clients. “But New York is even more appealing to same-sex couples across the country because the origin of the modern gay civil rights movement is here."

"The weddings are incredible," she said. "I think maybe because there is a lot of pent up anticipation ... It's really about appreciating and savoring the legality of it. Because some couples have literally been waiting for years and years. To be around that energy, where they are not taking a thing for granted ... there's usually not a dry eye in the room."  

“A big mistake that vendors make when it comes to planning a gay wedding is they treat it like a straight wedding,” Coveney Smith says.

Coveney Smith doesn’t see it that way. “There are many ways to appeal to gay couples that don’t include the cheesy or typical rainbow or two men kissing motifs. The reality is that there’s money to be made here. And if your business isn’t ready to deal with gay couples, someone else’s is.”

Among Coveney Smith's tips: Forget about the pink triangles and rainbow-hued Web sites that scream "gay." Those historically significant but dated images don't always appeal to modern couples, she said. A more subtle idea might be for photographers to consider sprinkling photos of a few same-sex couples in their portfolios. And words matter. For example, potential customers might be turned off if they are asked, "What are the names of the bride and groom?" 
 
 "There are literal transformations that happen at gay weddings, when couples validate their relationship in a legal way. You see it happening, and there's never a dry eye in that ceremony," she said. "When congressmen start knowing more gay people and start getting invited to gay weddings, that's the kind of thing that changes minds and changes policy."

Articles and Clips:

Martha Stewart Weddings (PDF)

New York Magazine (PDF)

Business Week (PDF)

Wedding Pride Magazine - Registering for Gifts 

Wedding Pride Magazine - The Homophobe at the Wedding

National Public Radio - Tell Me More 

GO Magazine 

BBC (video)
The Daily Meal's 50 People You Should Know When Throwing a Party (PDF)

The Today Show & MSNBC 

LA Times (PDF)

NY1 (video)

The Financial Times (PDF)

CNN (PDF)

WCBS News Radio

Staten Island Live Spotlight Piece (PDF)

Staten Island Live Trend Piece (PDF)

Huffington Post (PDF)

ABC News (PDF)

National Public Radio
Destination Weddings and Honeymoons Magazine (PDF)

National Public Radio (SoundCheck)

Brides Magazine (PDF)

Boston Spirit Magazine (PDF)

Bark Magazine (PDF)

Portfolio Magazine (PDF)

Washington Post (PDF)

Boston Globe (PDF)

CNN.com (PDF)

Passport Magazine (PDF)

Photo District News (PDF)

Travel and Leisure (PDF)

Boston Spirit (PDF)

Boston Globe (PDF) - we planned this event

New York Times (PDF)

Boston Weddings (PDF)

Passport Magazine (PDF)

Passport Magazine (spotlight piece) (PDF)

Rainbow Wedding Network Magazine (PDF)

Bay Windows (PDF)

Boston Metro (PDF)

Improper Bostonian (PDF)

Jamaica Plain Bulletin

Palm Beach Post (PDF)

Washington Post (PDF)

West Roxbury Transcript (PDF)

New York Times (PDF)

MetroWest Daily News (PDF)

West Roxbury Transcript (PDF)