At Beat Train we believe that love is love, and that love is a human right! Period. End. of. Discussion. And, in an increasingly polarized world, we believe that queer love shouldn’t just be accepted, or tolerated. We believe it should be celebrated, and lucky for all of you that we just happen to be in the celebration business! 

So, in honor of Pride Month, and the badass history of Pride Month’s origins, we’ve compiled a few tips and suggestions, to help make your beautiful queer wedding the celebration you deserve and have been dreaming of!

Finding The Best Vendors

We’d be lying if we said we hadn’t heard a few horror stories from LGBTQ+ couples who were refused service by wedding vendors. So, when you and your sweetheart are searching for vendors–we recommend looking for professionals in your area who showcase diversity in their portfolios, or use a resource like PrideZilla, which lists local LGBTQ+ friendly vendors by location and category.

However, we also know that there are plenty of amazing wedding vendors who simply  haven’t had the opportunity to work with LGBTQ+ couples yet, but would honestly love to do so. So, when reaching out to a vendor whose portfolio doesn’t necessarily represent who you both are you as a couple, keep these things in mind:

• You’re the ones in control, as such, don’t let anyone make you feel less than. You’re willing to pay for a service and if a business owner feels it’s in their best interest to refuse you service, they’re not the kind of vendors who deserve to work with anyway.
• Finding the right vendors for you is like finding a new friend. High expectations are good, and you might want to prepare to meet a few before you find that spark with “the one”
• If you have an unpleasant experience with a vendor, don’t be afraid to leave a public review. That way you can let other couples–LGBTQ+ or otherwise– know about the poor customer service or discrimination you received. By leaving an honest, but not overly inflammatory, review of what happened, you can help keep other couples from going through the same thing.

Your Wedding Party

We think that mixed-gender, and gender fluid wedding parties are awesome, so don’t fret over separating your friends and family by gender or gender norms on either side of the aisle. Simply think about who has truly supported you in your lives and your relationship up to this point. Spend some time thinking about that, and you’ll know which close friends are meant to stand by your side as you tie the knot. But, if you’re not into the idea of a wedding party, you are welcome to ditch the idea completely. Wedding planning is about making your celebration reflect you and doing what feels right for you as a couple.

Your Guest List

Speaking of including  the people who support you, your guest list should ONLY include those who will be over the moon about your special day! We don’t believe that getting married means you have to throw a huge party just for the sake of it, so please invite friends and family that have supported your love from the very beginning. Your guests should be elated for you! Full. Stop. This tip will also help you avoid unwanted and unnecessary drama on your wedding day, because this day is for joy not drama and nonsense!