We didn’t search specifically for gay or gay friendly vendors. We just went with who we thought would help us create what we were looking for and used our gut when visiting vendors. For instance, the Tewksbury Country Club was the first place we visited and we LOVED it. We did visit a handful more places, from hotels to yacht clubs, to make sure we had the right place. While they all were nice places, our gut told us our first choice was the keeper. The people were nice, we were offered a beverage as we were being shown around and when we asked if they’d hosted any gay weddings they were nonchalant about listing them off and talking about them.
Almost every vendor we interviewed assumed my wife was the bride and I was the “friend.” Who’s the groom? They inevitably ask her. “I am,” I’d chime in. In every case, a flash of processing and readjusting crossed people’s eyes. Once it clicked in, we were down to business and it wasn’t an issue. Years from now, when gay and lesbian weddings are commonplace, this moment of slightly awkward readjusting of perceptions will be a thing of the past.
We asked every vendor we visited if they had be involved in gay weddings before. All the people we interviewed said yes. Few batted an eyelash. I’d recommend this as a way to break any ice and to get a feel for the place/people. Also, it’s nice to know if they have experiences modifying the traditions of straight weddings you are hoping to use. There are so many ways to modify and be creative for a same-sex wedding it’s almost overwhelming, so having a vendor with some creative ideas and a little experience might help your stress level a bit.
Tags: creative ideas, gay, gay weddings, lesbian weddings, reception location, tewksbury country club, Wedding Vendors, weddings
