Supporting Queer and Trans Couples Getting Married
Along with many others, as we move towards Inauguration Day, I’m getting considerably nervous about how my rights will be impacted as a queer and transgender person. I am seeing this anxiety reflected in how many of my 2025 queer clients are planning to elope before late January, to ensure they are legally married before the new administration starts.
While it’s been scary to wonder what will happen in the future, I have also been so moved by how many in the Boston community, queer and allies alike, have come together to support queer marriers. Many wedding vendors are stepping up around the country to support elopers at discounted rates. This sense of community and seeing humans lifting each other up has honestly given me so much hope. I hope to hold onto that hope and strength as we move into 2025.
Below, I give tips on how to support your queer and transgender clientele as a wedding vendor, as well as tips on finding supporting wedding vendors if you are an LGBTQ+ person marrying in 2025.
Photo by Mars and The Moon Films
How to Support Queer and Trans Clients as a Wedding Vendor
Here are ways wedding vendors of all kinds can support queer and trans clients who are planning a wedding.
If you are a wedding vendor that supports queer love, make it known! Adding a values statement to your website, posting on socials that all love is welcome, and showing photos of queer weddings in your portfolio are all ways to signal to potential queer clients that you are a safe vendor to work with.
Asking for pronouns on your inquiry form. This is such a simple and easy way to show that you care about supporting your queer clients! You can never assume someone’s pronouns or gender, and asking for pronouns upfront saves both you and the client the awkwardness of potentially assuming gender and getting it wrong and/or your client having to correct you.
Many queer clients are eloping before Inauguration Day. If you have the means, you could offer discounted services to these clients who need vendors for their elopements. And if you don’t have money or the time, spreading the word of other vendors who can be super helpful in reaching all elopers who are looking for vendors!
Photo by The Wild Awake
Tips for Queer Marriers to Find Supportive and Safe Wedding Vendor Teams
I certainly understand the anxiety around finding a wedding vendor team that you feel will support you and respect you in your authenticity! Here are some tips for finding a trusted vendor for your wedding in 2025:
Take a look at vendors’ social media and websites to look for language around supporting queer or trans clientele. Do they have a values statement, ask for pronouns in their inquiry form, or mention supporting queer love in their social media?
Similarly, take a look at their portfolio – do they have photos of queer clients?
Search for hashtags such as #queerweddings or #queer[vendor][location] (such as #queerfloristboston, one of the hashtags I often use in my social media posts!)
Websites such as offbeatwed.com advertise LGBTQ-friendly wedding vendors!
Lists like this one, organized by queer photographer Lensy Michelle, have allowed wedding vendors to advertise discounted services to help out elopers who are speeding up their timelines. Not only are lists like these helpful for those eloping in the next month, but they are also helpful for couples marrying in the next year or so, knowing that these are safe and supportive vendors, including vendors that themselves are queer! You can see the articles published in the Boston Globe highlighting these vendors as well.
Queerly Beloved Ball - For engaged LGBTQ or non-citizen/DACA couples** who already had their weddings planned for 2025/2026 but now want to get the legalities out of the way before the inauguration, a group of wedding vendors are in the midst of planning 10 FREE *private* micro-wedding ceremonies followed by a BIG *public* dance party in honor of all the newlyweds! Click here if you are interested in more information, either as a couple or just to attend the ball.
Working with Althea Floral Design
Working with and helping my queer, gay, lesbian, and trans clients feel safe and supported throughout the wedding process is one of the foundations of Althea Floral Design. I want to help celebrate love in all its forms!
Here are some ways that I’m supporting my queer clientele, especially as we go into 2025:
I am offering sliding-scale personal flowers through the end of January, and feel so grateful that I’m able to get flowers into people's hands for these elopements. If you want to inquire about discounted flowers, click here.
Every year, for one or two clients who identify as transgender, I offer a sliding scale rate and forgo my minimums. As a queer and trans business owner, I want to make my services accessible to those in my community who may not have the opportunity to invest in luxury wedding florals. If this applies to you, make a note on my inquiry form! I select couples who feel like it’s the best fit for both parties, including aligning on design style/vibe.
Supporting LQBTQ+ Weddings
Supporting queer and transgender clients isn’t just about providing a service; it’s about creating spaces where everyone feels celebrated, respected, and safe. As we navigate the challenges of 2025 and beyond together, the power of community and allyship is more important than ever.
By committing to inclusion as a wedding vendor, we can continue to create moments of joy and love that transcend fear and uncertainty. Whether you’re a vendor or a couple preparing to tie the knot, know that there are people and resources ready to support you in making your wedding day. Let’s keep lifting each other up.
Inquire with Althea Floral Design to get started!
