Planning a Gay Wedding

In some respects its strange to say the phrase "gay wedding".  I catch myself saying it all the time and what I really want to say is "wedding".   Why can't we say "wedding" without giving it any further thought?  In due time across this country I predict we will soon just say "wedding".  Of course there are going to be those that object to gay weddings, but that number is getting smaller and smaller each day.  But enough of the politics…Weddings in my opinion have no place for politics.

There are a few exceptions of course like New York, Massachusetts and many other states where gay weddings aren't even given a second thought.  However, in some of the more conservative states like South Carolina I'm finding couples aren't really sure which vendors are gay friendly.  I can tell you this, most of the vendors I've talked to in Charleston, SC are so excited to have the opportunity to work with couples of any gender.  They see gay weddings as an opportunity to grow their business, and to be honest, if the money's green they'll take it.  But I think it's more than that, deep down, they see what we all see, two people in love who have the right to be recognized as married.

As a planner who has planned dozens of gay weddings I find planning gay weddings a bit more special and meaningful than those of their straight counterparts.  Personally it's because these are couples who have been together for 15, 20, 30 + years who otherwise never thought they would see the day when they could marry the person they love.  Now don't get me wrong, I love planning all weddings, gay or straight, but there's just something that tugs at my heart strings, maybe because I'm gay and I've been able to marry.

And as a wedding planner who has recently expanded his planning services to Charleston, SC, I find myself with a slight advantage to my counterparts here in Charleston because I have planned countless gay weddings.  For me, I treat gay or straight weddings all the same.  It's a moment when two people who are in love join to become one.  I treat each the same in their requests, in what's important and what's not important.  I treat each with the same devotion and regardless I know (for most) this is a onetime deal.

So I say this, if you're gay and looking to get married in the South you can certainly come to me, but also know, you have support in growing numbers from many wedding businesses that want you to hire them, because the reality is, they want you to be happy too.

Until next time…

Cheers!

Very Special Wedding in Central Park

Given all of the groundbreaking developments yesterday surrounding gay marriage I wanted to share a wedding I recently designed and produced for 2 very dear friends at the Boathouse in Central Park.  This wedding was unique for me first, because it was for friends who have been together for 18 years and second, because I was also a guest which is very different for me.

When we started planning Alan and John's wedding I was honored in that they selected the Schylar invitation from my stationery line for their invitations.  We decided early on that we would use this design to bridge the entire look and feel incorporating it into the table numbers, escort cards, menus, welcome notes, gift tags and even the thank you notes.

I must say planning a wedding for friends does add a level of stress I hadn't expected.  I wanted this wedding to be spot on perfect and while I do everything in my power to create the perfect event for every client, the personal nature of this party really kept me on my toes.  With the ceremony and after party were being held outdoors, I had more than a little concern when the weather forecast was calling for rain...all day long.  You can imagine my relief when the rain took place while guests were indoors dancing and everything else stayed dry!

Alan and John wanted to keep the ceremony intimate, not filled with formalities and they wanted their family and friends surrounding them while they said their vows. This is something of a growing trend for same sex couples and one I am growing quite fond of!  Before the exchanging of the vows the couple was serenaded by the amazing Wanda Houston, a long time friend.  To say the ceremony was emotional and touching is an understatement.

For the look of the wedding I wanted to keep it simple and masculine to match their taste and I was honored that John took the lead in directing me with decor because it really fit their style and taste.  We used succulents throughout the wedding and added accents of yellow floral.  As guests entered for dinner they were greeted by an escort card table featuring a wall of succulents and accents of yellow roses, calla lilies and orchids.  I actually designed the wall for reuse so Alan and John now have the wall as an accent piece hanging on their patio.

Each of the centerpieces were designed in a firwood bowl that was filled with succulents and yellow floral.

While the decor was great, the food was wonderful and the weather held out, the key to this event was the entertainment.  On the Move Entertainment did a great job with the MC, DJ and live musicians.  It was the special touches Alan and John added that made this event unique. First, the amazing Wanda Houston was incredible as she sang for the ceremony and performed a flawless rendition of "Isn't She Lovely" for the Mother/Son dance.

The really nerve racking part of this wedding for me was what came next.  Alan and John challenged each other to come up with a special surprise for the wedding.  Of course I had to coordinate the execution of each of their surprises without letting the other know what was going to happen.  It was a challenge that worked!  We started with Alan who brought in 2 amazingly talented Broadway entertainers, Michael Marcotte and Josh Prince.  They opened with Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" which which turned into a flash mob surrounding John. You can even catch a glimpse of yours truly in the flash mob.

After a bit more food and dancing it was John's turn to spring his surprise on Alan.  Alan's jaws literally dropped when John introduced the New York City Gay Men's Chorus as they entered the room to sing a special selection of songs.  

The surprises were a huge success and the guests were thrilled. I breathed a huge sigh of relief!

If you want a special treat we have these performances on video.  Just click on the link below to see:

Performance video

This wedding was such fun and so special.  What I also really enjoyed is that the fun did not stop at the Boathouse.  Since this was an afternoon wedding we had an entire night left to celebrate.  All of the guests were then treated to a wonderful outdoor party, again, thankfully the weather cooperated, which lasted well into the night and was the perfect finish to a wonderful day.

I would like to thank Natsumi Restaurant who did a great job with the welcome dinner and with catering for the after party.  We were also fortunate to have great photography and video compliments of 5th Avenue Digital, 

And I would like to thank Alan and John our dear friends for trusting us to make their special day come to life!

Until next time...

Cheers!

Next Magazine's Gay Wedding Guide

I am thrilled to share with you Next Magazine's "New York Gay Wedding Guide!" I am featured in the Experts section where I share my thoughts on gay weddings as well as tell you about some of my current favorites in the wedding industry.

www.nextmagazine.com

Take a look at the article here!

Cheers!

Shawn