National Gay Wedding Association offers professional and educational resources for wedding vendors that are invested in implementing inclusive practices for LGBTQ+ couples. As advocates continue to pursue equitable standards of existing for queer people across cultures, we must acquire new resources to support and uphold those standards. In the wedding industry, that means learning the appropriate language to talk about queer couples, innovating new and creative wedding traditions, enforcing a universal standard of empathy and customer service, and reimagining the institution of marriage as it has existed for millennia.
We provide a framework for making change possible with our network of wedding professionals and LGBTQ+ advocates who provide invaluable resources to the professional wedding community. And with a certification from our Partner Associates, vendors will not only attract the attention of LGBTQ+ couples, they will also acquire a competitive and necessary edge in an industry that is changing for the better. NGWA intends to create a world in which LGBTQ+ couples feel welcome in the tradition of marriage while also creating new, creative, and inclusive traditions.
Prefer the word “marriage” to be used when planning their wedding, instead of “gay-wedding.”
Live together an average of seven to nine years before getting married.
Pay for the wedding themselves, and have a higher combined income than straight couples.
Want to know BEFORE THEY SPEAK WITH YOU that you are inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.
Use a friend or family member to marry them.
Keep their attire a surprise until their wedding day (lesbian woman).
Interested in learning more?
Attend Our Inclusive Awareness Conference (2021)Born out of the personal experience of our Founding Director Ric Simmons, the National Gay Wedding Association began as a resource for LGBTQ+ couples navigating the wedding planning process as queer people. After the landmark victory of Obergfell v. Hodges in 2015, same-sex couples were guaranteed their constitutional right to marry in all 50 of the United States. Of course, this decision was followed by a series of challenges from local government and private business owners, proving challenges for queer couples who were still denied services around the country.
In response, we started “My Texas Gay Wedding” and eventually expanded to a national platform with “My Gay Wedding.” But we realized that despite the excitement from vendors who wanted to implement inclusive business practices, there were few resources available to make that possible within the wedding industry. And so, National Gay Wedding Association answered the call to become the go-to source for wedding vendors and professionals in search of LGBTQ-specific resources and tips on implementing inclusive business practices.
NGWA is a non-profit professional association committed to creating inclusive awareness for wedding professionals through supporting partnerships, continuing education, and being an active advocate for LGBTQ+ couples.