Even though same-sex marriage is now legal nationwide, there are still some significant differences in wedding-planning for same-sex couples and heterosexual couples. From figuring out how to put unique spins on wedding traditions to finding LGBT-friendly vendors, same-sex couples may have more on their wedding to-do lists than other couples.
Here’s a quick guide for brides- and grooms-to-be of the online planning resources to help you walk through the planning process before you walk down the aisle.
GayWeddings.com
Powered by Wedding Wire, this site offers a full list of local vendors, including venues, DJs, photographers, planners and officiants. It also highlights real weddings, and engagements, from couples across the country, from which couples in the planning phases can draw inspiration for their own unions (or just spend some time enjoying the love stories!). The site also offers a forum on which users can discuss a wide variety of wedding-planning topics.
EngaygedWeddings.com
This is a great vendor-focused site, offering comprehensive lists of everything from photo-booth rental companies to jewelers to travel agents. The company’s site links to a Pinterest page chock-full of LGBT-specific wedding-inspiration ideas.
EquallyWed.com
Equally Wed is a sleekly designed site with a companion print publication. Its blog format includes a good balance of marriage-equality news, examples of real weddings, expert advice on everything from fashion to travel and opinion pieces about the nuances of same-sex wedding planning. The diversity of features makes this a great companion site for all types of same-sex couples.
TheKnot.com/gay-lesbian-weddings
Created by the wedding giant TheKnot.com, the LGBT-focused site fuses advice with vendor lists and coverage of real couples. Apart from the LGBT content, the site allows users to take advantage of other helpful Knot tools like countdown, interactive checklists, registries and free personalized wedding websites.