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Guide to planning your Buffalo NY LGBTQIA+ wedding


So you’re ready to start planning your wedding day? Congratulations!! What an exciting time in your lives 🥰


When planning a wedding, you want to feel seen and heard with the vendors you’re hiring, the people there to witness and celebrate this moment with you and the space you choose to host it all in.


Not to worry my friend! I’ve got you covered on all fronts!


These tips are my guide to planning your LGBTQIA+ wedding in Buffalo (and really, beyond):


  1. Look for vendors that use LGBTQIA+ inclusive language and show ALL types of couples in their wedding photos on their website and social media.

bride in white dress and another bride in green suit kissing in front of orange fall foliage tree

I highly suggest following your potential vendors on social media for a few days or weeks to make sure that the content they're posting, the language they use, etc jives with who they say they are and the values they have.


Look at their reviews, not necessarily to see if they’ve worked with other LGBTQIA+ couples, but just to verify what all couples have to say about working with them in the past. You can get a good sense of someone's vibes from hearing what their former couples have to say about working with them.




  1. Find one initial vendor that’s your ally and will help you find other LGBTQIA+ vendors - your photographer or wedding planner are both great options for this!

two brides exchange rings in wedding ceremony

Hi 👋 if you choose to work with me as your wedding photographer, one of my services I include for all couples is assisting in finding a team of vendors that you'll absolutely love!


If you're in Buffalo NY and would like a local list of LGBTQIA+ friendly wedding vendors, please feel free to reach out to me - hello@jaimieellisphotography.com - I'm happy to provide one (whether you book me as your photographer or not)!




  1. Remember that it’s YOUR day and you can do whatever you want! Brush off traditional ideas of what a wedding “should be” and make it your own


    two brides stand in front of dilapidated old Buffalo building while a stray cat walks in front of them

    Examples:

    - ditch the traditional parent dances all together or take a moment to recognize important people in your life with a special dance


    - wedding party - if you choose to have people stand by your side feel free to mix it up... you don't need an equal number of people on both sides, nor do you need to exclusively have family/friends of your same gender standing up with you


    - say goodbye to traditional venues and get married wherever the heck ya want (this one is especially great if your having a smaller wedding)... a garden or park, your own backyard, a restaurant, a hot air balloon, an AirBnb... the list goes on...


    - attire for both you and your wedding party - get creative and make sure to ask members of your party what they're comfortable wearing and if they do or do not want to have professional hair and/or makeup done


    - Ditch the classic wedding party terminologies in lieu of more modern verbiage like couple or nearlyweds for bride/groom, I do crew for the bridal party, etc.





  1. Make your guest list a safe space. Remember that you are allowed to invite and also NOT invite anyone to your wedding


two grooms outside of Buffalo history museum with moon in the background

Weddings - all weddings - should be about celebrating the couple how they want to be celebrated.


When all is said and done, you want to look back on your wedding day and think about how much it felt like YOU as a couple. So nix anything and anyone that doesn't support your vision.





  1. Bonus LGBTQIA+ Planning Guide bullet: Infuse your pride into your day 🌈


    charcuterie board of crackers and cheese with toothpick in cheese with rainbow heart on top

    Ok this one's just for funesies... but I love when my LGBTQIA+ couples show off their pride with cute little (or big) rainbow decor or even a flag in their photos. I mean, who doesn't love a pretty rainbow?




Now start planning, babes! Cuz you have an amazing day ahead of you and more importantly, an amazing life spent happily together.




Buffalo NY based LGBTQ photographer Jaimie Ellis sitting on a couch laughing

As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I love working with all couples on their wedding day! Not only taking stunning photos, but helping to curate a day that is all about them as both individuals and as a couple. I'm here to help with timeline planning, location scouting, finding a great team of vendors and more!



I only take on 12 weddings per year in order to best serve my wedding couples in an intimate way. Each couple I work with becomes two new friends of mine






If you're looking for a wedding photographer, I'd love to be considered! I'm based out of Buffalo NY, but travel all over the world for both work and pleasure! You can read more about my story HERE or click the link below to see why working with me for your wedding or elopement is a unique and luxury experience!



Cheers!

 
 
 

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