Strange Fruit #142: How Marriage Equality is Changing the Wedding Industry

It's almost wedding season, and engaged folks everywhere are in the thick of trying to get their ceremonies and receptions planned for spring. And this year, the festivities will include same-sex couples - some of whom have been waiting decades to tie the knot. But for same-sex couples, wedding planning can be fraught with unexpected awkwardness. Do you "warn" the florist that you're two brides, or two grooms, and ask if they're comfortable? Do you just show up to your catering appointment and hope for the best? And why do all the vendors at the wedding show assume you're sisters or BFFs? An event later this week will celebrate marriage's new look, and help LGBT couples get a handle on preparations. It's called the Love Won wedding show, and it's being billed as Louisville's first LGBT-inclusive wedding planning event. We learn more about it from Heather Yenawine, the director of FEVA, the Fair Event Vendors Alliance. Not only is FEVA hosting a queer-friendly wedding show, but they also provide education for wedding vendors in the needs of same-sex couples. She says same-sex weddings tend to be more egalitarian - an ethos that hetero couples are echoing in their ceremonies too. And in Juicy Fruit this week... sorry to bury the lede, but Jaison met Rachel Dolezal. So yeah. We have some things to say about that.