Why You Should Hire LGBTQ+ Wedding Vendors

Last updated on November 10th, 2025

If you’re a queer couple planning your wedding, you’re probably already thinking about all the moving pieces—the photographer, the florist, maybe a planner or a caterer, and all the folks who help bring a celebration to life. But something I always encourage couples to think about is who you’re inviting into that space. Have you considered working with queer or LGBTQ+ affirming vendors specifically?

This week on my podcast, Queerly Beloved, I spoke with videographer Casey Pflipsen from Pflipsen Films to talk about the wedding industry and the importance of having LGBTQ+ vendors on your big day.

What are LGBTQ+ Wedding Vendors?

On average, most couples work with around a dozen different vendors to bring their wedding day to life. These vendors include everyone from the person doing your hair and makeup to the one capturing your photos, the team cooking your food, and the folks running your venue. These are the people who help shape the feel and experience of your day. Some common wedding vendors are:

• Photographers
• Videographers
• Planners
• Hair and makeup artists
• Florists
• Musicians
• Caterers
• Venue owners

So when we talk about LGBTQ+ wedding vendors, we mean any of these roles being filled by someone who is part of the queer community. In other words: the same essential wedding pros, but queer-owned or queer-led (aka people who understand and honor queer love from the inside out).

Four Reasons You Should Hire LGBTQ+ Wedding Vendors

As an LGBTQ+ photographer, I care about having an all-queer team beside me. To me, it’s crucial to center my business around not only serving the LGBTQ+ community but also supporting fellow queer vendors. When one of us thrives, we can all thrive together! Here are four reasons you should have a queer team on your wedding day:

1. Queer Wedding Vendors Know How to Make You Comfortable

I like to think about relationships like bridges. If your wedding vendor doesn’t understand your lived experiences, you’ll be on opposite sides of the bridge. This arrangement leaves room for miscommunication as you try to scream your thoughts and ideas at each other across a large gap. 

On the other hand, if you hire an LGBTQ+ wedding vendor, they’ll likely have the capacity to understand who you are, where you come from, and the perspectives you hold. Now you’re on the same side of the bridge and can work together comfortably. 

Ultimately, queer wedding vendors can empathize with your lived experiences. They understand how precious queer love is and will ensure that your special day is nothing less than sacred.

2. You Get to Support Your Community

Being part of the LGBTQ+ community means I find immense fulfillment in supporting fellow queer folks. When you hire LGBTQ+ vendors for your wedding, you get to help their businesses while they get the privilege of celebrating your love. 

This perpetual cycle of mutual support is one of the things I love most about the queer community — support is everywhere, and you’re never alone.

3. You Can Avoid Misgendering or Microaggressions

Casey said it perfectly in the podcast: The wedding industry follows pretty strict traditions.

These customs are both heteronormative and archaic, and he hopes things start to “lean more to a queer wedding industry,” where celebrations can be whatever you want them to be. However, even with strides to make every wedding a little more queer, couples still (unfortunately) have to prepare themselves for straight biases, misgendering, or even microaggressions.

Hiring LGBTQ+ wedding vendors allows you to reduce the risk of running into these issues. 

Why?

They understand the importance of creating safe spaces — they will ask for your pronouns, avoid gendered assumptions, and ensure your identities and love story are validated and celebrated. 

4.  You’ll Get More Out of the Experience

With LGBTQ+ photographers and videographers, Casey commented, “your photos and videos will turn out better because we queer people are more comfortable around queerness, and we know how to capture your love.” Photos and videos hold the key to remembering this special day forever, so why wouldn’t you want it captured by people who get you?

We can say the same thing about other types of wedding vendors. For example, a queer hair and makeup artist can probably nail a look that matches your identity more than someone who’s used to putting appearances into gendered boxes.

How to Find LGBTQ+-Friendly Wedding Vendors Near You

Once you decide that you want a team that really gets you, the next question is usually: okay…where do I actually find them?

I’ve been in the wedding world long enough to know that not every vendor who says they’re “inclusive” really shows up that way in practice. So if you’re looking for LGBTQ+-friendly wedding vendors or specifically LGBTQ+ wedding vendors near you, here are a few places to start that tend to lead to genuinely safe, affirming, and celebratory people:

Look for Vendors Who Clearly State their Stance

You shouldn’t have to dig for proof that a vendor is supportive of queer couples. Check their website, social media, and portfolio. Do they show LGBTQIA+ couples, or do they just say “we’re open to everyone” without ever naming us?

If a vendor is proud to work with the community, you’ll usually feel that right away.

Search LGBTQIA+ Wedding Directories

Websites like Equally Wed and Dancing With Her are amazing places to start. They were created to highlight LGBTQIA+-friendly wedding vendors who are already doing the work of supporting queer love.

Use Social Media Intentionally

Instagram and TikTok can actually be super helpful for this. Try searching hashtags like:

• #QueerWeddingVendors
• #LGBTQWeddingPhotographer
• #QueerFlorist

Or, you can search for location-based tags. It’s a great way to find other queer creatives!

Ask For Referrals in the Community

Once you find one vendor you feel really good about, ask them who they love working with. Many of us in the LGBTQ+ wedding world are already connected and refer clients to each other all the time. I do this constantly! If I know a great queer florist or officiant who would be a perfect fit for you, I want to connect you.

Search Locally Using Intentional Keywords

If you’re unsure where to start, it’s totally okay to keep it simple. Try searching for something like, “LGBTQIA+ wedding vendors near me.” This should bring up vendors in your area, and from there, you can look for those same signs of inclusion (portfolio diversity, pronouns included, gender-neutral language, and genuine love and support for queer love and joy).

LGBTQIA+-Friendly Wedding Vendor FAQs

Looking for an LGBTQ+ Photographer for Your Wedding?

Being queer is just all-around awesome, and you deserve a celebration that makes you happy. As an LGBTQ+ wedding photographer, I’m here to capture all the best moments of your special day so you can hold them close to your heart forever. Reach out to me today so we can explore all the possibilities for your wedding photos together!

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