From photographers to bakers, table planners to dressmakers, weddings can be a lusciously illustrious source of income for creative businesses. March 29th provided even more scope for freelancers working within the bridal industry, as the Same Sex Marriage Act was pushed through parliament.
As we have previously mentioned, the bridal industry is highly competitive and has been for some time now, wedding planners, LGBT fairs and pink wedding websites have been springing up, preparing to make a name for themselves in this newly opened niche within the market.
The weird, wacky and wonderful took on a whole new meaning as I perused the options on offer at the LGBT wedding fair in Brighton. A far cry from the traditional, the stalls that lined the Brighton Dome offered dainty flower head pieces juxtaposed with chunky handcuffs and leather bondage. One woman wore a bridal skirt with the top-half painted on in a slightly lighter shade of cream.
“Same sex marriage can be a fab opportunity to go a bit over the top and wacky,” one stall owner told me. “Of course it’s not just LGBT weddings that want something a bit different but there’s less pressure on tradition, which can give license to an anything goes attitude.”
LGBT wedding planner websites have been increasing in volume, with planners promising to take the stress out of your big day, whatever the budget. An example is ukgayweddingplanner.co.uk whose USP is same sex exclusivity. Owner Andrew Jackson claims this is one of only a very few companies in Britain focusing only on same sex marriage.
There are surprisingly few gay-centric wedding planners in the market at present, although this is sure to change further down the line as demand continues to increase. The LGBT niche is a wonderful opportunity for creative freelancers of all persuasions, but the challenge here is to be even more flamboyant, unusual and innovative than ever before. For this previously unexplored part of the industry, there is a lot of scope for brand development and savvy freelancers that prepare themselves for the LGBT bridal boom now could find their business significantly increases in the near future.
