THE IMPACT OF INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE AT WEDDING CEREMONIES

Photo by Megan and Kenneth

Some may think that inclusive language is just for LGBTQIA+ weddings but the reality is that there are likely LGBTQIA+ loved ones attending cis-het weddings as well. If you attended the Nearlywed Summit, created by fellow officiant LaToya Papillion-Herr (@ministertoya) and destination event planner, Michelle Norwood (@michellenorwoodevents), keep on reading.

TLDR:

CLICK HERE for a deep-dive of additional resources to give you an in-depth understanding of the context of our current political climate and the dangerous consequences for the LGBTQIA2S+ community aka the people we love.

CLICK HERE for an incomplete glossary of inclusive terms to use on your wedding day and within your wedding ceremony.

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Weddings in the Western world have been and continue to be full of customs with problematic histories and hierarchies as well as exclusionary practices. But much has changed and it’s up to us - both wedding vendors and wedding consumers - to keep up with those changes and decide for ourselves the bits we want to adopt and the bits we want to drop.

The fact is that modern couples, even the most traditional cis-hetero pairings among us - struggle with the rules on gender roles and the societal and cultural expectations for this ONE DAY! 

This isn’t new; it’s been happening for the past century with all the change every movement for civil and human rights has brought about. But the bride-groom dichotomy and very gendered ways of weddings have undergone greater scrutiny since the passing of marriage equality and the gender revolution that’s gained traction with our younger generations whose perspectives and concerns are cited as being quite different from those of older folx. No surprise there!

Here in the states, we have STATISTICS that show we are a multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-everything society; like it or not! And these demographics that continually change most definitely impact INDUSTRY, including the WEDDING INDUSTRY! 

So, even if YOU are well served by mainstream culture and businesses are catering to your needs and wants, chances are that you know and love people who are NOT having the same experience. 

Just being here suggests that you care about the people in your inner circles - your audience. And making space and time to consider how you think and talk about weddings AND marriage is a major start and will influence how you show up yourselves and your loved ones.