Gay wedding suppliers UK: A FREE list of queer owned businesses from a LGBTQ+ wedding photographer
‘LGBTQ+ friendly’
When we planned our lesbian wedding in 2021 it was really important to us to not only find ‘LGBT friendly’ suppliers but also to support queer-owned businesses too. We found that when you start searching for ‘gay friendly’ wedding venues, or ‘lesbian wedding photographers’, endless pages popped up from businesses who promised that they were queer friendly (cool, the bare minimum), but we struggled to find a list of businesses who were not just queer friendly, but queer owned too. Weddings are expensive, I know, and for us it mattered that some of the money we spent on this important milestone went to LGBTQ+ owned businesses. Gay, lesbian and trans wedding businesses are often hard to find amongst the dominant, heteronormative content that still floods wedding feeds.
Why I focus on lgbt+++ & feminist weddings
I photograph mostly gay weddings, lesbian weddings and other queer weddings across the UK and Internationally, but I do photograph straight weddings because love is love!
There have been immense efforts over the last decade (since the ‘equal marriage act’) to diversify the industry, but still the primary images we see are of cis, straight, usually white and able-bodied couples. This is, happily, slowly changing to reflect the fact that more and more LGBTQ+ couples are getting married than ever before. I have specialised in photographing gay weddings since 2017, because as a lesbian wedding photographer I feel most at home when surrounded by other queer people. It's that simple. There is often very little material difference between a gay wedding and a straight wedding. What sets each wedding apart from the next always comes down to the people who are present. For me, I love to be surrounded by other gay people. I like not having to wonder whether it’s safe to come out to the people I’m talking to. Truthfully, weddings are not always the safest place for solo female wedding photographers to be. I feel safe when surrounded by gay men, lesbians, other queer people in my community. I usually share things in common with the guests at queer weddings. We are not, of course, a homologous group, or a set of stereotyped characteristics. I don't even have a cat. However, we share deep common experiences, and these matter. I am safe, supported and celebrated at a queer wedding. This is how I want all my couples to feel on their wedding day.
Taking photos with Jess was one of the main highlights of our wedding. We could just be us which meant Jess captured our relationship and love. For the first time I have seen photos of us that represent how we feel about one another.
Jess is the perfect safe but also celebrated space to be in if you’re LGBTQ+ 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ - Ellen & Anna
LGBTQ+ owned wedding businesses
So many of the couples I work with ask me if I know any caterers, florists, dj's and so on who are members of the community. I decided it would be a good idea to have as many listed as possible in one place to help couples who are researching for their wedding. I have some absolute favourite suppliers that I'll always recommend, but I'm sure there are some I've not met yet too, so if you are an LGBTQ+ identified wedding supplier, please get in touch and I will add you to the list. I'm always happy to recommend people, whether or not I'm shooting the wedding. I also don't think it necessarily matters how your photographer identifies or who your florist dates, but I'm hoping this will be helpful for those couples who, like we did, feel strongly about supporting queer owned businesses. You deserve to feel celebrated on your wedding day.
For access to my list of gay wedding suppliers please add your email below.