Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Wedding Planning Resources

While there are loads and loads of wedding planning resources out there, few are geared towards LGBTQ+ couples.

Sure, the information you need for creating a budget, choosing decorations, or tasting cakes is the same regardless of your sexual orientation, but words matter.

When everything is written towards one bride and one groom, it’s hard to get in the wedding planning spirit.

Luckily, several wedding planning experts have realized that there is a need to fill this gap.

And we have compiled a list of our favorite LGBTQ+ wedding planning resources for you!

LGBTQ+ Wedding Planning Resource #1:
Rainbow Wedding Network

We love the Rainbow Network for many reasons.

For one, they’ve been around for over 20 years now, providing wedding planning resources to LGBTQ+ couples.

The creators started the site because they realized that “there was no registry anywhere in the world that offered the simple header of “Partner & Partner” instead of “Bride & Groom”.

So they started one!

And though they didn’t have a budget or investors, they had over 1 million hits in under 6 months!

Since then, they have seen huge advances in equal rights for same-sex couples.

Starting in 2003, they began to offer a few LGBTQ+ wedding expos across the country. Now, they have 22 to 26 events each year in over 37 states!!

In 2006, they started publishing the first LGBTQ+ wedding planning magazine “Rainbow Wedding Network Magazine”.

Whether you’re interested in finding LGBTQ+ wedding expos or just want to browse wedding vendors, this LGBTQ+ wedding planning resource is a must-have!

LGBTQ+ Wedding Planning Resource #2:
Equally Wed

Equally Wed has it all.

From engagement to wedding vendor search to real LGBTQ+ weddings, this LGBTQ+ wedding planning resource has everything you need.

What’s more is that they, too, realize that while marriage equality in the US has made huge strides over the years, most wedding planning resources still apply to one bride and one groom.

And because that’s flat out stupid, they have created “Equally Wed: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your LGBTQ+ Wedding” by Kirsten Palladino.

This wedding planning resource walks couples through the entire process and answers any question they may have. From easy questions like how to incorporate pride at your wedding to tough questions like how to deal with homophobic family members.

For that, we think Equally Wed is an absolute must-have LGBTQ+ wedding planning resource.

LGBTQ+ Wedding Planning Resource #3:
Getting Groomed

If you’re looking for a hardcopy wedding planning binder but want it to be specific to you and your fiancé, Getting Groomed is the best LGBTQ+ wedding planning resource for you.

It guides gay grooms-to-be through creating a budget, wedding planning checklists, attire choices, and more.

Best of all is the witty writing that author, Jason Mitchell, infuses into this wedding planning book. For example, all the chapters are named after iconic gay lyrics from music powerhouses like Madonna or Lady Gaga.

Couples who have used this wedding planning resource say that it’s perfect for couples starting from scratch and has thought of every single detail.

Planning your wedding with this binder will feel like talking to your best friend, who, luckily, happens to be a gay-wedding expert.

LGBTQ+ Wedding Planning Resource #4:
The Lesbian Couple’s Guide to Wedding Planning

The Lesbian Couple’s Guide to Wedding Planning’s author, Bernadette Coveney Smith started the first same-sex wedding planning firm in the US.

She is clearly an expert at what she does and shares her knowledge in this wedding planning resource.

Similarly to Getting Groomed, the binder covers everything couples need to know to plan their wedding from creating a budget to choosing decorations to handling family and is specifically geared towards lesbian couples.

This is the right wedding planning resource for you if you like to plan things by timelines because it is formatted as a 12-month countdown to your wedding.