14 Stories

We were thrilled to be asked by Next Magazine to give the rundown of some amazing locations in New York City for gay weddings.  Gay wedding planning in New York is super fun in the right venue...check out this article to read more about my top picks.

PS - one of our clients was in the same issue, for the engagement story.  Read about Brian and Toby's engagement here.

I shared a bottle of wine yesterday with my new friends Eva Marie, Birna and Hannes from Pink Iceland.  They are three friends (Eva and Birna are a couple) who started a business promoting LGBT travel and wedding planning in Iceland, where same-sex marriage is legal.  Little did they know that straight couples would be calling them, too, because they are the best at what they do!

During our conversation, I learned a lot about Iceland, a country which not only tolerates being gay but completely celebrates it.  They are only a population of 325,000 people but they have a fabulous sensibility.  And the natural landscape is gorgeous in Iceland.  Within 40 minutes of the main city (Reykjavik), you can be in stunning natural settings, that you just don't find much of in the U.S.

I know that I'll be adding them to our list of international partners for gay destination weddings.  I just LOVE this photo of two grooms near a geyser. 

(photo by Kristen Maria)

We are proud to be partnering with GayDestinationWeddings.com on a FREE wedding giveaway! They are giving away a 5 night stay at the Avila Hotel in Curacao (wedding package included) and we are giving away a 2 piece suit from our Fourteen collection. Check out the details and enter to win this amazing giveaway.

Some of you many know that I provide consulting to those in the worldwide wedding industry about same-sex weddings with a goal of creating a much more inclusive industry.  As part of that, I work with some companies on this goal.

I'm proud to introduce GayDestinationWeddings.com.  Last summer, DestinationWeddings.com hired me to consult on the launch of GayDestinationWeddings.com, a wedding and honeymoon travel website.  In addition to consulting, I also trained about 65 of their sales agents, located all around the U.S. and Canada.  These agents work directly with same-sex couples on their wedding plans.  

What I appreciate about this new site is how it was so thoughtfully created and elegantly done, a fantastic example of how to appeal the gay and lesbian market and be advocates for gay and lesbian clients.  These Gay Wedding Institute certified sales agents are only referring couples to the G list, a carefully tailored and vetted list of LGBT-welcoming resorts.  

14 Stories has been around for 9 years now and it's so awesome to see the wedding industry evolve to include us!

I grew up Catholic, and I'll never forget what happened the first time I went to Mass after I came out. I was home from college for Thanksgiving and the priest stood at the front of the church and told the parishioners not to let their children attend an upcoming workshop on HIV prevention put on by the high school because it "condoned homosexuality." I walked out and never went back (except for some weddings and funerals), and it's been nearly 20 years. 

Unfortunately little has since changed with the Catholics. Many people see the Episcopal Church as the closest thing there is to the Catholic Church. Which is why their increasingly progressive stance on same-sex marriage gives me hope. This week, the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. announced that same-sex marriage ceremonies could be performed there. The National Cathedral is the second largest Cathedral in the country and dubbed by Congress as the "National House of Prayer." It's a symbol of Christian faith in America. And now it lets the gays marry. 

 If that's not a step towards equality, I don't know what is. What a year it's been. 

I have worked with hundreds of same-sex couples, many of whom, like me, are "recovering Catholics." We all seem to have some baggage. There's something so powerful about the rituals we grew up with, the Sunday rituals where we know when to sit, when to stand, what to recite, what to sing. And when rejected by that institution, it's a little bit debilitating for many of us. I've planned very very few same-sex weddings in churches, but those are absolutely amongst the most emotional ones for me. 

I'm hopeful this move by the National Cathedral will cause many other dioceses to follow suit. The Episcopal Church has become increasingly progressive in the U.S. and is the largest U.S. denomination to support same-sex marriage. We all know Bishop Robinson was named the first openly gay Bishop of an Episcopal diocese in the U.S. when he was named New Hampshire Bishop in 2003. Several other dioceses in New England have permitted same-sex marriage for a few years now. And last year, the Church itself said that priests could bless same-sex relationships - not the same as marriage but we'll take it. 

 But until this week, the National Cathedral remained silent. But when they spoke, they spoke with eloquence and inspiration, "We enthusiastically affirm each person as a beloved child of God--and doing so means including the full participation of gays and lesbians in the life of this spiritual home for the nation." Amen to that.

Scott and Todd are always in motion.  With one house in New York but living between Atlanta and Chicago, our time together was limited so we packed their trips to New York City full of meetings to plan their big NYC gay wedding.  They chose to get married at the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park because years ago when they first started dating, they had a memorable date at its former Rise bar.  The Ritz is a beautiful property with stunning views of the Statue of Liberty.  The ballroom is versatile and fun but we sought to transform it from a hotel ballroom into something truly special.

We started with a theme (New York City) and colors (yellow and purple, each of their moms favorite colors).  We brought in a lighting designer/AV company who projected images during dinner which made guests feel like they were staring out at city lights.  The designer also lit the dinner tables and added beautiful projections and purple uplights.  The beautiful flowers totally popped on the tables!

This New York City same-sex wedding was very special and a first for us because they had a Video Jockey!  Our AV company set up giant screens and speakers while the VJ mixed music videos live for the guests.  Throughout the night, photos of earlier in the wedding rotated in.  

Enjoy the beautiful photos by Katje Hempel.  Floral by Fleurs.  Lighting by Kayne LIVE.  Entertainment by Wendy Kidd Entertainment. Stationery by Bella Figura.  Photobooth by Fifth Avenue Digital.  Cake by Cake Alchemy.

Tim and Ben hired us to plan a preppy, slightly nautical wedding for them.  We settled on the Exchange Conference Center right on Boston Harbor for the location and a blue and white, wave theme.  Check out the gorgeous end result!

Special thanks to the team:

• Photos by Josh Andrus
• Floral and design by 14 Stories
• Catering by East Meets West
• Lighting by Boston Uplights

Jen and I returned today from two days in Vermont, hosted graciously by the Stowe Mountain Lodge.  What a place!  From the moment we arrived, I told them that this is an easy referral to clients.  They completely spoiled us and the service is extraordinary. 

We met other fantastic wedding industry vendors including our new go-to for Vermont floral design, Alan and Wayne from Wildflower Designs and a new planning partner, Amy and Eric from Storied Events.  Great people.


Picture courtesy Closed Circle Photo

Of course, we toured the property's fantastic venues for weddings and are very comfortable putting our trust in them with our clients.  They even have a venue built into a cliff, the Cliff House, which requires that guests approach via gondola - no cars!  Amazing!

I really want to give a shout-out to the fabulous Ritz-Carlton Battery Park, in lower Manhattan. This property is certainly gorgeous, with views of the Hudson and Lady Liberty. But beyond that, I am consistently blown away by their impeccable service. It really is a great spot for a fabulous and quintessential New York gay wedding, large or small.

Some of you may know that I frequently travel around the world and lead workshops on gay weddings for those in the wedding industry who are seeking to better understand the LGBT wedding market.  My goal is to provide all same-sex couples, no matter where they live, with access to wedding professionals who really want to treat them with respect.  

When I lead a full day workshop, or when professionals participate in my 3 part webinar series, they are eligible to be certified by the 14 Stories Gay Wedding Institute - and you may see this badge on their website or in their marketing materials:

This means that the professional has fully participated in the course, as well as completed all of the assigned homework.  It's not an easy process - so these professionals are truly your best advocates when planning your wedding.  Here is a list of all of the current graduates - some are wedding planners, others work at hotels and other properties, and others work elsewhere in the industry.  If we can't help you, hopefully one of these fine professionals will be able to.