"Gay weddings" are not a thing, they're just "weddings"

The Celebrant Talk Show

As the introduction on the title address says gay-weddings are NOT a thing they are just weddings!!

This podcast features Josh and Tara Baker who is one of the brains behind Dancing With Her a publication for LGBTQ+ women in love.

Together Josh and Tara discuss a range of topics that people within the LGBTQ+ community face on a daily basis and how the language we use is vitally important when connecting to couples. The need to be authentic in what we share, do we use the correct language on our paperwork, no longer using the Bride & Groom tag etc are all parts of the whole.

With the legalisation of same-sex marriages in Australia on the 9th December in 2017, weddings among the L.G.B.T.Q + the community have been on the rise. So, when as a guest or vendor you find yourself working or witnessing their vows, it might be helpful to know-how you say something could offend the couple you so dearly love as you celebrate with them. Labelling same-sex couples as different from any other wedding is the root of the cause. The qualifier to describe the wedding signals that it’s unlike a wedding of a heterosexual couple. It feels exclusive. BUT it is a legal marriage like any between a man and a woman. A same-sex couple and a straight couple both say the required vows and sign the same marriage paperwork to be recognised as legally wed. So why has it taken time to get the language briefly and clearly expressed?

In this exclusive interview, Tara and Josh discuss the subtle differences of meaning, expression, or sound when engaging with couples. No matter how couples identify it is up to us to ask the question, how do you present yourselves?… what pronouns would you like me to use? Don’t just assume. This session also discusses the language used when addressing guests, the need to be inclusive to all.

The burning issues that came out of this podcast:

1:05: Begin by honest conversation, not assumptions. Taking responsibility on how to make a spouse feel with conversation/language
4:00: Acronyms
6:20: Gay weddings "it's just a term"
7:35: People as a whole, not just colour culture or sex
10:05: Genders/defunct idea?/scientific explanations. What pronouns do we use? *transgender *non-binary *no gender"
18:15: Relationships within marriage. What should we name our clientele, language to be used in ceremonies, celebrant paperwork-do you need to reword?
25:00: An open discussion on promoting business to the L.G.B.T.Q+ community. Remove Bride + Groom from advertising...don't make assumptions... be inclusive, equality is the sentiment.
31:35: If using a styled shoot be authentic and open, everybody doesn't want to be a poster-person.
33:40: Before December 2017
36:18: Life experience 2018, challenging for a time