Rainbow Weddings
By Rita Bratovich.
Legalisation of same sex marriage in Australia is appearing more likely, but with certain exemptions being proposed, it begs the question: can same-sex couples have their (wedding) cake and eat it? The buzz within the wedding industry would suggest they most certainly can.
According to ANZ senior economist Cherelle Murphy, a change to the marriage law could boost economic revenue by around $650 million, and businesses are already jostling for a share of the pie.
Orlando Sanpo is an award-winning, internationally renowned cake and cup-cake creator, and is the genius behind Black Velvet and newly opened concept store, Vanoir. His exquisite designer cakes and cup cakes are on wedding planner lists of the rich and famous. He already caters for same-sex weddings where either the couple were married overseas but want to celebrate in Sydney; or where one partner is a citizen of a country that recognises same-sex marriage and they marry in that consulate.
Sanpo believes it’s just a matter of time before the law changes and that appears to be a widely accepted view – his business has seen an uptick in enquiries since the marriage equality debate began in earnest.
There are some notable differences in the way straight and gay couples do business. For starters, in heterosexual couples, it’s the bride who tends to make most of the decisions, whereas same-sex couples like to be equally involved.
“Also same-sex couple wedding cake design is more ‘wow’ and ‘think outside the square’ and they are willing to spend big budget to make their ideas come true,” says Sanpo.
Some of the quirkier cakes have included Minion with Lego man; Batman with Superman; Unicorn couple. They are often simple but very detailed designs with “a sense of humour and lots of love.”
Equally Wed is an online directory site for wedding services catering to LGBTQI+ couples in Australia and New Zealand. Founder, Nivello Miller has also noticed an increase in enquiries, both from same-sex couples and professionals wishing to list their services. He is cautious in his optimism about legalisation, and believes the immediate concern is the damage the campaign itself is causing.
“It is important to note that the postal vote has had some devastating effects on the LGBTQI community, and it will take time for some people to heal before they choose to get married.”
The potential new segment in the wedding services market will bring with it a steep learning curve in terms of culture and attitude, and Miller feels that only those businesses who are genuine about understanding the market will succeed.
“Venues and service providers including celebrants and photographers will likely see a rise in demand if they appropriately cater for LGBTQI clients. However, if they simply place a rainbow on their website, somehow, that is meant to denote that they have instantly become gay-friendly. Granted they may get a couple of customers through their door, but those who genuinely adapt and make changes in terms of language, understanding & respect for the LGBTQI community, and demonstrate their active support for the community are far more likely to see a higher demand for their services.”
A site such as Equally Wed obviously needs to maintain integrity within its database and many providers themselves identify with the LGBTQI+ community, but it’s not a prerequisite.
“There are certainly businesses who want to show their support but may not fully understand the nuances of a same-sex wedding, so it is a learning curve for them and we guide them through by providing a series of marketing material on becoming inclusive and welcoming to same-sex couples,” explains Miller. “There are a handful of businesses who provide dedicated same-sex wedding packages…and l anticipate many more businesses will start thinking about how to offer their services for the same-sex wedding industry.”
Meanwhile, Equally Wed is preparing to launch Australia’s first wedding magazine for lesbian, gay, transgender and queer couples (scheduled for February 2018 in time for the 40th Mardi Gras).
Stephen Lee is a celebrant who performs ceremonies for all occasions. In a bitter twist, he and his male partner were married in England many years ago but it is not recognised in Australia.
“It will be amazing to finally end that irony,” says Lee, feeling confident about the current marriage equality campaign. “I’ve been hopeful before but this time it feels like there really is an appetite for change.”
Just to add to the sting, Lee is required by law to say the phrase, “Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life” when marrying a heterosexual couple.
However, most of his clients are happy for him to temper it by explaining he is required to say it and adding something to the effect of “but John and Jane look forward to the day when everyone is equal under the law.”
Lee – and others in the industry – are gearing up for inevitable legalisation. As he sees it “…there are lots of same sex couples who are waiting for the law to change, so I think we’re going to see a big rush of people when it first becomes legal.”
He then believes there will be a lull of around six months to a year – the lead time it takes to organise a big wedding.
“I think there’s going to be exciting times ahead actually, in terms of business and I think there’s going to be a great boost to the wedding industry in Australia.”
Devon Indig and Shalini Scholtz couldn’t wait. Indig proposed in January and they were married on a European gay-friendly cruise in September. Their experience is a good test case.
“Once I proposed and we started investigating our options, neither of us wanted to wait since it seemed like it was never going to happen in Australia,” says Indig.
They rejected the idea of having the ceremony in Sydney and formalising the marriage overseas.
“We wanted to have the wedding where we could get legally married. We opted to have an engagement party in Australia instead…it was incredibly difficult to plan since we decided to have three major events (in Sydney, Amsterdam and the wedding itself on the cruise) which we organised in less than nine months. We were able to do everything we wanted but it was very expensive and exhausting in a short time frame. Totally worth it, of course!”
As for the viability of a same-sex wedding industry, Indig has no doubts.
“Let’s face it, gays know how to throw fabulous parties and everyone will benefit from more money spent on celebrating love…I’m looking forward to the creative evolution of the wedding industry that same sex marriage has the potential to bring. Unshackled from tradition, everyone can feel a bit more free to create the wedding that is more true to themselves, like we did with our ‘Love Boat’ themed wedding parties.”
