Wedding Industry News - August 2023: Supreme Court Ruling; David's Bridal; and Evolving Trends

Wedding Industry News - August 2023: Have you ever thought about how a Supreme Court ruling could rock the entire wedding industry? Our esteemed guest, Matt Mitchell, an LGBTQ+ community member and Master Certified Wedding Planner, helps us dissect a recent ruling that tilted in favor of a Colorado website designer who wanted to refuse service to LGBTQ+ couples. Join us as we delve into the ripple effects of this ruling on the LGBTQ+ community.

Further into this robust discussion, we unpack the urgent need for inclusivity in the wedding industry. With the help of Matt's expert insights, we tackle the importance of gender-neutral language and representation in marketing materials, policies, and contracts. Hear our views on the pressing need for wedding professionals to reevaluate their materials, educate their crew, and the critical role of networking within the LGBTQ+ community in fostering inclusivity. Plus, discover the unique use of the Mindfulness Card to honor the couple's roles and pronouns on their wedding day.

As we round off, we touch on old and new trends in the wedding industry, from the rise of secondhand wedding gowns to the shift in wedding party sizes. We share our thoughts on the growing consciousness among couples about their environmental footprint, and how wedding planners need to adapt to these changing dynamics. We end with a powerful reminder that the spotlight of a wedding should always remain on the couple, irrespective of the size of their wedding party. Tune in and join us in making the wedding industry more welcoming and inclusive.

The Wedding Planner Podcast brought to you by the Certified Wedding Planner Society
Host: Aisha Garnett: Certified Educator & Master CWP with the CWP Society, and owner of Sheree Amour Weddings & Event Planning.
Guests: Matt Mitchell, owner of Mitchell Event Planning; Laurie Hartwell, CEO of the CWP Society, and Krisy Thomas, VP of the CWP Society and owner of Southern Sparkle Weddings and Events

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the Wedding Planner podcast brought to you by the Certified Wedding Planner Society.

Speaker 2: 0:15

Hello and welcome to the Wedding Industry News. It's August 2023 and I'm your host, aisha Garnett, certified Educator and Master Certified Wedding Planner with the Certified Wedding Planner Society, where each episode covers something old, something new, something borrowed and some news. Let's jump right into some news.

Speaker 2: 0:42

Just recently, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado website designer who refused to work with LGBTQ plus couples. Graphic designer Lori Smith stated that she wanted to create websites, but not for LGBTQ plus couples when it comes to marriage. Due to her religious beliefs. She feared that she'd be forced to do so under Colorado's current anti-discrimination law, which guarantees public access regardless of disability, race, creed, sex, sexual orientation, including transgender status, marital status, family status, religion, national origin or ancestry. The court has mentioned that free speech is her right. However, with this ruling, the Supreme Court limits the protections of members in the LGBTQ plus community. Here to discuss this topic with me a bit further is the Certified Wedding Planner Society, certified Educator, master Certified Wedding Planner and owner of Mitchell Event Planning, matt Mitchell. Welcome to the show, matt. As a member of the LGBTQ plus community, what's your take on the Supreme Court's ruling?

Speaker 3: 1:46

Well, to put it bluntly, not a great ruling for the LGBTQ plus community. There were a couple of things that you mentioned in your intro that I'd like to point out. The first one is that Colorado actually has an anti-discrimination policy for their citizens. In, colorado is only one of 22 states actually have that protection. The other 28 states are missing those basic freedoms for Americans like LGBTQ plus citizens, and so not only did this really kind of muddy the waters as to what a company can legally do or not do, but it's also taking away the protections that were put in place for members of the LGBTQ plus community. So it's really disheartening that this was the way that the court cited, especially giving some of this celebration wins that we saw through the Supreme Court, like in 2015.

Speaker 3: 2:46

But you know, this one is in a year where you've seen heightened, I guess, aggression in bills and legislation against the community. This was another blow to the community. Just to put that in perspective, in 2022, there were 149 anti-LGBTQ plus bills proposed across the US. Here in 2023, and us only being seven months into the year we're at 530 and growing. So and you also mentioned this in your in your intro about transgender that is a lot of what these bills are targeting our gender non conforming and transgender individuals within the LGBTQ plus community. So not great news for the wedding industry and for my community specifically.

Speaker 2: 3:34

And I know you mentioned just in June of 2015, but that was just a few years ago the Supreme Court ruled that same sex marriage was protected under the 14th Amendment. Now fast forward to June 2023 and the Supreme Court rules in favor of cases such as this, would you say. This leaves room for the LGBTQ plus community to feel less, less hopeful.

Speaker 3: 3:56

Yeah, right, I mean we're. We saw, just like I just mentioned, that there's just more and more that's always coming against the community. So us being able to celebrate a win, you know, eight years ago, with having that right to officially get married, was something that was, you know, monumental. It really reshaped what the wedding industry was all about. So to see that kind of fading away it's it is, it's a little disappointing. But again, I don't like to dwell on maybe the negative. So the way that I like to look at it is is what can we do now that this is the way that they ruled? How can we make this a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ plus couples that are looking to get married because, guess what, they still have the right to get married? And how can other professionals make sure that they're being inclusive and welcoming of all?

Speaker 2: 4:51

And I know you're hitting that that right on target. I know we just did a town hall where you shared a wealth of information and a wealth of knowledge from with the start of our wedding planner society in regards to just embracing equality and, just, you know, providing tips and resources to the wedding pros on how we can do better, you know, and really expressing that inclusivity. So could you speak a little bit to the wedding industry and you know how it is impacted with the Supreme Court's ruling?

Speaker 3: 5:23

So impact of what the Supreme Court does really either positively effects or negatively affects this, so we'll kind of rehash it here back in 2015. It was. It was great for the wedding industry, right. It allowed a new group of individuals to legally get married, which opened up new opportunities for wedding professionals to have a new set of clients that they could market to in service, as well as creating specialized services and offerings that they never had before.

Speaker 3: 5:53

So there's certainly, you know, benefits to you know positive rulings, but, on the other hand, when there's more negative legal developments that roll back protections, like this case, it can potentially create challenges and discrimination within the wedding industry. It leads to legal uncertainties and debates about the provisions of services to LGBTQ plus couples and and impacts the experience and options that they have available to them. So again, we're in a kind of a weird situation now where people just don't know how to move forward and I say this on behalf of couples, right, so they're scared. They don't know if they are gonna be accepted. I've talked about this numerous times before, but a LGBTQ plus couple has to come out so many times throughout the wedding planning process, so each time I don't know exactly.

Speaker 3: 6:51

It depends on whether it's more of an intimate wedding or a huge wedding, how many vendors you have, but I would say it's not uncommon to have 10 or more vendors at your wedding. So you have to think about. Couples have to come out 10 different times or more to each vendor when they're doing these processes. So it's a very nerve-wracking time, especially in the current climate. So you know it's sad to see kind of of where this kind of leading the wedding industry. But again, I'm hopeful that we'll have a group of some fantastic wedding professionals that say you know what? I don't care what the Supreme Court says. Here's who we do business with, here's our core values and here's what we want to make sure that we're providing to all couples, regardless of who they love.

Speaker 2: 7:44

Absolutely. And speaking a little bit more to the wedding professionals in our industry, what are some other tips or any advice that you can offer to them so that they are making sure that we're expressing our you know equality and inclusivity for our clients and potential clients and vendor relationships? And I know again, I mentioned our town hall and I know that education is key and you know educating themselves on the community and you know what they can do what advice can you lend to them to make sure that we're doing that?

Speaker 3: 8:18

Yeah, I mean there's a lot, right, we don't have all the time in the world today, so I'll just go through a few of them, and you mentioned this one straight off the bat, which is education is huge, but also awareness, right. If you're not aware of what's going on within a community, then you're probably not gonna be effective in helping the community. So it's super important that people stay aware, and one thing that I shared in the town hall is that People look to organizations that support the LGBTQ plus community to make sure that they are staying up to date on those, and some. Two of the organizations that I mentioned were GLAD, glaad and the Human Rights Campaign, which is also known as HRC. So those are two great national organizations that really are hands on within the community. But I also would encourage people to look within their local communities, because it's also important to know what's going and happening on happening in your own community. You know we talked about it Colorado is one of 22 states that has protections. Maybe you're in a state that doesn't have protection. It's important for you to know those things, and so you know, just try to find either a nonprofit or some type of organization that's aligned with LGBTQ plus rights would be a good way for you to figure that information out. And then again, yeah, seeking out education. It's important. You don't know what you don't know, so, so seeking out education to learn more about a specific community is super important. It can help you to make sure that you are meeting that that community where they are and making sure that you're providing the best service possible.

Speaker 3: 9:56

The next thing is is language and communication. In our wedding industry, we are steeped in gender terms. Right, it's bridal, bridal, bridal, bridal. So just knowing that there's more than just brides and more than just brides and grooms out there. So leading with gender neutral language is super, super beneficial. So, again, not looking at bridal bouquets, but looking at floral bouquets, not looking at a bride and bridal gown, but maybe a wedding gown or wedding attire in general, just making those small tweaks can really just do a lot when it comes to making people feel like they are included. With that in mind, we just talked about speaking, but what about in actual print?

Speaker 3: 10:41

Thinking through your marketing materials, thinking about your social media presence, do you have representation? That's, that's huge right. So I mentioned this in the town hall as well is a lot of times we, as wedding professionals, unless you're a venue, don't have a brick and mortar where people are coming in to kind of see what you're all about. So your website and your social media is your storefront. It's where their window shopping before they even reach out to you. So if they don't see themselves represented, they're probably not going to reach out to you or they don't feel like it's a safe place to reach out.

Speaker 3: 11:15

So it's very important, in light of this decision, that people are really making sure that they are highlighting LGBTQ plus couples and just non traditional couples or diverse couples in general. Right, making sure that there's representation in their materials and in their marketing, as well as in their policies and in their contracts. Last thing you want to do is look great on social media and in your website and then send them a contract that says brides name, grooms name Whoa, that looks a little weird. So making sure that you know you're really going through and doing a full audit of everything that you have is super, super important, and then training your staff to make sure that they are in in unison with you when it comes to these policies and procedures that you have, because they're a direct, direct reflection of your company and of you. So making sure that everyone on your team is 100% committed to ensuring that all couples are welcome, celebrated and respected is super important, and I think maybe a big one also is our vendor partners right, if we were referring our vendor partners, it is a direct reflection of you, of your business. So if you put your couples in a situation that's less than ideal because you didn't do your research and find out whether they were LGBTQ plus affirming and it could put a bad relationship for you and your client going forward, right, maybe you had a great relationship, but now we're. We have six more months to go before wedding date and we're in a bad spot.

Speaker 3: 12:48

So making sure that you are reconnecting with people that are on your preferred vendor list and ensuring that their business policies and your business values are aligned is super, super important. And then I guess the only other thing that I would say is making sure that you are providing yourself with the opportunity to network within the community. So looking out for organizations that provide networking for either LGBTQ plus business owned businesses or allied business so people that are affirming of that community is a great way to just get connections. You know, maybe you don't have that imagery that we just talked about. For representation, that'd be a great opportunity for you to network with potential preferred vendors, create a style shoot that celebrates, you know, lgbtq plus couples, and then you have that representation that you can then put out in your social media presence. You have new people that you're adding to your preferred vendor list and you've networked throughout the community. So those are just a few options through a lot of different options that people could take to be more inclusive in their own business.

Speaker 2: 13:57

I love it and I also love how you mentioned earlier in our interview that the LGBTQ plus community they have to come out to all of these vendors. So just really educating your team and just making sure the wedding pros that you're working with are aware and you know they have inclusivity and I know. Going back to our town hall, because I promise you there was so much good information on our town hall the mindfulness card. Can you speak a little bit to that?

Speaker 3: 14:29

That meant my mindfulness card was born right here in the Certified Wedding Planner Society as Lori Christy and myself were preparing for the four-week clinic that I do usually each year, which is to how to attract onboard and retain LGBTQ plus couples. I was sharing with them regards that, how much I do leading up to the day. Right it's, you have a lot of people that are maybe not full-time employees of whatever vendor team that you're working with. Maybe it's a bartending company, or maybe it's a staff that is setting up within the venue, so maybe they're not aware of some of the people that you've been working with throughout the entire process about you know who is here getting married today.

Speaker 3: 15:12

So we put our heads together and found that this mindfulness card was a great asset for wedding professionals, specifically wedding planners on wedding day, and what that mindfulness card does is provide the first name of the couple, it provides their role in the day and it provides them with the pronouns and then how they would like to be introduced.

Speaker 3: 15:37

So this is super helpful, of course, whenever you are working with either a DJ or a live band, for you know the couple introduction. If that's something that they want to do, the last thing you want is for them to say a Mr and Mrs when there's not a Mr and Mrs. So you know, just having that and distributing that to the people that are on site on day and making sure that they're aware of what's happening and who this day is about is super important and again it will. It will really create a more I just a pleasant environment for the couple to ensure that, you know, we're not muddying the waters and we're not creating a situation where we could really be putting them down on one of the biggest days of their life.

Speaker 2: 16:22

Absolutely, absolutely, and I love the quote that you mentioned. In the industry of love, there is no room for hate. I love that and it's so true. This is all we do. The wedding industry is love, it's celebrations, it's joy, the event industry as a whole. So there's no room for hate. If you're human, you should know how it feels if someone is hating towards you or discriminating towards you. You know how you feel, so just don't exude that. You exude love. If you spread love, it's a domino effect, and vice versa If you exude hate and you spread hate, it's a domino effect. So choose wisely is my thought.

Speaker 3: 17:08

Yeah, it's true. I mean, you know you really, whenever you're around someone kind of like their mood and their aura kind of rub off on you, right? So making sure what I always tell, even the people that work with me on site on the wedding day, is we don't match energy, we bring the energy. Think about and this has nothing to do with LGBTQ plus couples at all but here the thing is, you know people are looking to you as the wedding planner on wedding day and if you're showing up flustered and stressed, out everybody else is going to get flustered and stressed out.

Speaker 3: 17:44

So, while that's typically what I mean, it can also, you know, translate to this conversation as well. Don't match energy. You bring the energy that you want to exude, and and either those around you will either adapt or they'll, you know, find their way on to maybe, a group that they want to exude with. Yeah, I love it.

Speaker 2: 18:06

I always love your energy, Matt. Do you have any final thoughts that you'd like to share with our listeners today?

Speaker 3: 18:15

Yeah, I think you know, while we are a resilient community and again the LGBTQ plus community is who I'm referring to we still need the help of our allies to continue to make progress and to stop the erasure of our protections and people actually within our community. So just two, two words here, or two to act, get informed and get involved, because we certainly need you. So again, thank you to all of our allies out there. If there's any way that you know I can be a resource for people to become a better ally, certainly reach out. That's what I am here for. So, but yeah, get informed and get involved.

Speaker 2: 18:57

I love it, matt. Thank you so so much for your time today and discussing this important topic and, you know, just for sharing your thoughts with our listeners and just being a wealth of knowledge. Back at you. On to something Baru.

Speaker 2: 19:16

In this segment, we feature information from an alternate source that I feel you would be interested in. For instance, pa media group put out an article stating that David Sprattle recently announced that they will be keeping the doors open to nearly 195 of its retail stores after successfully closing the sale of all its assets to Scion Investment Corporation. This financial move will also help preserve 7000 jobs across the country. According to penlivecom, in 2018, david Sprattle filed bankruptcy and again in April of this year, leading the potential for more than 9000 workers nationwide to be laid off. Thanks to the Scion Investments partnership and investing more than 20 million into a new and improved era for the big name retailer, they will be able to continue serving brides and customers. Joining me to discuss this latest news are Laurie Hartwell and Chrissy Thomas, the CEO and VP of the Certified Wedding Planner Society. Welcome ladies. Hello, how are you? I'm good. How are the two of you we?

Speaker 3: 20:22

are.

Speaker 2: 20:23

So let's get into it With my first question. Do you think COVID caused a new trend of engaged couples and customers shopping for secondhand wedding gowns as opposed to ordering a brand new one with big retailers such as Davis Brattle?

Speaker 4: 20:36

I think what's happening now is that, with Gen Zers, they are just a lot more conscious of the carbon footprint that they're leaving behind and that includes the excess of clothes and just being a bit smarter when it comes to their shopping habits, and not just with wedding gowns, but with their everyday wear, to the point where there's literally like a trending thing on TikTok right now, where it's like thrift talk, where they're showcasing their thrifted finds.

Speaker 4: 21:02

They're having a lot of fun with being able to be super conscious about what they're putting out into the environment, but also, you know, with what they're wearing and being conscious of that. And I think that definitely has to do a lot with weddings as well. They're just they're, you know, when you think about a wedding dress and the cost of it, and they're thinking, if I'm going to these big retailers, I'm spending thousands of dollars for this one dress. I'm wearing this one day. Why can't I just get a gown that has been second? You know, someone only wore it once. Why not buy a thrifted wedding gown for my wedding day? I think it's becoming a big trend and I just think it has to do with the couples who are now getting engaged and what's important to them and having a brand new wedding gown is just not something. That's just super important to them, that they're wanting to be very conscious of their decisions they're making.

Speaker 1: 21:47

The couples that are getting married today are definitely opting for spending their money in ways that are more meaningful to them, and that's, I think, really kind of beautiful if you think about it. So I love that. That's kind of the trend that is going, but I'm also seeing a lot of online purchasing. So, where couples would have gone into a brick and mortar store before, you're seeing a lot more couples today ordering those wedding gowns online, and so you're seeing a lot of that because they would rather put their money towards, like a really great let's just say, amazing DJ or photographer, their certified wedding planner, things of that nature. I think that they are realizing that they want to spend their money a little bit different.

Speaker 1: 22:30

There are still tons of beautiful couples that are saying no, I want the brand new dress, I want to go to the brick and mortar store, I want to have that experience, and so that's what I'm finding is the difference between couples is the ones that want that experience that once in a lifetime going into the dress shop, having like all of the dresses to be tried on and having their loved ones look, you know, on them and go, oh, that was so beautiful, and I love that too, but we have a lot of couples today that are like, no, I don't really care so much about that. So thank goodness we actually have alternative ways that our couples can do that shopping. As wedding planners, they need to make sure that we are being as flexible with our couples as possible and giving them these alternative sites that they can be looking at. If they come to us and say this just isn't a priority of mine, kind of like what Chrissy was saying.

Speaker 2: 23:20

Well, thank you both for sharing your take on this. I appreciate you for joining me today. Next up is our old and new segment. This is where I'll be discussing an old trend and what is replacing it. Today we'll be discussing considerations when there's a large wedding party.

Speaker 2: 23:40

One of my favorite couples said their I-dos with 42 members in their wedding party. This included the parents, grandparents, groomsmen, bridesmaids, ring bearers, flower girls and the couple. 42 members that I prepared to coordinate during the wedding rehearsal. 42 members that I included on my ceremony diagram to ensure that they all knew where to sit, where to stand and in what order to walk down the aisle on the day of the wedding. 42 members that my couple decided to include in their special day beyond the scope of just being their wedding guests. I get it. Saying I do is by far one of the biggest moments in a couple's life. They are standing before friends and family saying their vows and commitment to each other, and what better way to do so than to have some of their closest friends and family members stand beside them serving as their wedding party? This trusted and close group of individuals also helped me understand that some of those pre-wedding festivities, such as wedding showers or bachelor and bachelorette parties. They are meant to be there to help and provide assistance to the couple, making sure the process is as stress-free as possible.

Speaker 2: 24:49

However, I'm seeing more and more couples either opt out of having those huge wedding parties and they are keeping it down to a minimum of maybe two to three individuals on each side, or they are nixing the entire wedding party altogether. So for wedding planners out there who are asked about how large of a party is too large, here's some advice you can give them. Opting to nix the wedding party is opting to nix the worry that may come with having so many personalities to keep up with, all while trying to complete the many tasks and requests from us, their certified wedding planner. Opting to have a more peaceful and relaxed journey as they plan their big day without having to pair couples to walk down the aisle, gather multiple people for a limited rehearsal time who may not be available to attend, only to have us, the wedding planner, bring them up to speed the day of the wedding. Something else to think about is space. If our ceremony location is small, our couple may have to have them sit through the ceremony and that means they are going to take up the entire front row, maybe two rows. So why have a wedding party If our couples have to worry about the stress of who took the time to order their dresses and tuxes, not to mention getting fitted? Why have a wedding party? If our couples have to worry about the wedding party's drama during the most important day in their journey to marriage, why worry with the wedding party? Our couples may not realize that their floral budget is also going to be drastically impacted because of how many bouquets and boutonniers and corsages that are needed, not to mention the time it will take to do hair and makeup on the wedding day.

Speaker 2: 26:32

There are many reasons why couples today are opting to have a more intimate wedding party.

Speaker 2: 26:37

The focus of our couple's wedding day should start and end with the couple. Guests show up to see the union of the couple. They show up to celebrate with the couple. When they look back at the wedding party members that they selected to be a part of their big day, sure, it's a great feeling to know that they are standing directly behind them in support, but if they decide to do away with having a wedding party and it's just the two of them standing at the altar, that is okay. Remind them that they have a sea of guests, including those 42 people that were considering to be in their wedding party, sitting behind cheering them on. The one true fact remains the same with 42 members, or just the two of them, standing at the altar, their union is between them. They become the wedding party, they are the focus, and their day will be just as special. That wraps up our August 2023 wedding industry news. Thank you for listening. We look forward to having you join us here next month on the Wedding Planner podcast.