June is a time to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month, although we should really talk about it all year round. Over the years more and more people, organizations and companies clearly declare their support for this community. We are delighted that also in wedding industry such voices are emerging. However, we know that homosexual couples in Poland who decide to have a humanist wedding and a reception, sometimes encounter aversion from people who provide the service. We want to change that. That’s why we’re creating a list of LGBTQ-friendly wedding-related companies that will be available on the website Ślub na Już. We start with ourselves: Ślub Humanistyczny Joanna Humerczyk (Humanist Wedding Joanna Humerczyk) and Bungalow Design and Event.
We will gladly add to the list every company that provides service to non-heteronormative Couples in a way that doesn’t expose them to discomfort caused by a possible lack of understanding or refusal by wedding venue, DJ or filmmaker. We want to send a clear message – every couple that approaches us will be accepted with open arms, regardless of their sexual identity! Because love does not exclude!
We believe that love has the same meaning to all of us. It is love that helps us choose our special person and makes us dream of a future together. We want to share this love with family and friends. We believe that every Couple with whom we have the pleasure to work with understands that word in the same way. And we know that among the wedding-related service providers there are also many wonderful and open people, who will gladly co-create this list with us.
Joanna Humerczyk:
We conduct humanist wedding ceremonies for heterosexual and homosexual Couples. It’s safe to say that in Poland this is the only form of marriage that treats everyone equally, regardless of their orientation. It is a symbolic form of marriage for everyone. Some homosexual Couples decide to get married abroad (in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain) where the ceremony is legally binding, and in Poland they invite guests to a humanist wedding. Another legal solution is signing a partnership agreement, signed in the presence of a notary, which can also be done during a humanist ceremony.
Kamil Konieczny:
Every LGBTQ+ Couple looking for support in fields of my specialty such as set design, wedding arrangement or space rental but also in other branches of wedding business, should feel fully comfortable with their service providers. I want them to be treated equally to other Couples who organize this special day in their own unique way with the help of companies that do their job professionally.
LGBTQ+ Couples bring a new perspective to the usual threads in the wedding business, which is why I think that with a bit of luck, the upcoming years will be very exciting for the Polish wedding and event market.
Szymon Wieczorek, who also conducts humanist weddings has a similar opinion:
I often see that hatred for LGBTQ+ people is artificially fueled by government and the media. When the problem ceases to be abstract and a trans- or homosexual person appears in the family or among friends, people diametrically change their approach and act with more acceptance and understanding. I have conducted a lesbian wedding in a wedding venue in rural areas, I have also conducted an international wedding for a gay couple in a top spot in Warsaw – the acceptance was the same. Among the wedding companies we meet at the most beautiful weddings in Poland, we often talk about tolerance and acceptance. We know that there are many people and companies that support the LGBTQ+ community and will happily become part of your special day.
Dear wedding industry! We are waiting for your applications/submissions: kontakt@slubnajuz.pl. The list will be published on 30th of June, and will be updated when new companies decide to join (free of charge).
We also encourage you to use the photo overlay, which you can set on the Facebook account of your company – you can find it here.
Photography: Photo Recuerdos