The Essential Guide to Gay and Lesbian Weddings

$24.95

Author: Tess Ayers, Paul Brown

The original wedding planner for gay and lesbian couples―as fun and inspiring as ever in an updated third edition!

Wedding planning is never easy―but for gay and lesbian couples, it presents unique challenges. On top of watching the budget and wrangling your family, you may be wondering: How should we word the invitations? Who can perform the ceremony? What should we say to those who ask, “...why?”

This trusty guide―first published when legal same-sex marriage was just a dream―tackles all that and more. Tess Ayers and Paul Brown explain how to get the planning out of the way so you can enjoy your special day! Here are tips on finding the perfect venue, vows, outfits, cake, kit, and caboodle, as well as:

• Creative workarounds (Have you considered a home wedding?)
• Budget-friendly shortcuts (Supplement the tiered cake with a sheet cake.)
• The latest trends (How to buck the traditions that don’t work for you.)
• And sage wisdom, with a wink! (Rule #1: If you invite them, they may come!)

If you’d rather stay crazy about each other than go crazy, The Essential Guide to Gay and Lesbian Weddings is for you!

Tess Ayers has worked in advertising and graphic design, written for game shows, and was a producer on a number of television talk shows. When she and her partner Jane Anderson decided to have a wedding ceremony in 1992, they were unable to find a proper guide for gays and lesbians, and this book was conceived and born two years later. In the years since then Tess has been busy raising their son, now 17, and works on the boards of several not-for-profit organizations. Tess, Jane and Raphael happily divide their time between Los Angeles and Marin County.

Paul Brown has a BA in theater arts from Harpur College, Binghamton University. Over the years he has worked in theater (treasured every moment), a bit in television (not so much), and a stint in “celebrity journalism” (seemed like a good idea at the time). For the past fifteen years Paul has taught Special Education in Los Angeles. He met Tess Ayers several months before her wedding over two decades ago (then called a “commitment ceremony”). When the honeymoon was over, they collaborated on the first version of this book. Currently, Paul is working on a vocabulary and reading comprehension program for students with learning differences. He has never been married himself but he sure knows how to plan a wedding.