For Marriage Equality

Originally published December 4, 2014 on www.GigHarp.com

Planning an event and need a magician, comedian, harpist ;-) or string quartet? Entertainers of every variety list their services on Gig Masters. (You can see my profile here!) For harpists, wedding ceremonies claim a large portion of bid requests and I respond to most of them with the same enthusiastic greeting, “Congratulations to the bride and groom!” But that line is hardly all-inclusive and may leave many feeling marginalized.

I was overjoyed when the NC Supreme Court overruled Amendment 1 in North Carolina, legalizing same-sex marriages. I envisioned couples heading to the courthouse for long awaited ceremonies and celebrating their marriage and equality with sprit among friends and family. I daydreamed about participating in the festivities as a harpist. 

Despite being supportive, I unwittingly made a faux pas in a Gig Masters bid. Last week, I received a bid request from a groom and responded with my typical opening line congratulating the ‘bride and groom.’ He kindly responded to my message, and explained that this was a non-traditional wedding with two grooms and inquired about music selections. And I thought, “Oops!” Bride and groom is not an accurate descriptor for all newly engaged couples. I updated my website with more gender-neutral language and made a mental note to respond to inquiries on Gig Masters similarly. 

I encourage everyone in the wedding business to do the same.