How We Vet Every Vendor in Our LGBTQ+ Inclusive Wedding Directory

Dee Wild in an inclusive wedding celebrant in Melbourne

Let’s be real for a sec. Planning your wedding should be one of the most exciting things you ever do. But for a lot of LGBTQ+ lovers, it comes with a side of dread. Every new inquiry turns into a guessing game. How’s this vendor going to react? Will they get your pronouns right? Will the contract assume there will be a ‘bride and groom’ (yes, still in 2026 we’re seeing this!)? Will they go weird and quiet the second they work out who you’re marrying?

You shouldn’t have to deal with that. Not on your wedding. Not ever.

That’s why the Dancing With Her Directory (of inclusive wedding pros from around the world) exists. It’s for everyone planning a wedding, because whoever you are and whoever you love, you deserve vendors who celebrate you from the first inquiry to the last dance and beyond. Every vendor in the Dancing With Her directory is vetted to be inclusive and LGBTQ+ affirming before they’re listed. No exceptions. No shortcuts.

Here’s what that actually looks like.

What we look for in LGBTQ+ inclusive wedding vendors

We’re picky. Like, really picky. We accept about 25% of the businesses that apply to be inside our directory. Being in our directory means something, and we want you to be able to trust every single name in it.

Here’s what gets a vendor in:

  • The whole community, not just the easy bits. If a business is cool with some LGBTQ+ lovers but gets awkward about others, that’s an easy “no, thanks” from us. Inclusive means everyone. (Here’s what affirming wedding photography really looks like for trans and non-binary lovers, so you know the bar we’re talking about.)
  • The right reasons. A rainbow logo in June doesn’t cut it, neither does a 🌈 in an Instagram bio. We want vendors who actually care, not businesses chasing rainbow dollars.
  • Work we’re proud to put our name to. Our directory is curated. If we wouldn’t send our own friends to you, you’re not getting listed.

And no, a vendor doesn’t need a portfolio full of LGBTQ+ celebrations to get in. Everyone starts somewhere. What matters is that they’re inclusive, and that they mean it.

How we review wedding vendors before they’re listed

Filling in a form doesn’t get you into our directory. Anyone can tick a box that says “LGBTQ+ friendly.” We want to see it.

So we do our homework. When a vendor applies, we:

  • Read their website. All of it, not just the homepage. The words a business uses tell you a lot about who they think their clients are.
  • Look at their marketing. Their socials, their imagery, how they talk about weddings. Are they showing the whole community, or does every post look exactly the same?
  • Ask them why. Why do they want to be part of what we do? We’re looking for vendors who believe in it, not ones who just want another lead.
  • Ask questions, lots of them. If something’s unclear, we ask. If we need to jump on a call, we’re more than happy to.

And if something doesn’t sit right, we say so. Take a suit store with only ‘mens’ and ‘womens’ sections on their website. They might be lovely people. But that layout tells a nonbinary person straight away that there’s no place for them. So we have that conversation. Good vendors take it on board and make changes. Others show us they’re not the right fit, and that’s okay too.

It’s not about catching anyone out. It’s about making sure that when you click on a vendor in our directory, you can trust they’ll actually show up for you.

Getting listed is just the start

Here’s the thing. Checking a vendor once when they join isn’t enough. Businesses grow, staff change, and standards can slip. So we don’t tick a box and walk away. Our relationship with every vendor keeps going long after they’re listed.

  • Inclusivity training. Every vendor gets access to our 2.5-hour course, How to be an LGBTQ+ Inclusive Wedding Pro.
  • Our values, on every listing. Nothing goes on a listing that goes against what we stand for. No discrimination. Full stop.
  • Inclusivity statements. We ask, and help, you to craft an inclusivity statement on your listing with us so the world can know why you’re here.

Why this matters so bloody much

Planning a wedding is already a lot. Budgets, guest lists, the seating chart drama, that one relative who won’t RSVP. Working out whether a vendor will respect your relationship shouldn’t be on that list too.

But for so many LGBTQ+ lovers, it is. It means coming out to stranger after stranger, bracing for the reaction, and sometimes paying a deposit before you find out where someone really stands. That’s exhausting, and it can take the joy right out of something that should feel amazing.

We built this directory so you can skip all of that. When you book through Dancing With Her, you get:

  • No more asking the dreaded question: “We’re in a queer relationship. Is that okay?”
  • Vendors who are inclusive of the entire LGBTQ+ community.
  • Vendors our team has reviewed before they’re ever listed.

Just getting started and not sure which vendors you need first? Our no-BS guide to planning a queer wedding walks you through it.

Find your people

You deserve to plan your wedding with people who are as excited about your love story as you are. No awkward pauses, no tiptoeing, no second-guessing.

Whether you’re hunting for photographers, venues, planners and stylists, or a celebrant or officiant who’ll get your vows right, we’ve got you. Find vendors in the USA, the UK, Australia and beyond.

Browse the Dancing With Her directory and find LGBTQ+ inclusive, affirming wedding vendors who’ll celebrate you from the first inquiry to the last dance.