men in red toastmasters

What do you offer?

I act as your event coordinator and Master of Ceremony. Managing guests, making announcements, liaising between suppliers and keeping on schedule. The glue that holds all the pieces together - remember, you should be enjoying your wedding day, not managing it.

Why do you want to work with the LGBTQ+ community?

Whilst I manage all sorts of events, weddings are my favourite. I never cease to be emotionally touched by the love and joy in a ceremony room when the couple first see each other, and the sheer fun that everyone there is having. I know from my own reviews that a Toastmaster can really enhance a wedding, taking stress from the couple and making sure they are the day's VIPs. And that applies to every couple, whatever their make up. I really want to get across that LGBTQ+ couples can engage me to support them in the knowledge that I genuinely cherish and celebrate them.

Allyship

Since launching my business two years ago, I have made inclusion a key component of its culture, in both online content and in active membership of groups such as OutBritain, whose online networking events I attend. I have exhibited my business as an ally provider at the Gay Wedding Show and am a member of the Global LGBTQ+ community in my network group BNI.

My website landing page makes clear my stance on inclusion and has a blog article from 2023 challenging the wedding industry on this topic. My Instagram account has pinned posts stating a I am a "safe space" and a review from my very favourite LGBTQ+ couple whose wedding I supported last year.

My branding, such as letters, email signatures and Zoom backgrounds, always includes LGBTQ+ Ally icons together with other diversity symbols. My wedding questionnaire has been written to avoid stereotypical use of pronouns or references to 'brides and grooms' - I use Spouse 1 and Spouse 2 - and it specifically asks each what their preferred pronouns are. Relatives are referred to as 'Parent / Step Parent' and not 'mother & father. Attendents include 'person of honour' as an example. This part of the process is crucial to putting a couple at complete ease - as a client review states "As an LGBT couple, it meant the world to us that Michael was genuinely enthusiastic about working on our wedding".

When exhibiting at wedding fairs, I have a pop up banner prominently displayed and announcing me as a 'safe space'. At the Gay Wedding Fair, I have a large banner on which only LGBTQ+ couples are shown.