Bring Your Nonbinary Wedding Dreams to Life with These Expert Ideas
Your wedding day will be one of the most epic moments in your life. It’s a day full of magic, celebration, love, and positivity. You get to bring all your closest friends together to witness you and your partner tie the knot in a moment that’s so uniquely you.
If you’re ready to begin planning your epic nonbinary wedding, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our best advice on how to tackle the planning process, with tips and ideas to create the perfect day.
How to Plan an Epic Nonbinary Wedding
Design: Maria Hilas Louie Design
Ready to jump into planning your wedding day? Here are a few items to start off your checklist — from finding the right venue to choosing your dream wedding vendors.
Select Language that Feels Comfortable and Authentic for You
Everyone has their own preferences and language that feels comfortable to them. Maybe the people you’re closest to know your pronouns and how you identify, but the wedding scene brings on a whole new range of terminology. Chances are if you’re genderfluid, transgender, genderqueer, or agender, the standard “bride and groom” might not feel right.
Explore some of the more neutral terms that don’t reference a gender identity to see what suits you and your partner. When it comes to the wording on your invites, nearlyweds or fiance can work really well. During your vows, you might refer to each other as your betrothed or your significant other. Newlyweds is already a pretty neutral term, so it’s perfect for that moment after you’ve tied the knot.
Find the Perfect Venue
At first glance, any wedding venue might do. But if you’re looking for a nonbinary wedding ceremony or a more gender-neutral event, there are a few things to consider. Start by going over our list of questions to ask your wedding venue, but add a handful of your own that feel relevant.
First, you want to make sure that the venue and your would-be coordinator are part of the LGBTQ+ community or are allies. You’ll be working closely with them to turn your ideas into reality, so you not only want to look for a suitable venue but also a team of people you can vibe with. Practical considerations come into play, too. Verify that there are gender-neutral bathrooms and inclusive signage — if not, find out if you can make that happen for your dream day.
Personalize Your Nonbinary Wedding Ceremony
It’s no secret that the wedding industry is overwhelmingly aimed at a traditional cisgender audience. This means you’ll find terms like “bride and groom” and “you may now kiss the bride” all over vow wording ideas, signage, and wedding stationery. This can make finding inspiration and resources for your wedding ceremony tough — but certainly not impossible.
Take this as an opportunity to truly transform your ceremony and reception into something magical and uniquely you. Try to book an officiant who is highly recommended within the community or that you recognize as an ally, and meet with them to put together some amazing personalized vows. Walk down the aisle together, or create a super-fun intro dance with your friends. Forget what’s traditional and feel free to turn your big moment into something totally bespoke.
Book an LGBTQIA+-Friendly Wedding Photographer
For such a special day, you need someone equally as wonderful to capture every moment. Scout around and ask for recommendations for the best nonbinary or queer couples photographer who’s well-versed in the photography style you love.
Work with your LGBTQIA+ wedding photographer to put together a plan for the day, so you don’t miss out on any shots you really want. Get inspiration from other shoots and ask your photographer for ideas, then come up with a list and head to the venue to pick your favorite locations in advance. For something a little extra, book a videographer as well so you can relive those moments forever.
Select Your Wedding Vendors
It’s not just an incredible wedding photographer you’ll need. Look for the best of the best when it comes to other wedding vendors too. A talented DJ, caterer, wedding planner, event stylist, and florist can all help you make your ideas possible.
Ask around within the community to find out who’s highly recommended for every type of vendor you need. Then, check that they match your style and needs. If they do, get them booked fast — and spend the rest of the time worry-free, knowing you’ve got these basics handled.
Decide on Your Wedding Party
Traditional weddings typically have bridesmaids and groomsmen, with a maid of honor and best man standing alongside the bride and groom. Remove this old tradition and you have much more freedom to put together the ultimate wedding party for your nonbinary celebration.
Mix things up and have whoever you want standing alongside you — or choose to have no wedding party at all. You could also ask close friends and family members to be part of your wedding party, and shake off the expectations that they need to wear a dress or suit, or be standing in a certain spot to make the day feel magical.
Choose Your Wedding Outfits
Say goodbye to the traditional wedding dress and tux scenario — unless, of course, that’s what you want. It’s all about finding the wedding attire that makes you and your betrothed feel your best.
Shopping for wedding outfits as gender nonconforming or nonbinary people can be challenging. Often, wedding shops either cater to tuxes for men or white dresses for women. It’s time the wedding industry caught up, but there are options, including some phenomenal gender-neutral wedding brands worth checking out. Whether you want to get married in a wedding dress, suit, slacks, jeans, or jumpsuit, the choice is yours.
Plan All the Little Details
Once you’ve sorted all the major components like your venue, vows, and wedding attire, you can turn your attention to the little details. Sometimes these matter the most and can have the biggest impact, so allow plenty of time to consider them.
Think about everything you’d love to see, drink, eat, and do at your nonbinary or queer wedding. Consider whether you’ll both have a bouquet or none at all, what you want your playlist to be, and how you’d like your first dance to be called. Think about your wedding signage, guest book, favors, and all the decor and touches that make the event feel special.
Host an Unforgettable Pre-Wedding Party
Last but not least, don’t forget to plan an epic pre-wedding party if that’s what you’d like to do. Forget a bachelorette or bachelor party — host a bachelorx instead where there’s no reference to gender and no restrictions on who can attend.
We love the idea of hosting a pre-wedding bash as a way to bring everyone together and raise the excitement level ahead of your big day. Separate parties are just as wonderful though, as it means you can get together with a more intimate group.
Invite Your Loved Ones with These Stunning Nonbinary Wedding Invitations
You deserve a wedding stationery suite that’s just as bespoke as your celebration. With Greenvelope, you can customize any online invitations and wedding stationery to match your exact needs, wants, and tastes.
Swap out the sample names for yours and your beloved’s, and customize the wording to add your own phrases and details. It’s easy to take a template and completely personalize it, so you don’t need to feel tied to the language or photos used in the examples.
To help you find your perfect match, here are a few of our favorite wedding invites. We’ve included a mix of designs here, but for the full range see our collection of online wedding invitations.
Love and Light Wedding Invitation
Design: Maria Hilas Louie Design
There’s something so lovely about the subtle rainbow hint on this Love and Light Wedding invitation. It represents the brightness of your love for each other shining through and works perfectly for any kind of celebration.
The Day Wedding Invitation
Design: aticnomar designs & art (photo courtesy of Patrick Nied)
Looking for an invite that’s both simple yet gives you space for a big photo of the two of you? The Day invitation puts the happy couple front and center, beautifully framed by the typography to the side.
Bauhaus Love Wedding Invitation
Design: Ringleader Paper Co
You can’t go wrong with the big, bold lines and contemporary colors on this Bauhaus Love invitation. It’s a fun way to highlight your names, with plenty of space below for all the wedding ceremony details.
Simple Wooded Bliss Wedding Invitation
Design: Paper Raven Co.
The dark colors and rose gold accents on this Simple Wooded Bliss invite are simply stunning. We love the quirky use of foliage and the way the focus is on the union between the two of you.
Clean Energy Wedding Invitation
Design: Kate Ross Design
The minimalist design on this Clean Energy Wedding invitation makes it an instant classic. It’s understated yet cool — perfect for a sophisticated ceremony or where you don’t want to give away just how wild and exciting your celebration will be.
Design a Nonbinary Wedding That Celebrates Your Love Story
There are so many amazing ways you can create your perfect nonbinary wedding day. Select a venue and team of vendors that are well known in the LGBTQ+ community, and have fun breaking with tradition. Plan a lovely pre-wedding celebration with your loved ones, and watch as your plans come alive before you and your partner walk away as newlyweds.
Whether you want a lavish ceremony full of bright colors or a more relaxed, rustic event, we’ve got the wedding invitations to match. Browse our collection of wedding invitations and start customizing your dream wedding invites today.
