The Wellbeing Farm in Edgworth, near Bolton, is hosting WEDFEST on Sunday, June 29, in celebration of PRIDE month.
The farm already hosts many traditional weddings each year and a growing number of LGBTQ weddings.
But organisers Celia Gaze, founder of the farm, and Glenn Jenkins, aka That Celebrant Guy, from Blackpool, believe this PRIDE-focused wedding event, which has been running for several years, was the first of its kind in the UK.
The event challenges the traditional wedding fair model and proves there are no limits to what you can have at your big da
The fair will include a range of eclectic suppliers and appearances from drag queen Diana Dogood.
Glenn said: “We realised that traditional wedding fairs are all heterosexual couples. In all of the imagery, photographers tend to aim their marketing at straight white couples.
“I spoke to a lot of LGBTQ couples who didn’t feel comfortable going to these events because they were not representative.
One evening, Celia and I both realised the UK has no wedding fairs that celebrate PRIDE, apart from The Gay Wedding Show in Manchester.
“We wanted it to be a PRIDE festival wedding show, so we looked at how we could get suppliers involved, and we knew we had to hold it during PRIDE month.
“It is not all about the pink pound and throwing the rainbow out there just because it's PRIDE month, it's something we want to see become mainstream.
“The Wellbeing Farm have a lot of same-sex weddings all year round, they realise that it is important and representative of lots of people.
Glenn became a celebrant five years ago, after realising that most weddings he attended were quite dull and uneventful. He sought to meet the increasing demand for LGBTQ weddings, which challenged traditional stereotypes.
The event is entirely about inclusivity, positivity, and fair representation, and is open to all, not just LGBTQ communities who opt for alternative weddings.
Glenn continued: "We've got to change attitudes and hold inclusive weddings.
"The Wellbeing Farm is leading the way with inclusive weddings, and this fair is about making sure everyone is represented - this is for everyone.
"A wedding is a wedding is a wedding, no matter what. This event is open to all, not just the traditional gay market. Those in polyamorous relationships, thruples, nonbinary and transgender couples and mixed- as well as heterosexual couples are welcome.”
Katie and Jamie from Greater Manchester recently had a wedding reception at the farm, even though they were already married, as they couldn't celebrate properly at the time because of Covid.
Jamie said: "We wanted the whole shebang with all our mates.
“We had looked at loads of different venues, and none of them were right. We wanted an exclusive venue, but when we walked into The Wellbeing farm, we decided within the first five minutes that this was the place for us – the vibe and atmosphere were so welcoming.”
“We attended all the wedding fairs at The Wellbeing Farm and sourced a magician and a harpist.
"We used the WEDFEST as an opportunity to invite some of our core family and friends who helped plan the ceremony.
“I didn't have to worry about anything. They took charge of the guest list, organised the jazz band and food. All the staff made us feel so welcome and just as valued as any other couple.”
Jamie and Katie's wedding was truly unique and perfectly reflected their personalities. Jamie continued: "Nothing was too big or too small. The crazy things we wanted to do, they made happen; nothing was too much trouble.
“I didn't wear a dress, and I didn't want to be called a bride. The Wellbeing Farm understood that we don't fit in the heterosexual box, and that's fine.
"At our wedding, we had a drag queen, a DJ and a 10-piece swing band. The drag queen cut our cake with Excalibur. We loved all the Pride flags.
“Celia carried my flowers over for me, and she signed her book for us.
“It was the best day of my life, and I would do it all again.”
Celia said, “Conscious weddings allow us to focus on what a couple truly values. By stripping away the unnecessary expectations, we can centre the event around the couple and their unique preferences for the best event ever."