Gay and Lesbian Weddings: Planning the Perfect Same-Sex Ceremony [Paperback]

David Toussaint (Author), Heather Leo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2004

Comprehensive, fresh, and funny, Gay and Lesbian Weddings covers everything you need to know to plan the wedding of your dreams. Unlike other wedding planners, this one tackles the issues your heterosexual friends never had to consider. For instance, do you come out to Aunt Gloria before she receives the invitation and the shock of her life? Which father of the bride pays for a lesbian wedding? Who walks down the aisle first? Is it possible for members of the wedding party to be happy with what you force them to wear? (Okay, this is a universal problem.) Step-by-step and down-to-earth, Gay and Lesbian Weddings includes invaluable advice on

• the changing laws regarding gay marriage in the United States and abroad; the differences among domestic partnerships, civil unions, and marriage
• budget concerns: choosing your ideal wedding size and style
• finding gay-friendly printers, photographers, gift registries, caterers, florists (actually, if you find a gay-hostile florist, we’d love to hear about it)
• ethnic, theme, and destination weddings
• keeping the honey in the honeymoon
• sex—including how to keep the heat after the wedding night, as well as the facts on fidelity (can the two be linked?)

Plus: a handy Wedding Countdown Calendar, website resources, and true stories from same-sex couples who’ve gotten hitched without a hitch

Gay and Lesbian Weddings gives you straight talk (so to speak) with equal parts information, flair, and fabulousness!

Editorial Reviews

Review

“If you’re going to tie the knot (so long as it’s not around your partner’s neck), this is the book for you.”
—RITA MAE BROWN

“I’m recommending Gay and Lesbian Weddings to all of my friends . . . especially the straight ones!”
—DINAH MANOFF

“Thank goodness I don’t have to consult Amy Vanderbilt anymore!”
—PHRANC

"While gay people's struggle to win the right to marry continues, weddings are already happening -- and gay couples, their families, and friends planning their celebration will benefit from the advice and stories in this fun-to-read guide." -Evan Wolfson, Executive Director, Freedom to Marry

From the Inside Flap

Comprehensive, fresh, and funny, Gay and Lesbian Weddings covers everything you need to know to plan the wedding of your dreams. Unlike other wedding planners, this one tackles the issues your heterosexual friends never had to consider. For instance, do you come out to Aunt Gloria before she receives the invitation and the shock of her life? Which father of the bride pays for a lesbian wedding? Who walks down the aisle first? Is it possible for members of the wedding party to be happy with what you force them to wear? (Okay, this is a universal problem.) Step-by-step and down-to-earth, Gay and Lesbian Weddings includes invaluable advice on

• the changing laws regarding gay marriage in the United States and abroad; the differences among domestic partnerships, civil unions, and marriage
• budget concerns: choosing your ideal wedding size and style
• finding gay-friendly printers, photographers, gift registries, caterers, florists (actually, if you find a gay-hostile florist, we’d love to hear about it)
• ethnic, theme, and destination weddings
• keeping the honey in the honeymoon
• sex—including how to keep the heat after the wedding night, as well as the facts on fidelity (can the two be linked?)

Plus: a handy Wedding Countdown Calendar, website resources, and true stories from same-sex couples who’ve gotten hitched without a hitch

Gay and Lesbian Weddings gives you straight talk (so to speak) with equal parts information, flair, and fabulousness!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (June 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345475747
• ISBN-13: 978-0345475749
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #323,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Toussaint is the author of "Toussaint!" (Stay Thirsty Media, 2009) and "Gay and Lesbian Weddings: Planning the Perfect Same-Sex Ceremony" (Random House, 2004). His fiction has appeared in "Snow Monkey," "Literary Potpourri" and "Outsider Ink." Toussaint wrote, produced, and directed the one-act play "Backstage Bitches," which ran for two consecutive summers in New York City. A former travel writer and editor for Conde Nast Publications, Toussaint is also a professional actor. Currently, he writes a column for Edge United States. Toussaint lives in Manhattan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not only helpful but funny, too., September 5, 2004

By 

C. Baader (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gay and Lesbian Weddings: Planning the Perfect Same-Sex Ceremony (Paperback)

Let's face it: getting ready for a wedding isn't exactly a laugh a minute. The sheer stress of the endeavor is enough to make anyone slightly loopy. Gay and Lesbian Weddings to the rescue. Not only does this book answer the questions that everyone wants to know, it'll make you grin in the process.

Every chapter of the book begins with the experiences of a real couple and then proceeds to give helpful advice on just about every topic you can think of. The beginning chapters even address political and social issues, making valuable insights that will aid anyone in defending gay marriage.

The authors are experienced weddingistas (I think I just made that word up) who definitely know what they're talking about.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Kind of a narrow view, March 25, 2006

By 

Event Lady "Planning my way to the top" (alabama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gay and Lesbian Weddings: Planning the Perfect Same-Sex Ceremony (Paperback)

I am not sure what I expected from this book. Maybe I have a bias since I am a professional event planner who also happens to be a lesbian. First off I must say the book does offer practical, easy to understand advice for any couple planning a wedding. The chapters are well laid out and packed with practical ideas. On the other hand the book does have a more gay male friendliness than lesbian friendliness. The book is authored by a gay male and straight female. So, the true lesbian point of view is kind of lost in the shuffle. Silly issues arise for the lesbian side of things assuming that all lesbian relationships are made up of two masculine females or two effeminate females. The vast assumption is made that all the members of a lesbian wedding party will wear dresses. The silly question also arises as to which woman will toss the bouquet or if two should be tossed. My partner would not be caught dead in a dress and do not even try to push a bouquet into her hands. I do commend Mr. Toussaint on his ability to make a well rounded wedding guide for the "rainbow" family, but his research (if he did any) should have include vast types of lesbians the same as it included vast types of gay male relationships. For this reason I can not give the book a full five stars because it simply does not address the issues of lesbian couples.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars G & L Weddings: The perfect gift for ANYONE getting married, September 10, 2004

By 

Thomas Jackson "Thomas Andrew Jackson" (LeRoy, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gay and Lesbian Weddings: Planning the Perfect Same-Sex Ceremony (Paperback)

I read Mr. Toussaint's original article on gay and lesbian weddings last fall in Brides, found it enlightening but wished there were more. I was delighted to learn that he'd put together an entire book!

Love the real-life stories of couples at the start of each chapter -- found that they apply to anybody, gay or straight, who are getting married. That's why I've given copies to friends and family, gay and straight, whether they're planning on getting married to their mates or not. And I'd love to see if Mr. Toussaint can follow up with another edition -- I'm sure this is a book that can be updated regularly with new info and new real-life stories. I'll be looking forward to new editions, and I'll keep giving copies to couples as gifts.