Pride and Topikki

One week to go!

In one weeks’ time, Pride Bristol will see its 10th anniversary, originally beginning as a small ‘awareness’ group for LGBT in the centre of Bristol, in Castle Park. It moved to College Green as a temporary move (due to another parade taking place) and stayed and grew there, until now. This year, it’s moving to the Downs. It has grown to over 36,000 attendees and is now one of Bristol’s largest festivals, and rated amongst the top 50 Global Pride events.

Pride, globally, has created a great deal of awareness surrounding the wants and needs of LGBT communities, resulting, not least, in laws being changed (or even made!) and a greater awareness in many other areas; one of which is weddings. No longer do LGBTs have to hide behind closed doors and suffer not being able to be recognised as a bona fide, long-term couple, with legal rights. You now have the right to marry; legally. Being recognised not as ‘Man & Wife’ but as ‘Man & Husband’ or ‘Woman & Wife’.

Topikki Wedding Fayre Stand

Nowadays, when you thumb through Wedding magazines or browse Weddings on-line you see beautiful photographs of same-sex couples in just about as equal measure as that of straight couples. It seems that, at long last, the prejudices surrounding LGBT weddings is on a serious decline, let’s hope it continues in that vain. I would hope that this has also followed through to the wedding fayres, too. One of my dearest friends is gay and I spoke to him ahead of writing this blog to find out if any prejudices still exist when it comes to trawling the wedding fayres. He reckons not! He, funnily enough, was on his way to a wedding himself, when we spoke, and he knows the couple to whose wedding he was heading, attended wedding fayres not specifically aimed at same-sex weddings. He assures me they weren’t made to feel different.

I know there are some fayres which are primarily aimed at this sector but does this not ostracise couples or compartmentalise them or make them stand out as ‘different’, just in a different way than previously? Or, is it that you still feel more comfortable in surroundings with which you are familiar, preferring to attend those Wedding Fayres which are geared to your specific needs? My original thought (maybe naively) was that making people aware of the wants and needs of LGBTs means that everyday society should be accommodating them as the norm, you are people living alongside other people. Being valued in your community is a right, regardless of persuasions or beliefs. So should your wedding requirements be any different? Potentially not! Your wedding day is as important as the next couples’!

Monopoly Wedding Invitation

It would be my hope that you would feel comfortable in any situation in your day-to-day living, so if it’s time you ‘Pride the Knot’ and you are thinking of attending a wedding fayre soon, consider one that is for everyone; look for my name on a wedding fayre or venue suppliers list, and come along and see what TOPIKKI can offer you, as a Bride or Groom, regardless of your sex, creed, culture, race or interests, (including, just simply, the theme you’re hoping to have for your wedding day.) At Topikki, I  offer a quality Wedding Stationery service (and wedding advice) to every couple. I am happy to work with your ideas, and offer my professional design expertise, if required, and produce several samples, before you make a final decision. I love to be challenged and that challenge gives you my BEST work, so if you have something traditional, modern, eclectic or quirky, or just a bit out of the ordinary, let’s work together (see Monopoly stationery) Your wedding stationery will ultimately reflect your personalities and/or life-style. What it will NOT be, is be what I want it to be. This will be YOUR wedding and as such, YOUR stationery will be what YOU want. I will listen to your ideas, or provide some ideas for you, as a base, if you just don’t know where to start! It’s all about YOU!

The Gallery is undergoing some updates, so if you don’t see what you are looking for contact me to view the portfolios or book a free, no-obligation consultation, or check the events page to find when/where the next fayres that I will be attending are going to be, they are updated nearer to each event.