Last week I learned a new word: tuxeda.
It’s a tuxedo for women — one of the terms that might come up when planning a lesbian commitment ceremony. Then again, both partners may choose to wear a traditional wedding gown, or something altogether different.
To help same-sex couples, both female and male, sort through the business of planning a commitment ceremony, the Asheville, N.C., company Rainbow Wedding Network is touring the country with the Same Love, Same Rights LGBT Wedding and Family Expo. The event stops by the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront on Sunday, marking the first gay and lesbian wedding expo held in the state, organizers said.
Sure, there will be talk of tuxedas, unconventional cake toppers and debates over who will stand at the altar and who will walk down the aisle. But the biggest distinction between a traditional bridal fair and this one is intangible.
“We take away the awkwardness for the couples, and that’s really the biggest difference between the two,” said organizer Cindy Sproul, co-owner of Rainbow Wedding Network, which also publishes Rainbow Wedding Network Magazine, a guide to same-sex engagements, weddings and honeymoons.
Gay and lesbian couples who cold-call wedding vendors are often refused services, Sproul said, but the 50 businesses participating in Sunday’s expo have confirmed they are gay-friendly. Companies scheduled to attend range from DJs and wedding consultants to real estate agents and legal services providers.