Wellbeing Wedfest PRIDE: Interview with Glen, That Celebrant Guy

Glen, aka: That Celebrant Guy, our collaborator for the PRIDE WedFest

In June, also known as PRIDE Month, The Wellbeing Farm will be showcasing a Wedding Fair like no other. Wellbeing Wedfest: PRIDE in your Wedding is the wedding event for EVERYONE! What better month to start planning your wedding!

The Wellbeing Farm, along with That Celebrant Guy, have planned a day with an AWESOME array of diverse and unique wedding suppliers in every area you could wish for.

Recently, Charlotte from The Wellbeing Farm sat down with Glen Reynolds (aka That Celebrant Guy), and chatted with him all about the project.

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Charlotte: For those who may not know you, please let us know who you are and what you do
Glen: I’m Glen, also known as That Celebrant Guy. I am a celebrant that is bespoke to how the couple want. I can do traditional, out of the box, themed – what the couple want basically.

C: How did That Celebrant Guy come into being?
G: It started through doing friends and families weddings a few years ago. And I got referred to as “That Celebrant Guy” from there. During lockdown I decided to bit the bullet and get all the formalities done. Cancelled weddings picking up again after lockdown turned out to be a blessing in disguise; couples weren’t able to keep registrars and were looking for alternatives. It was a natural fit, as not just myself but many other celebrants were trying to make couples aware of what celebrants can do.

C: You’re helping us plan our Wellbeing Wedfest: PRIDE in your Wedding. How did you get involved in the project?
G: I’ve attended 12 wedding fairs across the North West across the last 12 months, and what I have noticed is that is a lot of the marketing is aimed at the “straight white couple” so to speak; which is nice, but not very diverse. I have had same sex couples say to me they have been asked “Which one of you is wearing the dress?”.

I think in 2022, it is important something changes in the way weddings are marketed to make them more diverse.

What I love about The Wellbeing Farm is that it has always marketed for the diverse or alternative couple. They also truly recognise that every couple is different, and they are open to as many options as possible to make their couples’ weddings unique. And so I was thrilled when I was asked to be involved, and bring in suppliers that have shown their uniqueness and diversity in the past.

C: Do you think, as part of the LGBTQ community, it has improved? Or are there still issues that LGBTQ couples still face when planning their wedding?
G: Difficult one. There’s challenges to every wedding I think. The legal bit has definitely become easier

***But* *I feel that I think a lot of suppliers tend to forget to treat same sex couples as, well, “normal” couples.***

Some may tend to say they’re “ally friendly” but it doesn’t constitute every LGBTQ couple liking rainbows, glitter, bright colours etc. They’re still unique but in the way like every couple’s wedding is unique.

C: What do you look for if you were to plan a wedding?
G: I would look for a venue that isn’t set in its ways in terms of what couples can and cannot have. It’s all about freedom of choice for me, which extends to the ceremonies I conduct. As an example, for a ceremony conducted by a registrar, the vows, music, poems or readings etc; they all have to be completely non-secular, and no mention of heaven or hell.

C: What makes a venue, in your eyes, safe for LGBTQ+ couples?
G: For me, it’s the staff. You can have the most beautiful venue in the world; but if the staff are nasty and don’t build the relationship with the couple, it’s pointless.

C: With everything said in mind; how significant do you think it is to plan and market an Open Day specifically for LGBTQ+ couples?
G: The short answer is very. In the North West, there is only one gay wedding show, which is held in Manchester. THAT’S IT!

But I don’t want to really describe PRIDE Wedfest as just for LGBTQ+ couples. It’s for everyone.

There’s nothing like this in the North West. There may be lots of alternative wedding fairs, but not all-inclusive ones. Believe me, I’ve looked.

C: Without giving too much away, what CAN you tell us about the PRIDE Wedfest?
G: It’s going to be less of a fair and more of an event. It’s going to be fun, lively, there’ll be entertainment… There’ll be lots going on.