Big Queer Wedding Show Connects LGBTQ+ Couples and Lovers With Queer Wedding Vendors in Toronto
Finding wedding vendors who are not just inclusive but openly, proudly queer remains a challenge for many couples and lovers. In fact, it’s a problem a small faction of the wedding industry has been working to address for years (it’s one of the reasons we launched Equally Wed in 2010). The Big Queer Wedding Show aims to tackle this issue through an intimate, curated vendor event in Toronto.
Launching for the first time on Sunday, April 26, 2026, the inaugural show is organized by Christella Morris (she/her) and Christen Carson-Traviss (they/them), the photographer duo behind Lavender Menace Photography. Their concept centers on connecting queer nearlyweds with vendors who share their identity. In other words, not just vendors who are affirming allies.
A Pattern They Kept Hearing
Morris and Carson-Traviss say the idea grew directly out of conversations with their own clients.
“We kept hearing the same refrain again and again,” Morris says. Couples and lovers described vendors canceling last-minute after learning they were queer. Others struggled to find vendors who were publicly, visibly queer themselves.
After hearing this repeatedly, they began to wonder whether even queer-identified vendors weren’t always representing themselves that way. They also wondered whether an event specifically designed to surface those vendors could help. The Big Queer Wedding Show is their attempt to find out.
What the Show Is
Set at Two of Hearts Chapel (190 McCaul St.), a queer-owned wedding venue in Toronto, the show is intentionally small. About 20 vendors, all queer-owned or operated, will be available across two ticketed shifts: 9 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m. Each shift welcomes roughly 45 to 60 attendees.
Morris and Carson-Traviss sourced vendors by tracking them down across Ontario themselves. They then vetted each one through a questionnaire and a review of their social media and website.
“We strive to create a space that makes queerness the rule and not the exception,” Morris says.
The Vendor Lineup
The show covers a wide range of categories. These include photographers, officiants, florists, caterers, hair and makeup artists, musicians and entertainers, wedding planners, venues, counselors, attire and accessories, and wedding cakes.
Among the vendors confirmed so far:
The Wedding Apothecary is a wedding planning service run by Pratishtha (she/her). She identifies as queer, bisexual and asexual and brings more than a decade of live event experience. Her focus is on accessible pricing and wheelchair-friendly venues, with no wedding tax markup.
West of Yonge Studios is photographer Shannon’s (she/her) documentary-style studio. The bisexual photographer works with couples who want to buck convention. She describes her approach as bold and colorful.
Jenifer Boyce Photography, based in Hamilton, is a queer-owned studio run by Jen (she/her). She uses gender-neutral language as a baseline and photographs queer couples, BIPOC families and polyamorous partnerships.
Lez Eats is a lesbian-owned catering business run by Haleigh (she/her). She serves the Greater Toronto Area from her base in Creemore and offers flexible menus and transparent pricing.
Talk With Kai offers sex-positive, trauma-informed therapy from Kai (they/them), a queer, non-binary therapist. Kai provides sliding-scale virtual sessions across Ontario for individuals and couples.
The full vendor list is available at thebigqueerweddingshow.com.
Programming
In addition to vendor consultations, the event will include performances from burlesque artists, drag queens and brass bands. Vendors will also be introduced through a ’70s-inspired game format called Pitch & Hitch, replacing the standard elevator pitch. As a result, attendees get a low-pressure way to meet vendors before hitting the floor. Pronoun pins will be available at the door.
The venue is ground level and fully accessible. It also features two wide garage doors for additional entry width.
During the midday break between shifts, from noon to 2 p.m., vendors are invited to participate in educational panels on queer marketing, inclusivity practices and building a queer economy.
Morris says the longer-term goal is to cultivate an ongoing community of queer wedding vendors who can collaborate and support one another beyond the show itself.
What Attendees Are Looking For
Ticketholders fill out a brief questionnaire at purchase, indicating what vendor categories they need and where they are in the planning process. Morris says the responses point to a consistent theme.
“Most folks are looking for vendors that are more than just ‘allies,’” she says, “because often even allies need a lot of education and support when working with queer people planning weddings and our couples find that to be a lot of additional emotional labor.”
Still, both Morris and Carson-Traviss identify as queer and describe themselves as “late in lifers.” They say that perspective informs their investment in creating explicitly queer spaces. Even so, they acknowledge they are working within an industry that still defaults to cisgender, heterosexual norms.
The Big Queer Wedding Show takes place Sunday, April 26, at Two of Hearts Chapel, 190 McCaul St., Toronto. Tickets are available at thebigqueerweddingshow.com. 
All photos courtesy Lavender Menace Photography.
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