Inclusivity and elegance meet at Cy-Fair LGBTQ+ wedding show – Houston Chronicle

The event is a partnership between Enchanted Cypress Ballroom and A Dream to Remember, a gay-owned and operated wedding designing and planning company. Enchanted Cypress Venue Manager Lidice Ortiz and A Dream to Remember Events CEO Erick Jones wanted to present a friendly, inclusive and safe environment for the LGBTQ+ community to find their wedding needs.

“We are going to have different vendors so they can start planning their wedding,” Ortiz said. “We are going to have catering, drinks, decorations. They’re going to see a mock wedding that we are designing with a lot of color from A Dream to Remember.”

All vendors for the event are either LGBTQ-owned and operated or vetted to be allies of the LGBTQ+ community by Jones and Ortiz. Along with a fashion show, the wedding experience will host vendors like Legacy Lapels, Kary King Boutique USA and more.

The event will include travel agencies and fertility companies for couples planning to be parents in the future. Cake designers, photographers, planners and makeup artists will also be present.

Jones said the importance of creating inclusive environments for the LGBTQ+ community is paramount in the present day, citing anecdotal evidence of gay couples being turned away from wedding vendors for their sexual orientation.

“They’re going to be able to have the event of their dreams that they always wished to have without being discriminated against or having to deal with those types of issues from different venues or vendors that they are typically having to deal with.,” he said. “We have a gay-owned and operated designer that is in here at this particular expo that is of the community that can actually give you that warm, fuzzy feeling so you know you won’t be discriminated against.”

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Jones referred to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas suggesting same-sex relationships and marriage possibly being overturned following the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. Gay marriage became legal for the first time in many states, including Texas, after the result of Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015.

“As you see, discrimination is still prevalent in the community and this is why this particular expo is so, so very important at this point,” Jones said. “We want to let people know: you have a safe haven. You have a safe place to be able to come and do the things you need to do for your event, regardless if it’s a wedding, a party, a milestone or an anniversary.”

As the CEO of a gay-owned and operated business, Jones said he and Ortiz vetted attendees for allyship and support of the LGBTQ+ community as well as any associates of the vendor in order to prevent discrimination against gay couples at any point in their wedding process.

With the event being free and the venue itself on display for couples, Jones and Ortiz are looking forward to hosting the event annually, showing the LGBTQ+ community that their joy on their wedding day matters more to the vendors at A Colorful Experience than the money to be made.

“I really believe we can be genuine and open for all of our community and show them this is something for everyone,” Ortiz said. “Love is for everyone.”

A Colorful LGBTQ+ Wedding Experience will take place at Enchanted Cypress Ballroom, 12603 Louetta Rd. in Cypress, from 1-5 p.m. on July 10. To RSVP or find more information, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/a-colorful-experience-for-lgbtq-weddings-tickets-321392111457.

chevall.pryce@chron.com