JENNY BLOCK | Contributing Writer
jennyeblock@icloud.com
In 2013, Brittny Drye founded and became editor-in-chief of a wildly comprehensive LGBTQ+ wedding publication and vendor directory. She named it Love Inc.
“Our mission is to celebrate all love while helping couples plan weddings that authentically reflect who they are, removing the heteronormative undertones that tend to dominate within the wedding industry,” Drye explained.
Love Inc. includes editorial content, real wedding features, expert advice, travel resources and the site’s vetted vendor directory. Drye said, “We connect couples with businesses that are genuinely welcoming and affirming of the LGBTQ+ community.”
And now Drye and the Love Inc. team have relaunched and expanded one of the most fabulous parts of Love Inc. — The Love List, a directory of equality-minded wedding professionals and venues. The list was originally launched in 2013, but Love Inc. has now relaunched the platform to make it even more accessible and impactful.
“Vendors can now create a free listing, allowing more inclusive businesses to participate and making The Love List a significantly more robust resource for couples searching for affirming wedding professionals, featuring more than 5,000 businesses, making it the largest LGBTQ+ vetted wedding directory on the internet,” Drye said. “For vendors who want additional visibility and lead-generation tools, we also offer upgraded membership options.”
Dallas Voice caught up with Drye to find out more about what this revamp means for LGBTQ+ couples on their wedding planning journey.
Dallas Voice: Why the relaunch and expansion of The Love List? Brittny Drye: Over the years, we’ve learned what couples need most when searching for wedding vendors, and the relaunch allowed us to build a more user-friendly, comprehensive directory while removing barriers for businesses to participate through our new free listing tier.
What made you decide to create The Love List? Having to “come out” with each and every vendor inquiry is one of the biggest concerns LGBTQ+ couples have while they plan a wedding. And unfortunately, we still live in a time in which discrimination still very much happens. I wanted to remove that concern. By creating a resource in which we’ve already done the homework for them, we’ve made it so couples can browse freely, knowing that all of those vendors have already been vouched for.
More recently, we recognized another challenge: There are countless inclusive businesses that want to reach LGBTQ+ couples but may not have the budget for premium advertising. By introducing a free listing option during the relaunch, we were able to expand the directory dramatically, making it more valuable for both vendors and couples. The more equality-minded businesses we can connect with our audience, the stronger the resource becomes.
Are there people beyond wedding couples themselves who might benefit from using it? Absolutely. While weddings are our primary focus, The Love List is a valuable resource for anyone planning a celebration — such as birthday parties, anniversaries and other special events. It’s also a great tool for straight couples who want to support businesses that prioritize inclusivity and share their values. Additionally, event professionals frequently use The Love List to connect with like-minded vendors and venues, helping them build teams that are committed to creating welcoming, affirming experiences for all clients and guests.
Before Love List existed, what kind of difficulties were you hearing about from couples in terms of both finding and using certain vendors? The biggest challenge was uncertainty. Couples often told us they spent hours searching websites and social media accounts looking for clues about whether a business was truly LGBTQ+ affirming. Others experienced awkward conversations, assumptions about gender roles, incorrect pronouns or being told that a vendor wasn’t available after revealing they were a same-sex couple.
Even when discrimination wasn’t overt, many couples felt they had to evaluate every interaction through the lens of safety and acceptance. Planning a wedding is stressful enough without having to wonder whether you’ll be welcomed.
What is your vetting process for those businesses included on The Love List? In order to be featured on Love Inc., every business must acknowledge that they are equality-minded and work with LGBTQ+ couples for their wedding day. We review their websites, social media presence, imagery, language and overall brand values to ensure they align with our inclusivity standards. If it is not obvious from our review, then we manually email them to confirm. This is a very time-consuming process, but to us, it’s worth that extra step.
Our team has spent more than a decade working closely with LGBTQ+ couples and wedding professionals, so we know what authentic inclusion looks like. This isn’t simply checking a box during Pride Month; it’s about a demonstrated commitment to serving diverse couples year-round.
What kind of feedback have you gotten at this point about The Love List? The response to the relaunch has been incredibly encouraging. Couples appreciate having access to a larger pool of vetted, inclusive businesses, while vendors have been excited about the opportunity to create a presence in the directory through the free listing tier. We’ve heard from many business owners who have long supported LGBTQ+ couples but previously didn’t have a dedicated way to showcase that commitment. The relaunch has allowed us to bring more of those businesses into the community, which ultimately benefits everyone.
What makes you uniquely situated to create this? Love Inc. has spent more than a decade at the forefront of LGBTQ+ weddings. We’ve published thousands of articles, featured countless real weddings, worked with wedding professionals across the country and built deep relationships within both the wedding industry and the LGBTQ+ community. So our Rolodex of professionals runs deep. And because we hear directly from couples every day, we understand their concerns, needs and priorities, [allowing us] to create resources that are rooted in real experiences rather than assumptions.
How can a business apply to be on the list? Businesses can visit LoveIncMag.com/register to apply. Vendors who want enhanced visibility, additional profile features and direct inquiry access can also upgrade to one of our premium membership tiers.
What is the “Love Inc. Badge of Inclusiveness”? The Love Inc. Badge of Inclusiveness is a visual symbol that signifies a business has been vetted by our team and has committed to serving all couples equally and is an added benefit for those who are on our premier membership tier. It gives couples an immediate indicator that a vendor shares Love Inc.’s values of inclusion, respect and celebration of diversity and has invested their marketing dollars into the community.
For businesses, it’s a meaningful way to communicate that even deeper commitment to prospective clients.
Anything else you’d like to share? Our goal isn’’t simply to build a directory, it’s to help create a wedding industry where every couple can plan with confidence, and every inclusive business has the opportunity to be found.