Hey there, offbeat friend.
Are you looking to have a wedding with vendors who are a part of your gay community? Having someone who understands love like you do help tell your story is legit. Or maybe you're just big on diversity and supporting the LGBTQ community? Your values should absolutely impact your wedding decisions!
Bespoke Socials is all about creating those connections with small businesses and local artists. Your values matter to us, as well as all of the things that make you awesome. It can be difficult to find the resources you need when planning your offbeat celebration. I want to make that a little easier.
It's kind of a cool thing about anyone with "niche" interests or identities, really- we get good at developing our own personal libraries of resources. These libraries grow when we share, so that's what I'm here to do with this post. I hope it serves as a public resource for those who want to connect and work with LGBTQ+ vendors in Iowa.
All of the vendors on this list identify as queer and/or LGBTQ owned. Since we're going alphabetically, I'm up first! I am one of several queer vendors in Iowa, and we're all here and happy to help you have a gay ass Midwestern wedding.
Hope it helps, happy planning!
Bespoke Socials
www. bespokesocials.com
Intimate wedding planner for the offbeat and wildly in love.
Bespoke Socials creates heartfelt celebrations with offbeat couples. We serve as a guide and advocate for those who want to color outside the wedding lines, elevating joy with generous support for thoughtful intention. With wedding industry insight, rebellious creativity, and pretty spreadsheets, we create an authentic expression of your unique love story. We aim to put more good into the world, one kick-ass wedding at a time.
"Your (offbeat) story is the default here. Can't wait to celebrate!"
Keilah Stallsmith (she/her) plan weddings as the owner/lead planner of Bespoke Socials. She got started with drag shows and retirement homes, and she's passionate about celebrating what matters most (with flair). She is a Los Angeles native, musical theatre nerd, makeup aficionado, and lover of post apocalyptic fiction. She lives with her family in Waterloo, and can probably be spotted in her typical uniform of black, flowy, witchy clothes.
Emma Peterson
Unitarian pastor committed to honoring the inherent worth and dignity of all.
Emma Peterson (she/her) is a pastor who has dedicated her ministry to honoring the "inherent worth and dignity" of every person she encounters. Working on the precipice of life and death as a hospital chaplain allowed her to consider life's biggest questions, seek the sacred in the midst of chaos, and connect with others in their most vulnerable moments. She helps couples from all faith backgrounds create heartfelt ceremonies, and serves as their officiant on the wedding day.
Emma lives in Dysart, IA, in a fixer-upper of sorts. When she isn't writing sermons, visiting congregants, or working on house projects she can be found reading novels, taking long country walks, organizing life's clutter, and attending community events. She was even featured on an episode of House Hunters, which you can watch on cable re-runs.
Jenni Chung Photography
https://www.jennichungphotography.com/
A queer wedding photographer who firmly believes in serving ALL couples.
Jenni Chung (they/she) is a dedicated mental health advocate and non-binary wedding photographer based in Des Moines, Iowa. They firmly believe in serving ALL couples, espeically the LGBTQ+ community.
"All love is welcome here and deserves to be celebrated, supported, and advocated for. You are valid and safe in this space."
Jenni is also classically trained pianist and performance artist with a love all things offbeat. They are a fan of traveling, cats, reusable straws, aesthetically pleasing brunches, and bottomless mimosas. She eloped with her husband to the Oregon coast and considers it one of the best decisions she ever made.
Jo Diaz
https://bellesalonspa.com/lakeport-commons/meet-the-team/
Sioux City hair and makeup artist who celebrates the diversity of the beauty world.
What began as a curiosity and experimentation turned into a passion and tool for self expression. Now, Jo shares their love for hair and makeup with the Sioux City community as a makeup artist and hair stylist at Belle Salon and Spa.
Jo's philosophy as a makeup artist is to share their love for makeup by creating a positive experience for their clients and celebrating the inclusivity of the beauty world.
Over the Moon Flower Farm
https://overthemoonfarmandflowers.com/
Small town farmers dedicated to good old fashioned Iowa agriculture.
Over the Moon Farm & Flowers, located in Delaware County, Iowa, seeks to provide affordable, responsibly grown, high quality food and flowers to their rural community and the counties around them. The business is rooted in its owners' passion for agriculture, the family farm, rural communities, and love of growing.
"At first Shae and I thought, let's just start a few trays of flowers to plant around the house and in her Grandma's garden beds... I got that same feeling I remember having as a young kid when you try a new sport or after school activity and you say, 'hey, I think I might really like this.'"
Shae Pesek and Anna Hankins are partners as well as co-owners and operators of Over the Moon Farm & Flowers LLC. Shae and Anna live in a small cozy house just minutes from the farm full of lots of books, homegrown food, and their dog Fitz.
Silk & Thorn
www.silkandthorn.com
Wedding & elopement photographers for adventurous and unconventional couples.
David and Rob are a husband and husband team specializing in wedding and elopement photography. They believe unplanned moments make for some of the most meaningful images, and they use documentary-style photography to create timeless and honest work.
"We believe everyone’s uniqueness should be embraced and celebrated... Whatever fire you burn, let's throw more wood into it!"
David's photography journey began in middle school doing photo shoots with his sister, but he didn't buy his first professional camera until after college. When Rob met David, he picked up a camera and shared a passion with the man that would soon become his husband. The two now live in Sioux City and capture other couples' love stories all over the world as a team.
Thistles Summit
https://thistlessummit.com/
Plant-based bakery & catering company that believes tasty food is for everyone.
Marti and Ash built Thistle’s Summit to be a safe haven for the queer community. They wanted people from of all walks of life to find respite, relaxation and midwestern hospitality, in a community that is warm and accepting of all folx. It has since blossomed into a vegan bakery and catering company that happily serves the underserved.
"Our philosophy on food mirrors our philosophy on human & civil rights. Food should be accessible, made for all, and truly inclusive."
Marti (she/her) is an previous event planner turned chef and baker. Ash (they/them, she/her) is a storyteller, writer, and astrologer, as well as a farm kid and former farmworker. Together they run the largest plant-based bakery in central Iowa, and they specialize in allergy-friendly baked goods that taste nothing like compromise.
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So, that's my list (so far)! We're here, we're queer, we're ready to help you have a gay ass wedding. Do you know of anyone else that should be here? Help me grow it! Reach out to me at planner@bespokesocials.com to share all the queer vendor goodness and I'll be happy to add you/them to this list.
Hope it helps (with your value driven, super gay wedding). Happy planning!