Traditionally, weddings have come with their own set of gendered and heteronormative terms. Besides active opposition to same-sex marriage by some conservatives, religious leaders, and even some headline-making wedding vendors, marriage customs around the world have been based on the typical assumption that there is one bride and one groom involved. It’s been several years since the landmark Supreme Court decision that enshrined marriage equality into law, but has the wedding industry caught up? Answering this question requires a look at a few developments after the Obergefell ruling.

The Wedding Industry Post-Obergefell 

Industry vendors anticipated that a positive ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges could boost industry profits. Writer Sreekar Jasthi discussed this in a June 2015 NerdWallet article, disclosing the personal finance website’s projections of $2.5 billion in additional annual revenue from the legalization of same-sex marriage. In October 2015, Mashable contributor Mandy Stadtmiller discussed a WeddingWire survey revealing that 90 percent of industry vendors either desired to or already served same-gender couples.

Meanwhile, some businesses actively sought ways to become more inclusive. Bernadette Smith, the founder of the Gay Wedding Institute, saw demand for her LGBTQ-focused wedding industry seminars skyrocket by 300 percent as professionals desired to understand the market and the couples potentially coming to them for services. Common issues covered by Smith in her training sessions include the following:

• Ensuring you do not have gender-focused marketing language
• Reexamining gender role assumptions when catering to clients
• Retooling advertising to include LGBTQ couples
• Confirming that partner vendors will provide services for same-sex weddings

Heteronormativity and Language Choices 

Even so, some have observed that any shifts in the heteronormative language that surrounds weddings have been slow in coming. A quick review of popular websites such as Brides, The Knot, or Martha Steward Weddings reveals that many articles dispense nuptial planning advice with the idea of a bride and groom in mind. In an April 2018 Catalyst write-up, contributor Maggie Barton Baird critiqued common industry terms, calling for a “wedding language redux” that includes all kinds of couples.

Furthermore, The Knot writer Brittny Dye discusses how mere words can reflect the heteronormative nature of weddings. She breaks down several common terms and suggests modernized versions. For instance, “bride and groom” can be replaced by several alternatives such as “nearlyweds” or “soon-to-be-weds” and recommends “formalwear” as a substitute for “menswear.” She also mentions that some gender-specific traditions can be altered, such as swapping out the bridal shower for a wedding shower that celebrates the couple rather than being bride-centric.

Are Changing Words Enough To Fix the Problem?

Barton Baird’s proposal for a shift in wedding industry language calls for greater changes than just substituting gender-neutral words. “Let’s start by acknowledging that the wedding industry sits high atop patriarchal and heteronormative traditions,” she says, further elaborating that professionals in the field still assume that they’ll mostly cater to heterosexual couples. She strongly advises against presuming anything about clients and asking broad questions to determine their needs and desires. Furthermore, she puts forth her own recommendations for changing industry language, such as “partner” or “spouse-to-be” instead of “bride” or “groom.” Finally, she believes that businesses with gendered company names should consider rebranding themselves to reflect an inclusive outlook.

The 2015 Supreme Court decision promised to significantly change the wedding industry, but progress towards inclusivity has been slow in the last few years. Vendors still run a risk of chasing away potential business with outdated assumptions that don’t reflect the nature of their clientele, whether it’s same-gender pairs, transgender people, or even straight couples who don’t subscribe to traditional norms. Shifts are still needed in the language companies use, but critics also insist that those in the industry — along with society as a whole — must rethink how they view marriage and gender.