{"id":43414,"date":"2017-06-19T01:02:27","date_gmt":"2017-06-18T15:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.easyweddings.com\/au\/articles\/easy-weddings-shows-allforlove-marriage-equality\/"},"modified":"2024-03-19T21:14:20","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T10:14:20","slug":"easy-weddings-shows-allforlove-marriage-equality","status":"publish","type":"au-article","link":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/articles\/easy-weddings-shows-allforlove-marriage-equality\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Weddings shows we’re #allforlove – and all for marriage equality"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Easy<\/p>\n

Image: Freyee Photography. See the rest of this beautiful love\u00a0shoot here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here at Easy Weddings we\u2019re all for love. We\u2019ve always been that way but now we\u2019re taking steps to really show what we mean and that we wholeheartedly want marriage equality for all Australians.<\/p>\n

And it begins right there on our homepage, by being one of the only wedding websites in Australia to feature same-sex couples in their hero images – as if marriage equality is no longer an issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhilst we\u2019ve always supported same-sex marriage, we had to stop and do a thorough review of the site and work out whether we were really communicating that,\u201d says founder and CEO Matt Butterworth.<\/p>\n

The review included the types of imagery being shown, content in articles and language being used.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe answer was clearly \u2018no\u2019 so we\u2019ve worked hard to implement quick but positive changes with the goal of normalising same-sex unions and showing inclusivity for all couples,\u201d adds Matt.<\/p>\n

As well as featuring the powerful image of two grooms kissing (courtesy of Freyee Photography) as one of three rotating hero images on our homepage, we have also included an image from real-life couple Cara and Sophie<\/a>, whose real wedding story garnered hundreds of votes and positive comments on social media in our 2017 Wedding of the Year competition.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Image: Catseye Productions. See the rest of Cara and Sophie’s wedding here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis only further supports our belief that same-sex marriage is no longer a minority issue – it\u2019s one that affects us all,\u201d says Matt. \u201cIt\u2019s our friends, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, colleagues, and acquaintances.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to imagery, we\u2019ve combed through the site changing instances of language that excludes, and have even implemented an Easy Weddings \u2018swear jar\u2019!<\/p>\n

\u201cAny time a staff member is caught using the word \u2018bride\u2019 instead of \u2018couple\u2019 they\u2019re required to give a gold coin donation,\u201d says Matt. \u201cWe\u2019ll donate whatever money we raise to Marriage Equality Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other positive changes include a rainbow pride version of our logo that we\u2019ll display on our \u00a0social media platforms until same-sex marriage is legalised. This logo also appears among more than 1270\u00a0corporations, including eBay, Coca Cola and Google\u00a0to name a few, on the \u201cOpen Letter of Support\u201d page of Marriage Equality Australia.<\/p>\n

\"Marriage<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know Australia is embarrassingly behind the times when it comes to this issue, but we\u2019re beyond waving flags,\u201d says Matt. \u201cUntil the government can get its act together and give parliamentarians a conscious vote or the people a proper referendum – not an unbinding plebiscite vote – we\u2019ll get\u00a0on with it and ensure inclusivity for all couples is at the core of all we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marriage equality – some interesting stats<\/h2>\n