Why Pride matters to us
June is Pride Month, and it's something we proudly celebrate every year.
At Elope Around Melbourne, we believe every love story deserves to be celebrated, respected, and supported. But Pride Month is about more than colourful flags and social media posts. For us, it's personal.
We have people within our own circle, family, friends, colleagues, and couples, who have experienced the prejudice, assumptions, and challenges that many LGBTQ+ people still face on a daily basis. While Australia has made incredible progress, there is still work to do to ensure everyone feels safe, accepted, and valued for who they are.
We believe it's important for brands and businesses to openly express their support for the LGBTQ+ community. Visibility matters. Representation matters. Knowing that a business genuinely welcomes and celebrates you matters.
Australia took a historic step forward when marriage equality became law on 9 December 2017. In the first full year following legalisation, more than 6,500 same-sex marriages were registered across Australia, representing 5.5% of all marriages that year. Since then, thousands more couples have been able to legally marry the person they love.
One of the greatest honours of what we do is helping couples from around the world marry in Australia. We've had the privilege of working with couples who come from countries where same-sex marriage is still not legally recognised, or where LGBTQ+ people face significant barriers to openly expressing their relationships. For many of these couples, their wedding day is about more than celebrating their love; it's about finally having the opportunity to have that love recognised and respected. Being trusted to help create that experience is something we never take for granted. Every couple deserves the freedom to marry the person they love, and we're proud that Australia can provide that opportunity for so many international couples seeking a place where their relationship is welcomed and celebrated.
As a wedding and elopement company, we know that no two couples are the same. Every relationship is unique, and every couple deserves an experience that reflects who they are. We are committed to creating an environment where people feel comfortable being themselves from the very first enquiry through to the day they say "I do."
We also recognise that language matters. Not everyone wants to be gendered, and not everyone identifies within traditional labels. We are always learning, listening, and looking for ways to better support the diverse couples we work with. If there is something important to you, whether that's your pronouns, how you would like to be addressed, or how you'd like your ceremony to feel, we're here to make sure you feel seen and respected.
Pride Month is a celebration of love, authenticity, courage, and community. These are values that align closely with what we believe weddings should be about.
This June, and every month of the year, we stand with the LGBTQ+ community. We celebrate your love, your stories, and your right to marry exactly as you are.
Because love is love. And every love story deserves to be celebrated.
*The statistic included is sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and reflects the first full year of marriage equality in Australia. (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
