Canadian girl out and aboot

B* and I are going to a gay wedding in September, and I decided to go on a little hunt for a card today. B* suggested that I get a non-gendered card, but I was quite curious to see what sort of cards were available for same-sex weddings. On Monday, I explored the shops on the Drive, and only found cards at one shop. Unfortunately, these cards were mostly for lesbian couples.

Today, I ventured over to Davie Street where I was disappointed with the selection at Little Sisters. Once again, they had a few cards, but mostly for women. There were actually more cards for heterosexual couples that gay ones in the store as well as a big Pride flag card that said, "Love" on it.

Another store on Denman had the same cards, but a bigger selection of them. I realized that all the same sex cards were made by Raindrop cards , a locally based company. The cards are handmade, and have quilling on them. They're really pretty, but each card costs $10, which is more than I usually spend. One of the cards reads, "For the brides" and another "For the grooms." Do same sex couples really want to be known as brides or grooms? I felt a bit baffled by this assumption.

Another card read, "For the Newlyweds, Justly married," which seemed a bit too political for me. I realize that it's an important act, but I think it's more important to focus on the actual wedding and commitment and the people themselves during that day instead of politicians.

At the Vancouver Public Library gift shop, where I buy a lot of my cards, I saw a card with two suits which read, "You suit each other perfectly, Congratulations." It's not a bad idea, but that card is so cheesy that I need crackers to go with it.

Part of the problem is that in general, I find wedding cards really cheesy or saccharineThey're usually somewhat stereotypical, focus on the bride, and not on the couple's relationship, which is what the wedding should be about.

I didn't buy a card today, but I might shell out the money to support Raindrop cards since they seem to be the only people in the area catering to the gay market. To be honest, I was a bit surprised by this. Gay marriage has been legal in British Columbia for over 2 years now, and there is a large gay population. I know that the number of gays and lesbians who choose to get married is not that high, but I was still surprised by the lack of cards.

Therefore, take note. If you or anyone you know makes cards, there's a niche market that is not being tapped right now.

(For the sake of interest, I also looked up gay wedding cards online and also found some gay wedding cards online at Two grooms and possibly at Gaymart