Interview with LGBTQ+ Couple: Casey and Avery

Casey and Avery Klein are two creatives living in Los Angeles, California. Besides being incredible artists, they are also our good friends. We sat down with Casey and Avery to talk about how they planned their wedding. Casey and Avery were married in November of 2016. For their ceremony, they opted for a small and intimate elopement in a historic building in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the couple is from.

TDP: Let’s start with something fun: how did you feel the moment you said “I do”?

A: For me, it was a very surreal, almost out-of-body experience. You are doing something that everyone has talked about your whole life and the search has ended for your soul mate and they are standing right in front of you. It was like I could hear our ordained minister talking but he wasn't there anymore! Everything disappeared and it was just her and me.

C: The moment I said "I Do" I felt elated. I had waited for that moment forever, and then it was over and done with so quickly. But those two little words have made a big impact on our lives.

TDP: That’s really beautiful. What was your favorite part of planning your wedding? Your least favorite part?

A: Planning a wedding is, s t r e s s f u l, that's why we kind of eloped. We knew we didn't like the idea of a traditional wedding and us being the spotlight for the entire day.

C: I knew a wedding was important but I kind of just wanted it over with so I could live my life and not think about it anymore. I can see how important wedding planners are now, but I still wouldn't have changed anything about our wedding! I think setting the date for our wedding was what gave us a kickstart on making sure we went through with our plans.

TDP: Did you use any specific resources throughout the planning process? Blogs? Websites? Magazines?

C+A: Because ours was so small, we pulled random things from Pinterest on how we wanting the lighting to be setup and the props around the lighting. We only needed somewhat of an alter for ours.

TDP: Had you been to an LGBTQ+ wedding before your own?

C+A: Yes! We had gone to a family member's LGBTQ+ wedding before having our own wedding. I think this is when I realized how different officiating a LGBTQ+ wedding is compared to hetero normative weddings.

TDP: What were some considerations you had when planning your wedding? Any obstacles you had to overcome?

C+A: Because Casey and I wanted an intimate wedding ceremony, one of our obstacles was the absence of family and friends.

TDP: Let’s talk about last names. I know you both opted for the same last name. How did you come to that decision?

A: Because I had proposed to Casey, she wanted to take on my last name, Klein. But also, if her maiden last name wasn't already hyphened, we may have done a hyphen! But one hyphen for us is enough so we went with Klein.

TDP: That’s definitely a huge consideration for LGBTQ+ couples people probably don’t think about right away. Did anything unexpected come up while planning your wedding?

C+A: Our wedding officiants license was delayed.

TDP: That must have been stressful! Did you seek out LGBTQ+ or LGBTQ-inclusive vendors for your wedding?

C+A: It was more than important for both of us to know that whoever was with us (our photographer and our officiant) was accepting of our love together.

TDP: What advice or tips would you give an LGBTQ+ couple just starting to plan their wedding?

C+A: Focus on what makes you happy on your wedding day because your friends and family will be happy for you both no matter what.

TDP: That’s wonderful advice and we could not agree more! Okay last question: how will you two be celebrating Pride month?

C+A: Enjoying nights in together because we can, not because we have to!

Casey Klein and Avery Klein are artists based in Los Angeles, California. This interview is part of an ongoing series highlighting stories of LGBTQ+ couples and wedding professionals for Pride month.

Palm Springs and Boston wedding photographer Todd Danforth Photography is an LGBTQ+ and POC-owned wedding photography team specializing in capturing joyful and candid moments. As storytellers and craftspeople, we believe in the power of visual narratives. Our mission is to create honest and authentic photographs you can share with your loved ones for generations to come.