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Tinder's big wedding,
Queer love celebrated with pride,
Inclusivity shines.
Tinder's 'Big Wedding' campaign: Celebrating love in the LGBTQIA+ community
A year ago, dating app Tinder launched the 'Big Tinder Wedding' campaign, offering 'extra' weddings for queer couples who met on the platform. Two couples, Will & Monte and Kelly & Tara, have since tied the knot through the campaign.
Tinder documented the couples' journey to their wedding days in a campaign that will run across various media platforms, including a reality TV style YouTube series showcasing the wedding planning process. The campaign was led by a lineup of creators and experts from the LGBTQIA+ community, including Brooke Blurton as Chief Maid of Honour, Jamie Azzopardi as personal stylist, Brendan de la Hay as event stylist, and Conor Curran for food and cocktails.
The Big Tinder Wedding is part of Tinder's initiatives to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, which is the fastest growing group on Tinder globally. Users aged 18-25 that identify as LGBTQIA+ have more than doubled in the last two years.
"For the past decade, Tinder has played a vital role in sparking new connections and we pride ourselves on being an inclusive app for anyone seeking a connection. The Big Tinder Wedding is just another example of this, and was our way of celebrating Tinder love stories and saying thank you to our users," said Country Director of Tinder Australia, Kristen Hardeman. "It was so incredible to host the Big Tinder Wedding for the two couples and we wish them every happiness for the future. We’re honoured to be able to share these exceptional love stories with Australia."
The weddings were held at the Royal Botanical Gardens and on Sydney’s yacht, The Jackson, for up to 100 guests. Tinder also contributed funds towards the couples' honeymoons.
"The wedding was incredible and we were in the present and enjoyed every single moment of it. It was so incredibly touching that our weddings represented us as a couple, particularly when it came to incorporating our respective traditions and cultures into the wedding ceremony and having all of our family and friends take part," said Monte, one of the grooms.
Chief Maid of Honour, Brooke Blurton, shared her experience: "What a beautiful and heartwarming journey it has been, not to mention a fun one. It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know Will and Monte, as well as Kelly and Tara and having the opportunity to celebrate their individual love stories – from being brought together and matching with each other on Tinder, to standing in the picturesque Botanical Gardens and hearing them say ‘I do’," she said.
"It’s not everyday that you get to be part of a special couple’s love story, and I am so grateful that they allowed me to be part of their dream wedding day."
The campaign targets Tinder’s core audience and user base across Gen Z. According to a recent survey of young daters aged 18-25, 33% agree their sexuality is now more fluid. A recent survey revealed 1 in 2 Aussies knows someone that has married their Tinder, or other dating app, match. 40% of respondents say they’ve been to at least one dating app wedding, with 36% attending up to three.