Could Durango be the next LGBTQ+ wedding destination? This gay couple is betting on it
Casey Baird and Kytt McLaughlin have a vision for the queer community in their gorgeous mountain town.
Mark
The gays have always loved themselves some Colorado – from queer ski weeks in Aspen and Denver weekends, to scenic stays in Colorado Springs — but could the Centennial State be the next great LGBTQ+ wedding destination?
According to Casey Baird and Kytt McLaughlin, who run their own floral design company, Cider and Pine Weddings in Durango, the answer is yes.
After meeting on Grindr nine years ago, the two men (who recently celebrated two years of their budding business with their own wedding) forged both a romantic and professional connection, using their experiences in the floral world to create their own farm in the rural La Plata County.
With their sophisticated designs and gorgeous flowers, the newlyweds have multiple weddings under their belt, recognition from major wedding magazines, and a vision for gay couples in Durango-Vallecito.
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As the state’s “only gay married couple running a farm-based floral business,” they hope their platform can encourage other LGBTQ+ people to consider the beautiful area for their own big day — political misconceptions be damned.
“Gay couples have money,” Baird told The Durango Herald. “Money helps our local economy. They have fabulous weddings.”
Both men can certainly attest to the region’s more authentic and affordable vibe, compared to other popular Colorado destinations like Telluride, as well as its acceptance.
“We’ve never experienced any intolerance,” Baird told the Herald. “Some of the people we enjoy the most are very, very conservative — but they love us. And it opens their eyes, too. They’ve never been around gay men.”
And that’s not to say that the skiing, hiking, rafting, and fishing destination doesn’t have a thriving LGBTQ+ community of its own, either.
According to Durango’s tourism site, the mountain town prides itself on encouraging self-expression and individuality, with annual LGBTQ+ events like a Winter Pride Fest, a Pride festival in June, and their own drag pageant, Dragrango.
Still, it takes businesses like Baird and McLaughlin’s to change expectations around stereotypically conservative areas, and their story sheds light on the oft-overlooked experiences of LGBTQ+ people in rural communities.
“If one gay kid sees us and thinks, ‘OK, you can be successful, you can be different in this demographic … you can be weird, you can be whatever you want,” McLaughlin explained to the Herald.
“It doesn’t have to be a ‘gay thing.’ You can just be yourself.”
Although politics have heightened fears about safety among queer travelers, their optimism and presence in the space are a reminder that the LGBTQ+ community has just as much of a right to the “simple life in the mountains, surrounded by pine trees, garden beds, and [a] beloved farm full of animals” as anyone else.
Their mission is air apparent in their Levi’s-inspired wedding post on Instagram and its accompanying powerful caption: “This is gay country couture — denim as defiance, florals as freedom, and love as the loudest luxury … Are you watching? Because the revolution is rooted right here in Colorado.”
Through every perfectly-placed flower, beautiful bouquet, and, naturally, stunning Christmas display, they’re helping redefine Durango as the next queer-friendly wedding destination.
Learn more about Cinder and Pine Florals’ wedding services and fresh cut flower farm here.
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