Catie Curtis Talks About Partnering with GayWeddings.com to Officiate and Perform at Same-Sex Weddings

After announcing her strategic partnership with GayWeddings.com, American singer-songwriter Catie Curtis sat down with dot429 to discuss her role in the partnership, her wedding 14 years ago, and the significance of her upcoming performance at the White House.

What was your inspiration to form a partnership with GayWeddings.com?

Catie Curtis: It was the appreciation I've been feeling for all my fans who have been creating their own unique weddings. I feel connected to them because my music has been a part of so many fans' lives and their relationships. There is a natural connection between my music and their ceremonies.

What will your role be?

Catie Curtis: I will help them to create what is said and sung at their weddings. I will also officiate the weddings and perform at the wedding and reception.

How much will it cost to have you involved?

Catie Curtis: We want people to get in touch with us. There are different packages. We just booked a wedding package, the first one in this partnership, for $7,500. This is not something I will do every weekend, but it will be an exclusive thing, something I will do a few times a year for people who are interested.

How long have you and your partner been together?

Catie Curtis: We have been together for 14 years. We held our wedding at a camp. We had a pretty non-traditional ceremony, and it was not religious. We each had one of our sisters officiate the ceremony, and five of our friends acted as a circle of sage advisors. 

Catie and Liz on their wedding day

What is your advice for same-sex couples getting married?

Catie Curtis: In terms of planning, make it really fun. Set dates to go out, have a beer, and talk about the wedding. Don't make it work-y. This leads to the way to sustain a marriage. In general, make sure you keep having vitally fun experiences together.

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A lot of your music expresses love. When writing lyrics for your songs, do you include and consider the love between same-sex couples?

Catie Curtis: For me, it was a question of how much to include straight couples. I have always written about my experience as a woman involved with another woman. I want to make music that straight people can also relate to.

How has being "out" affected your music career?

Catie Curtis: At this time, being gay or straight isn't as much a factor as whether you look or act gay. K.D. Lang and the Indigo Girls, they have a look that is more gay. Straight people still have some homophobia around taking gay music as their own. The music industry is a very superficial industry.

Aside from your partnership with Gayweddings.com, what other forms of LGBT activism are you involved in?

Catie Curtis: I play benefit concerts for gay rights at political rallies and performed at the Human Rights Campaign's Inaugural Ball. I donate my time to play lots of events like that. I am consistently out and advocating for equal marriage rights.

On December 13,  you are performing at the White House.  Do you feel this is a step forward for LGBT people in America?

Catie Curtis: I will be performing at the White House holiday festivities for the White House staff, families and professional leaders. I do think it is a step forward. I think it reflects who is on the staff at the White House. It reflects Obama's views on diversity and how he is incorporating them in the White House.

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