Short Bio

Lauren Snead (they/them) is an award-winning Love Celebrant, bestselling author, and passionate advocate for love, identity, and belonging. With nearly 20 years of experience celebrating love and a personal journey of coming out as nonbinary in their forties, Lauren brings warmth, authenticity, and playful mischief to conversations about love, gender inclusion, and the joy of being fully yourself.

Long Bio

Lauren Snead (they/them) is an award-winning Love Celebrant, bestselling author, and passionate advocate for authentic love, identity, and belonging. With nearly 20 years of experience creating and officiating joyful, deeply personal love celebrations, Lauren has helped hundreds of couples move beyond performing, proving, and people-pleasing to feel truly seen, connected, and celebrated for exactly who they are.

As a nonbinary person who came out in their forties, Lauren brings a deeply personal perspective to conversations about authenticity, gender inclusion, and the courage to live life on your own terms. They believe that for many people, especially queer, trans, and beautifully non-traditional folks, a wedding can be one of the first times their community gathers to witness and celebrate the fullness of who they are.

Lauren brings warmth, tenderness, and a spark of playful mischief to everything they do. Their book, Joyful Love Celebrations, is an invitation to create a celebration that feels wildly, truly, and cosmically yours.

Podcasts

• Queer & Thriving hosted by Sebastian Dziuk - Upcoming Fall 2026

• Speak Boldly hosted by Lorraine Connell - Upcoming Fall 2026

Vendor Spotlight

• Holly Farm Wedding in Carmel, CA by Jay & Mack Films - December 2024

• Pauline & Kirsten’s Nestledown Wedding by Matter Video - October 2021

• With Joy - June 5, 2019

• Love Stories TV - December 2017 & 2018

Awards & Recognition

• The Knot Best of Weddings, Hall of Fame status (11x award winner)

• WeddingWire couples' choice recognition

Bestselling Author

• Joyful Love Celebrations, #1 Amazon Bestseller

• A warm, gentle guide for queer, trans, and beautifully non-traditional couples into growing love, self-belonging, and emotional connection, from the inside out

• View on Amazon

Social Proof

"Lauren's process takes you out of the logistics of planning a wedding and back into feeling the love, the whole reason you're even getting married. Lauren made us feel seen, loved, and cared for as if we had been friends for years." — Allison

"Before working with Lauren, we felt excited to celebrate our day of love. After working with Lauren, we realized how much more there was to celebrate." — Giselle & Boogie

From reimagining wedding traditions to embracing our most authentic selves, Lauren brings nearly 20 years of experience celebrating love, alongside their personal journey of coming out as nonbinary in midlife. Their conversations invite audiences to explore what it means to feel seen, create belonging, and celebrate life on their own terms.

Love, Ritual & Celebration

• Beyond the Wedding Ceremony: Moving past people-pleasing and performance to create joyful love celebrations rooted in authenticity, meaning, and connection.

• Reclaiming the Wedding Threshold: How queer, trans, and nonbinary couples can reimagine traditions and celebrate their love on their own terms.

• Queer-Friendly Isn't the Same as Queer-Affirming: What genuine inclusion looks like in weddings, businesses, and everyday life.

• Finding Your Voice: The art of writing vows, love letters, and toasts that sound and feel like you.

• Lessons from over 300 Love Celebrations: What witnessing hundreds of love stories has taught Lauren about joy, connection, belonging, and being fully ourselves.

Identity, Belonging & Becoming

• Coming Out as Nonbinary in Midlife: The courage, vulnerability, and unexpected joy of discovering and embracing your identity later in life.

• Beyond the Binary: Practical, compassionate ways to make our language, workplaces, celebrations, and communities more gender-inclusive.

• The Courage to Be Seen: Releasing expectations, prescribed roles, and the pressure to perform so we can live more authentically.

• Belonging Begins Within: Exploring self-acceptance, inner connection, and what it means to come home to ourselves.

Love, Ritual & Celebration

• You use the term "love celebration" instead of "wedding ceremony." What does that distinction mean to you, and why is being truly witnessed such a powerful experience?

• You describe your approach as full of "playful mischief." How do you bring joy, humor, and personality into moments that are also deeply meaningful?

• What's the difference between being "queer-friendly" and truly "queer-affirming," and how can people recognize meaningful inclusion?

• What inspired you to write Joyful Love Celebrations, and what do you hope readers take away from it?

• After more than 300 celebrations, what have couples taught you about love, connection, and the freedom to be yourself?

Identity, Belonging & Becoming

• You came out as nonbinary in your forties. What was that journey like, and how has it changed your relationship with yourself and the world?

• What are some simple, meaningful ways people can practice gender inclusion, even when they're unfamiliar with nonbinary identities or pronouns?

• How can we create environments where people feel genuinely safe, respected, and celebrated rather than merely tolerated?

• You've spoken about moving beyond people-pleasing and performance. What does it look like to release those expectations and begin living more authentically?

• What does "coming home to yourself" mean to you, and what have you learned about finding belonging within yourself?

Website: laurensnead.love

Instagram: @laurensneadlove

Email: celebrate@laurensnead.love

Media & Speaking Inquiries: Available for podcast interviews, panels, workshops, and speaking engagements exploring love, identity, belonging, gender inclusion, and authentic celebration.

Let's connect: celebrate@laurensnead.love