Judge Francine Vero - Wedding Officiant

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Judge Francine Vero

Judge Vero supports the LGBTQIA+ community and is happy to provide any type of marriage ceremony the couple requests.

Francine Vero is a Saratoga Springs City Court Judge. Elected in 2017, she is the first woman to serve in her position. Throughout her career, Judge Vero has been committed to professional and civic activities. She is vice president and incoming president of the Saratoga County Bar Association. In 2022 she was selected to serve on the Equal Justice in the Courts Initiative for the Fourth Judicial District, an initiative to address racial bias in the court system. In 2020 Judge Vero formed the Saratoga Springs Community Outreach Court, a court that addresses the specific needs of individuals experiencing homelessness. In 2018 she was selected by Saratoga Living as one of twenty people in the Saratoga area contributing to the community. In 2017 Judge Vero received an award from the Adirondack Women’s Bar Association for her commitment to the organization.

State Farm Insurance - Joseph Franklin

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As a licensed insurance agent I strive to help my clients with their home, auto and life insurance needs. As a member of the LGBTQ community I take extra pride in helping my fellow members protect themselves and their families.

Email: jfranklin196@yahoo.com

Phone: (518) 813-5089

Address: 8 circular street suite 3, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, United States

Black Walnut Books

/ Black Walnut Books/

Black Walnut Books is a Native and queer owned bookstore that focuses on Indigenous, queer and BIPOC books and authors. We host a monthly Indigenous book club and a bi-monthly queer book club. blackwalnutbookshop.com @blackwalnutbooks

Located at:

The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence Street Studio 117
Glens Falls, New York

Discover Saratoga

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If you’re looking for exceptional Saratoga wedding venues, you’ve come to the right place! The Spa City boasts a large and eclectic list of upscale Saratoga Springs hotels, inns and bed & breakfasts that offer superior wedding venues in a dynamic Victorian City setting. 

Utilize Our Complimentary Wedding Services

From helpful wedding planning articles, to a comprehensive list of vendors, Discover Saratoga Weddings is ready to make your dream wedding perfect from start to finish. We offer:

  • Private site tours and recommendations of iconic Saratoga venues

  • Introductions to wedding vendors

  • Assistance with hotel room blocks

  • Assistance with transportation options

  • Welcome wedding gift featuring local Saratoga items for the couple

  • 10% off discount coupon and map for hotel guests in Saratoga, valid to use at over 100 businesses

60 Railroad Place, Suite 301
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Contact Us at(844) 947-4922; (518) 584-1531

DiscoverSaratoga.Org/weddings

Caffé Lena

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Caffé Lena is an award-winning live performance venue and music school located in Saratoga Springs, NY. A welcoming and inclusive space, Caffé Lena offers open mic nights, music classes, family programs, community gatherings and world class concerts featuring folk, blues, bluegrass, jazz, Americana and more.

Location: 47 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Phone Number: (518) 583-0022
https://www.caffelena.org/

Patrice Marie, Reverend/Minister/Celebrant

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Spiritual Inter-faith, non-denominational Minister/Reverend/Celebrant with The Alliance of Divine Love.
Available locally with ability to travel, as well as fulfill last minute needs.

Your special service can also be performed in German, Swiss German, French and basic Italian (or any combination).

Looking forward to being of service!

Blessings,

Rev. Patrice Marie

518-480-7157
Email: revpatricemarie@yahoo.com

Trojan Womyn Events: LGBTQ friendly events in the Capital District

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We are an entertainment company that provides Drag, Burlesque and Live performance throughout the Capital District . We strive to create public spaces where both the LGBTQ and Cis communities can gather together in safety and comfort. We also support fair pay for entertainers in the Capital District. We have different events i different spaces throughout the month and those events are currently listed on our Facebook Page: Trojan Womyn Events.

Contact Name: Marisa Ledesma-Henry

Contact Email: fundtheartz@gmail.com

Contact Phone: (646) 430-4214

Supporting Queer Students: A Guide to Normalizing Queer Policy in Schools

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Dr. Stacy Pinto wants students to feel comfortable when they walk into her office on campus at the University of Denver. She believes it’s her job to create a space where people feel invited to sit and have open and honest conversations with her.

“That’s what normalizing and integrating and allowing people to be themselves looks like,” said Pinto, a faculty member for the online master’s in school counseling program at the University of Denver. “Having a space to be safe, having it be welcoming, and conveying that you are all of these things and ready to help them.” 

But creating safe spaces for queer students in particular requires work. Educational institutions need to develop policies that address queer identity to ensure that these students feel comfortable on school grounds and have the same opportunities to thrive as their peers. And school counselors have a unique role to play as advocates who can bring stakeholders together.

With the guidance of Dr. Pinto, who specializes in queer issues and sexual identity labeling, SchoolCounseling@Denver developed this guide for schools on how to normalize queer policy.  

Kerensa Rybak Photography

/ Kerensa Rybak Photography/

Kerensa Rybak Photography is a Saratoga county based wedding and family photographer, whose mission is to capture the beauty in partners and families, in a way that surprises them, empowers them, and allows them to see themselves the way she does. From the engagement until the reception comes to an end, she will cry with you, laugh with you and dance the night away (with cameras attached at the hip- literally).

(518) 788-7444

52 Tipperary Way, Ballston Lake, NY 12019

krybakphotography@gmail.com

The Gideon Putnam

/ The Gideon Putnam/

The Gideon Putnam offers historic elegant lodging accommodations and modern American cuisine at the heart of Saratoga Spa State Park. Your stay here has the power to transform, in an environment filled with a legacy of healing waters and high-spirited recreation.

Toll free: 866.890.1171

www.gideonputnam.com

Sales & Catering Direct: 518.226.4707

Spiritual Director & Marriage Officiant

/ Fr. Paul Jesep/

Fr. Paul is a seminary trained priest and practicing attorney living in Saratoga County. He provides non-denominational spiritual direction to LGBTQ individuals and families. He is humbled to celebrate the sacrament of marriage for same-gender couples. Paul also writes a faith column for "The Rainbow Times" distributed in New England.

Fr. Paul Jesep

PJesep@gmail.com

(518) 496-2096

PO Box 9675, Niskayuna, NY 12309 USA

Shane Stiel - Haus of Stiel Fitness

/ Haus of Stiel Fitness/
Shane Stiel - Haus of Stiel Fitness

Shane Stiel is a NPTI Certified Elite Personal Trainer in the Saratoga Springs, NY area.

Shane is a highly competent and enthusiastic personal trainer with a proven ability to help people achieve their fitness goals. He possesses a successful track record of evaluating a client’s physical fitness, understanding his or her needs, and then developing a practical and achievable workout routine for his clients to reach their targets and goals. He also has the necessary communication skills required to gain the trust of clients and thereby retain their business. Shane is a people-person, first!

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CommonSense Mental Health

/ 75 Railroad Place/

The Group Practice of Timothy Crumley, LMHC DBA provides private counseling, support, and other mental health resources to New York residents that are affirmative, client-centered, and accessible through secure, digital means. We offer counseling services to individuals and families facing barriers, internal and external, through our use of HIPAA-secure software and online technology. 

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Paula Zimmerman, Licensed Mental Heath Counselor

/ 359 Ballston Ave/

Licensed Mental Health Counselor, with 17 years experience in the field, and has worked with people of the LGBTQ community since 2004. Certified in LGBT - Affirmative Therapy by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Has been a therapist in Albany, Saratoga, and Fulton counties, creating a diverse history of experience. Currently a therapist at Saratoga Center for the Family.

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