Creating Wedding Spaces Where Every Love Story Belongs

For Pride Month, we asked Nicole Skarbek, Director of Private Events at Historic New England, to reflect on a part of our work that is deeply personal, yet often less visible in conversations about inclusion and belonging. While our storytelling frequently centers on public programs, exhibitions, and new research, Historic New England’s commitment to creating welcoming spaces also extends to the private moments we are privileged to host. Drawing on more than a decade of experience working with couples across New England, Nicole explores the importance of inclusivity, representation, and safety within the wedding industry. Her reflections serve as a reminder that Historic New England’s mission to foster belonging is not confined to the stories we share publicly, but is also reflected in the experiences we help create for the communities we serve.

Over the past eleven years managing private events with Historic New England, I have been incredibly fortunate to work with a diverse range of clients. Couples from many backgrounds, gender identities, and sexual orientations have celebrated their love in our spaces. Throughout that time, I have made it a personal mission to help champion Historic New England’s commitment to inclusivity through our private events program.

I began my work with Historic New England in 2015, during a period of significant societal change and ongoing uncertainty around marriage equality. Over the years, I have heard couples express doubt, fear, and vulnerability, even in their wedding toasts, about whether their right to marry would remain protected. As recently as fall 2025, those concerns were still being voiced. These moments have reinforced for me how important it is to center marginalized voices and provide spaces where every couple feels seen, supported, and celebrated.

For our Private Events team, the hope is simple: that every client who walks through our doors feels welcomed, safe, and encouraged to celebrate their love story in a way that is most meaningful to them. Whether a couple chooses one of our properties in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, or Connecticut, they should feel reassured that their celebration is fully supported.

Among of the first questions we are asked by prospective clients are, “Are you LGBTQIA+-friendly?” and “Do you have experience working with Black couples?” These questions are deeply important, but they also reveal how much work remains throughout the wedding and events industry. For many clients, the answers determine whether they feel safe enough to continue the conversation. First impressions matter. Clarity matters. Representation matters. Our venues must always be places where clients can trust that they belong.

My hope for the future is that these questions become unnecessary, not because the need for inclusivity has disappeared, but because our continued commitment to diverse representation, inclusive language, and visible acceptance makes the answer clear from the very beginning.

Inclusivity is also not only for our couples, it extends to their families, friends, and guests. Every person that enters our shared spaces should feel welcomed and safe to celebrate. A wedding is not just a private milestone; it is a gathering of community, identity, history, and love. The environment we create matters.

That commitment also extends to the vendors with whom we align ourselves. We make every effort to recommend and work with vendors who share our values. Being included on our vendor lists reflects not only professional quality, but also a shared commitment to respect, dignity, and inclusion.

In every interaction, we center the couple and their needs. That includes using inclusive and gender-neutral language in our communications, avoiding assumptions, and ensuring clients see themselves reflected and celebrated in our spaces. These details may seem small, but their impact is significant and deeply appreciated by clients and prospective clients alike.

Choosing a wedding venue should be about love, not limitations. Nondiscrimination policies should be at the forefront and easily accessible for any potential client to find. Couples should not have to wonder whether their love will be welcomed, questioned, or merely tolerated. They should know, from the beginning, that it will be celebrated.

At Historic New England, part of our mission is sharing the full story of our region—to tell everyone’s history. That belief must live not only in our public history work, but also in the private moments we are entrusted to host. Weddings are among the most personal and meaningful celebrations in a person’s life. It is our responsibility, and our privilege, to ensure that every couple feels their story belongs here.

Written by Nicole Skarbek, Director of Private Events, Historic New England

Visit our website to learn more about private events at Historic New England properties, and follow @historicneweddings on Instagram to see recent weddings at our sites.

Unless otherwise noted, photographs were taken by the author, with permission of the couples on the day of their weddings.