A lesbian couple has been gifted a free wedding venue after they were made to feel uneasy about their first choice due to the owners citing "religious beliefs".
As previously reported, Ali Waggy and Jessica Robinson, a couple from Kansas, had set their sights on The Barn at Grace Hill for their July 2025 wedding.
However, they were left shocked when they received an email from the owner of the venue who stated that due to their religious beliefs, they couldn't "celebrate" the marriage.
"We were devastated," Waggy told the Wichita Eagle. "We had been corresponding with them for months, envisioning our perfect day at their venue."
Part of the email read: "While our deeply held religious belief keeps us from celebrating anything but marriage between a man and woman, we desire to serve everyone equally and do not want to keep anyone from using our building who would like to.
"Our hearts are to serve, regardless of race, creed, color, origin, sexual orientation, gender, or marital status, while maintaining our convictions and beliefs as well."
While the owners of the venue were still open to allowing Waggy and Robinson to use The Barn, it was made clear that there was a sense of unease around the wedding.
Waggy took to Facebook to share their dismay: "Basically 'it’s illegal for me to tell you you can’t use it; so you can. We will take your money, but we’re not going to celebrate your marriage & want to make sure you know that', not to mention we were going to hire them as our wedding coordinator too."
It's not all bad news for the couple though, as Joy Amore-Bishop, the owner of Heritage Meadow Estate, stepped in to offer her support.
Upon seeing Waggy's post, Amore-Bishop reached out privately and extended an incredible gesture: hosting the couple's wedding at her newly constructed wedding venue in Derby, free of charge.
"I can’t even explain how good it feels," Waggy said, per WSAZ 3. "It was amazing. I couldn’t believe it."
Amore-Bishop, touched by the couple's story, saw it as an opportunity to counteract the negativity they had experienced.
"Honestly, it was like my ‘mama bear heart’ that just wanted to wrap her in a hug and make her know that not everybody feels that way," Amore-Bishop shared.
Now, with a fairytale wedding venue secured, Robinson and Waggy look forward to celebrating their love in an environment where they feel valued and supported.
"It feels even better that we get to get married somewhere where somebody, the owners love us and support us, and she’s like going out of her way to make us feel good," Waggy expressed.
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