Yess is the world’s first innovative mobile app designed specifically to help the LGBTQIA community in Australia to find non-discriminatory service providers for their next event. It helps same-sex couples to plan the perfect wedding, using businesses that love working with people of all walks of life.
Earlier this year, Jill Burgess, Founder and Managing Director of yess app, married her partner Kim at Toowoon Bay Surf Life Saving Club on the Central Coast after 21 years together and facing hardship, adversity, prejudice and many challenges. Thanks to yess app, Jill & Kim planned their wedding in comfort knowing their service providers from marriage officiator and venue, to DJ and the jeweller, are 100% supportive of same-sex marriages.
Jill Burgess relates her journey to Women Love Tech.
A wedding is a momentous moment in life. Not only is a wedding about two individuals making a commitment to one another, a wedding represents love, acceptance, equality, acceptance and perspective.
On Saturday 30th March 2019, I finally married the love of my life. Marrying my wife Kim was an absolute dream. After 21 years of resilience, endurance and supporting one another, we were finally able to stand up in front of our loved ones and make a vow to love and support each other for the rest of our days.
Our relationship up until now has faced more than its fair share of adversity, prejudice and challenges. Despite starting a family together back in 2005, our relationship was frowned upon and not accepted in the eyes of the Australian government. Despite both of us attempting to end our relationship over the last two decades, our shared connection was one neither of us could deny. No matter how hard we tried, this love is real and forever, and the government wasn’t going to stop us!
Back in December of 2017, Australia voted ‘YES’ to same-sex marriage. Proposing to Kim no more than two months later, we did not hesitate in the planning of upcoming nuptials.
Driving past the church my parents were married in, I wondered if like me, anyone in the LGBTQIA community wanted to get married in a church? What would be the best way to find out which churches would actually do it? This is when the idea for yess app came to me.
In a world first, I created yess app as a creative solution for real life event organising scenario, whether it be for weddings or other events. I wanted to make life easier for same-sex couples. Having been through the stress of organising my own wedding, this alone was tough enough without the added pressure of not being accepted as a same-sex couple!
At the time, there was a lot of controversy spread across media as a business refused to make wedding cakes for couples in the LGBTQIA community. I created yess app as a way to eliminate discrimination around same sex weddings and events, and to provide a safe place with approved service providers.
Through the app, businesses are able to register and by doing so sharing that they are fully supportive of love, no matter who it is between. Likewise, app users can feel confident with their choices. But it’s also important to note, anyone can use the app, regardless of their sexuality; so we encourage heterosexual people to also use the app services are not just wedding specific.
Categories for service providers include but are not limited to; accommodation, bakers, beauty & hair stylists, car hire, caterers, dance tuition, florists, jewellers, photographers and celebrants. Services are not restricted to weddings and can be used to organise any type of event. People can contact service providers and manage everything through the app, it’s super simple. We already have over 90 providers signed up!
When Kim & I met in 1997, I was working as a police officer and Kim as a social worker, and now in 2019 our love story has had more twist and turns than we could have ever imagined! Many things have changed, including the passing of the ‘YES’ vote, however we still have a long way to go in Australia when it comes to weddings and service providers.
With our two beautiful daughters by our side, Kim and I are excitedly looking to starting the next chapter of our lives and I truly hope yess app helps other same-sex couples out there.
yess key facts:
- available now at the app store and google play today. It is free to download and use, plus service providers are also welcome to register for free. Learn more: www.getyess.com
- 22 provider categories including: accommodation, bakers, beauty & hair stylists, car hire, caterers, counselling & support, dance tuition, decorations/accessories, digital, entertainment, finance, florists, gyms & personal trainers, jewellers, pets, home improvement, massage & meditation, photographers, venues, wedding attire, wedding celebrants and planners.
- Over 80 providers already signed up
- Contact providers by direct message or phone call through the app
- Can be accessed by anyone regardless of their sexuality and used for any occasion, the app is not limited to weddings.