The story of Pride + Joy starts with a love story. (How very appropriate!)

Beth and Danice met in 2005, when Beth moved from Saskatoon to Vancouver. They were both starting their studies at the same seminary, and they had been recommended to each other as roommates. Their friendship began when Danice picked Beth up from the YVR airport.

It took each of them a few years to figure out they were queer… and longer to come out to each other… and even longer to realize they wanted to get married to each other, even if it meant giving up their careers as Baptist pastors.

In May 2014, after living together for nine years, they finally got the chance to gather their friends and family for a wedding ceremony.

Danice had already been learning to DJ by this point, and for her, the wedding was all about the dance party. Their friend Jane officiated their ceremony, and Beth started thinking about how great it would be to offer that same gift of storytelling and ceremony to other couples, especially to her queer friends.

Beth started officiating weddings with Young Hip & Married in 2017. She also enjoyed creating and facilitating other kinds of ceremonies: memorials, celebrations of life, blessing ceremonies, and more. Meanwhile, Danice started her own DJ company, Serious Beats.

In 2024, Beth and Danice realized that some of their favourite work experiences over the last decade had been the few times they got hired to work at the same ceremonies. They began to catch a vision for a new organization that would allow them to work together more often, and to tailor their work around their shared value of inclusion and belonging, with an emphasis on serving queer couples and families. Their good friend Behtash heard about their idea, and came up with a whole list of possible business names. First on his list was “Pride + Joy,” and as soon as they heard it, they knew it was the perfect fit.

Danice and Beth officially launched Pride + Joy in November 2024, and they are eager to see where this journey takes them next!