We had the good fortune of connecting with Nick Hanyok and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nick, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The main idea behind starting Styled in Pride was and still is to help make the wedding industry more LGBTQ friendly. Even today there is still resistance to gay marriage and that has spread to wedding vendors denying couples simply for who they have decided to love. Being gay myself I hate thinking that couples are being denied simply because they are gay.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The one thing that sets the styled shoots hosted by Styled in Pride apart is the simple fact that we only ever use real LGBTQ couple. This is super important to me because I feel the authentic it provides the events helps ignite the creativity of all the vendors who take part and the photographer who come to photograph it. It can be a challenge to find actual LGBTQ couples but social media is a big help.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The first thought I have is all of the queer people who have come before us. They fought fearlessly, tirelessly and constantly for the freedoms the LGBTQ community have today. They are a huge inspiration for me because it gives me strength and meaning for Styled in Pride and where I hope to take it.

Website: https://www.styledinpride.com

Instagram: @styledinpride

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.