Some U.S. Court of Appeals have a long history of issuing decisions that are demonstrably hostile to wedding artists seeking to exercise their First Amendment rights.
Whether for wedding flowers or for custom designed wedding cakes, these courts have repeatedly circumvented the rights of business owners to both practice their religious freedom and refuse to affirm messages that contradict their religious beliefs in the provision of their unique services.
By applying nondiscrimination laws to businesses they deem to be public accommodations, the states of Colorado and Washington have so far found a way to subjugate the First Amendment rights of those proprietors to the desire of individuals seeking a particular wedding product or service from a particular vendor. To date, they have consistently found the latter be the more compelling. But one wedding vendor in Colorado is hopeful that such a trend won’t last.
