Growing up I never saw myself represented, like many queer folk. I could never picture what a queer wedding would even look like. Now I am so lucky that it is my job to create that representation whilst capturing queer peoples love. I will travel anywhere to capture queer love, from the sandy beaches of Cornwall, to the mountains of Scotland,a destination wedding in France or down the road from home for me in Hampshire and west Sussex. .
There are so many names in this industry for queer weddings. Same sex wedding, lgbt wedding, lesbian wedding, gay wedding, whatever you call it, it deserves to be captured by someone who will create the same space for you the same way they would for a cis-het couple.
The wedding industry isn’t built for queer folk so being part of the many trying to change that feels very important.
I am constantly telling people that my job is such a privilege and I take that privilege very seriously, especially when it comes to lgbtq+ people. I strive to make sure every part of my business is inclusive such as my language, my contracts, and even my expectations. However, something that I think is even more important than being inclusive, is being open to someone calling you in when you have made a mistake. Just because someone is queer doesn’t mean they don’t have biases that will impact how they interact with the world. Being able to address those biases and make changes to keep growing is something I will never stop doing.
For such a long time I could never picture what my wedding would look like. I couldn’t even comprehend that I was going to have a life that wasn’t defined by the patriarchy. However now I know what a queer wedding can look like. I know that I don’t have to wear white, I don’t have to be given away and I don’t even have to marry a cis man.
Queer weddings are an act of resilience and protest. We weren’t legally allowed to marry in the UK until 2014 and it is still illegal in many countries around the world. It is also important to note that we don't have marriage equality. Disabled people cannot get married without it impacting their benefits, non-binary and trans people are completely excluded from the legalities of weddings and the cis-het wedding industry pretends that polyamours lovers don’t exist!
Despite this queer weddings do exist and carry such meaning to our community. Every queer wedding is a representation for the future generations of lgbt lovers to come. And what an honour it is to document it.
