If you haven’t noticed, it’s been a while since I have blogged or posted on social media. I needed to take a minute to collect my thoughts about what is going on around the world. To be honest, it feels like I had a baby and the world imploded. Upon bringing our daughter home we were locked down due to COVID-19 and the social injustice that has ensued is mind-boggling. It has truly been a lot to process in an already overwhelming season of life.
To help collect my thoughts I reached out to my PR gal and friend, Perry Rose Media. After brainstorming some ideas we thought it would be beneficial to have an honest conversation about the lack of diversity within the wedding industry and what we as industry professionals can do to combat this. So here it goes...
My attention was first drawn to the lack of inclusivity in the wedding industry about two years ago. I am a member of a variety of wedding groups on social media where I saw quite a few complaints. The issue was always the same: most wedding features (in magazines or blogs) almost only consist of heterosexual, Caucasian couples.
This conversation drove me to investigate further. After doing a little research, I realized that I wasn’t being inclusive within my own brand. My imagery was all Caucasian and my wording was very heterosexual leaning -- for example, I used “Bride” and “Groom” in my inquiry form. It was certainly a wake-up call. Afterward, I quickly combed through my website and tweaked my wording to fit a broader spectrum of clients. My contact form now says “Spouse,” which is far more welcoming to ANY inquiring couple. As a white, heterosexual female I never would have thought that such a small detail could be off-putting to prospective clients - but it was.
The recent social justice uprisings in the United States and around the world have inspired vendors, magazines, blogs, and other media outlets to feature more POC couples. I want my customers to know that my move towards diversity and inclusivity is not a trend; it is in my brand identity and has been in the works for a while.
I have worked with several diverse couples, but selling tangible objects doesn't lend well for showcasing POC. It has taken me a while to come up with and implement some creative strategies to be more inclusive with my imagery.
One of the main ways I have been able to diversify my portfolio is through styled shoots. And I plan to continue to participate in inclusive styled shoots in the future. I feel that styled shoots that embrace POC/LGBTQ+ are one of the best ways to implement industry change. If we as industry professionals can change what is published, then the rest of the industry will follow suit.
The wedding industry is historically slow to change and we as business owners need to do better. I am definitely learning as I go and constantly brainstorming ways to be more inclusive and welcoming to ANYONE who steps foot within my brand space.
Along with styled shoots, there are a few other ways I have been committing to diversity:
Highlighting same-sex couples throughout my samples and semi-custom collection using names combinations of male/male and female/female
Using a more diverse name pool for my semi-custom collection options
Reaching out to local photographers to help me include imagery of diverse couples’ to feature throughout my semi-custom stationery options
Diversify brand content to include POC in stock imagery
I promise to continue my efforts of inclusivity and I am open to ideas and suggestions on how to further embrace the POC/LGBTQ+ communities.
TO MY CLIENTS
At the heart of it all, I hear you, I see you and I want you to know that I am working to implement more diversity throughout my business. It will forever be a work in progress and I am committed to you by creating products, services, and content that celebrates everyone. I appreciate your continued support and could not run a successful business without you.
TO MY FELLOW INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
Take a look at your brand. Are you being inclusive? What does your imagery say about you? How can we as small businesses do better? How can we bring out more diversity within the wedding industry? I challenge you to look within.
CHECK OUT THESES LOCAL VENDORS
If you are local to the Dayton area and in need of some fantastic wedding/event vendors I encourage you to check out these amazing businesses owned by POC:
These are just a few vendors that come to mind, but for a great list of other service offerings including restaurants, beauty, business, and more be sure to check out this website.
SOME GOOD RESOURCES
If you are looking for a few resources on the lack of diversity within the wedding industry I encourage you to check out the links below or do a simple Google search. There is a plethora of knowledge to be consumed:
https://rockthefrockbridal.co.uk/blogs/news/diversity-the-wedding-industry
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/07/205291/black-brides-wedding-websites-blogs-controversy
https://bridalmusings.com/76531/wedding-diversity/
https://patchworkit.com/blog/7-ways-to-fix-the-lack-of-diversity-in-the-wedding-industry/
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47632929