How to Make Your Wedding Photography Business LGBTQIA+ Friendly

On December 6, 2012, Washington state joined New York and Maryland in legislating marriage equality. This December marks 10 years that couples have been able to marry in my state and we have come so far. It wouldn't be until June 26, 2015, that the Supreme Court would strike down state bans and legalize marriage equality in all 50 states. Today as we start pride month I am grateful for living in a trailblazing state and for how far we have come. More work is yet to be done though, and a good amount of it needs to be done in the wedding industry and specifically among wedding photographers. I want to highlight a few things that we can all do to be more inclusive this pride month and point out some great resources you can use if you are looking for a wedding photographer within the LGBTQIA+ community. 

How Can your Business be more LGBQIA+ Friendly?

There are several small things you can do right now that will go a long way to helping others feel safe and excited about using your wedding services. All wedding businesses can make sure that they are using inclusive and non-gendered language. Here is a list of a few terms you might use:

• Instead of Bridesmaid or Groomsmen say "wedding party" or "attendant" 
• Instead of Bride and Groom say "partner", "spouse", or use given names. Given names are always appropriate when you need to address or speak about a person.
• Instead of "you may kiss the bride" say "You may now seal your union with a kiss"
• Instead of " I now pronounce you Man and Wife" (seriously this one is sexist too so don't say it to anyone) say "May I present", then say the given names of the couple. You can alternately use this instead of Mr and Mrs.
• If you are unsure about how to address someone ask.  Try offering up your pronouns if you want to be extra polite. Say, " My pronouns are she/her, what are yours?" Then use those pronouns and if you mess up apologize simply, make the correction and move on. Don't make a big deal of it. 

Remove Gender from How You Think about Photography

Wedding photographers, this one is just for you! Our industry is very traditional, we have a history of attaching gender to all things in portraiture. We talk about masculine and feminine posing, camera angles, and lighting patterns.  Instead, consider the person's body type and relationship to their partner. Get to know your couple as individuals and try to use your direction from behind the camera to help them feel comfortable, not conform to a set of poses you've memorized. Here are some examples of things you can do:

• Give your clients an action. Ask them to walk together, or whisper their favorite foods to one another. Give them a scenario to act out and let them naturally interact with one another.
• Ask your couple to get comfortable as if they will be standing in the spot for a long time. Your couple will naturally pose themselves together. Then tweak small things like hand placement to enhance their connection. Once they are comfy, use a prompt or tell a joke that will get them both laughing. 
• Remember that you should be looking for angles that are flattering to a person's features, not their perceived gender. Get to know your client by asking open-ended questions and then use their answers to help inform the angles you choose. 
• Mix it up! Use different lighting techniques to enhance your storytelling. You can use hard light to add drama and a sense of power to a portrait. Or you can use soft light to speak to the complexity and depth of a person's character. Use the tools you have to capture the soul of the subject not communicate an outdated stereotype. 

Add Images of LGBTQIA+ Individuals to your Website and Social Media

It's not enough to state that you want to work with couples from all walks of life, you need to show it! Make sure you are posting photos all year round that show all orientations and not just during Pride Month.

• Do show couples kissing and in love. 
• Don't do styled shoots with people who are not in the community acting as if they are. This is dishonest. There are plenty of lovely couples that would be happy to pose for you, so do a model call if you need more photos and use real LGBTQIA+ people because representation matters.
• Don't hesitate to post images for fear of the haters. According to a 2019 Pew Reacher Center study, a majority of Americans support marriage equality. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/changing-attitudes-on-gay-marriage/
• Do ask permission to share images just like you would with couples of any orientation. If someone says No, be respectful and follow their wishes. Remember that  LGBTQIA+ people deal with hate all too often, may have trauma you don't know about, or may have an unsupportive family. Others might be dying for you to share their images, so ask instead of assuming!

Follow the Golden Rule

Most of all remember that people all want to be respected, loved, and valued. Be open and honest about your own knowledge gaps and ask questions when you don't understand. Be thoughtful in your interactions and authentic in your speech and you'll help make the wedding industry a more open and welcoming place for all people in love. 

Wedding Professionals in the Industry

Those of us that are allies are just learning how to be inclusive, but wedding vendors that are LGBTQIA+ have been trailblazing equality within the wedding world since day 1! Some great photographers who themselves are queer that you should check out are:

Jenny GG Photography: https://www.jennygg.com/

Jamie Buckley Photography:https://www.jamiebuckleyphotography.com/

Loren Shea: https://www.fuckyeahweddings.com/for-professionals  Loren also does consulting work to help industry professionals reach queer couples. If you want to learn more about inclusivity this is the person to contact!