Category: Education
[CW: Heteronormativity; violence; gendered language; sexism; rape] The “best man,” like many wedding traditions, has a disturbing past that we rarely think twice about. Before digging deeper, I’d like to…
I work with a lot of clients who let me know that they live with anxiety. It’s always been important to me that I acknowledge this piece in my work,…
The myth of a wedding being a magical day that only happens “once in a lifetime” needs to be disrupted. It’s no secret that in the US, about 50% of…
Appropriation pops up constantly in the wedding industry. From tipis and sugar skull decor to photo booths with fake mustaches and sombreros. It’s not rare to search a wedding blog…
I struggled a lot with allowing myself to take up space within the disabled community. It took me seeing a TikTok from @crutches_and_spice speaking to someone essentially asking for permission to identify…
[CW: Mentions of slavery; capitalism] Let’s start by talking about wedding parties. I intentionally avoid using the words “bridesmaids” and “groomsmen” because I don’t like tying gendered words to people…
[Content note: This has been shared with our child’s consent, “so kids like me feel less alone.”] Last summer, our 6-year-old told us they were nonbinary and wanted to use…
Recently, I learned that using words with the suffix “-phobia” to describe oppression can perpetuate ableism. Phobias are real mental illnesses, so equating them with bigotry is where the ableism…
It’s time to talk about how performative actions in the wedding industry can feel like rainbow washing. It’s not uncommon for wedding venues to tape a “gender neutral” sign on…
As someone who photographs a lot of growing families, I wanted to share some language that I’ve found helpful in being more inclusive for clients. It’s important to never assume…