Shaping inclusive wedding photography in Kent
You know the feeling, you’re looking at a wedding website and there’s tons of beautiful photos of couples having the time of their lives. There’s only one problem: none of them look anything like you. Endless websites filled with “bride and groom”, no optional pronouns in the contact form, no photos of gay couples or plus sized bodies, no vibrant hair, no variations in skin tone and nothing but church ceremonies. So you keep slogging away on Google. Then you find it, truly inclusive wedding photography. Photos that make you feel seen, no gendered language, all sorts of ceremonies and celebrations, and a LGBTQ+ owned business that understands what it feels like to be missing from the normative narrative.
Kent wedding photographer Grae Hood Photography holding their Highly Commended for Inclusivity and Accessibility award from Quirky Weddings.
This is why being Highly Commended by the Quirky Wedding Awards this past week meant so much to me. To have been recognised out of hundreds of incredibly deserving entrants as a wedding photographer who puts Inclusivity and Accessibility at the forefront of what I do feels like a dream. But also shows how much still needs to change in this industry. Because I basically got an award because you don’t have to scroll through over half of my website just to see a single gay couple or person of colour. I have strived to make my business a place where everybody feels seen and welcome since day one, and will keep doing my bit to make the wedding industry a more inclusive and accessible place for everybody, but more importantly for the people who have always been left on the sidelines when planning their weddings. And, together, we can make the whole wedding industry, something that should be focused on love of all kinds, a more open and inclusive space.
If you’re looking for a Kent wedding photographer who works in a relaxed, candid and genuinely inclusive way, you can find more about how I shoot and what that looks like here.
At Grae Hood Photography, you’ll find photos of real couples of all shapes and sizes, people of colour, all different types of ceremonies, different sexual preference and gender identities, being represented and photographed beautifully and honestly. You won’t find gendered language in my contact forms or emails, because as a non-binary person myself I know how frustrating that can feel. I will always meet you at your level, and show every wedding the respect and excitement it deserves.
I want people who have felt like they were other, like they were different, like they maybe haven't had that support in their lives (not just in wedding planning) to feel seen and welcome and comfortable when they come to my business. I am going to keep working really hard to make sure that Grae Hood photography is a business that stands for inclusivity, accessibility, and doing your wedding, your way.
