3 Ways to Make Your Photo Business More Inclusive
We are living times in which people are starting to feel more comfortable in showcasing who they really are, moving away from social constructs. Unfortunately, industries like the wedding industry, are still catching up on how to approach those changes and you still hear people assuming couples to be one bride and one groom or even that they will use her and him, respectively. You can make a difference by adapting your business to use more nonbinary or more gender-neutral terms. Here are 3 ways to make your photo business more inclusive:
Ask for the pronouns on your contact form
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A quick add-on to your contact form would help you address your future client the right way. I added a form just asking for the pronoun. Do not assume a pronoun based on name or tone. Make sure to use the pronoun in any communication you have with them from now on.
Use gender-neutral terms and nouns in any communication
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Instead of Bride/groom/fiance/fiancée, you can use Favorite Person, Fave Geek, or just use their name. If you use templates, make sure to review them and change the terms to nongendered ones. You will be surprised how not inclusive the whole industry can be and how used we are to use gendered terms and stereotypes.
Use gender-neutral names for the party people
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Instead of using "Bridal Party", "Groomsmen", "Bridesmaid", "Maid of Honor" or "Best man", you can use gender-neutral ones like Wedding Party, <Name>'s Crew, Wedding Crew, Wedding peeps, The Fellowship of the Ring, you name it. You can get very creative and have some fun with it. I love using Wedding Crew or Fellowship of the ring. Don't know which one to use? Ask them to come up with one!
There is still a long way to go to make everything inclusive. and so many things that you can still do. Do you have some other suggestions? Please let me know!
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May the force be with you!