Five quick tips for finding queer friendly wedding suppliers in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Scotland

You should be able to just be YOU on your wedding day.

No matter who you love or how you identify. No matter how you look or what you choose to wear. And you want the people you choose to be a part of your day to give you the acceptance and understanding to fully be yourselves.

So when not comes to finding wedding suppliers you *know* will get you, where do you start? Here are five quick and easy tips for making sure you find wedding suppliers who are inclusive:

1) Do they show inclusivity and diversity in their work?

It’s one thing for a business to *say* they’re inclusive, but are they walking the walk? Do they proudly share content of queer folks on their socials and websites regularly- and not just during pride month? And are they accepting of all kinds of queer love- trans people included? There are a lot of businesses who will pop a pride flag up in their profile for the month of June, or share a queer wedding photo once in a blue moon. If diversity and inclusion is truly important to them then queer love should be highlighted all throughout their online content, the images they feature on their website, the blog posts they share and the marketing materials they send out too.

2) Do they use inclusive language in their content?

If everything a supplier shares using the terms “bride and groom”, they’ve obviously not put much thought into inclusivity. Do they ask for your pronouns in their contact form? Do they share their own pronouns? Do they use gender inclusive language in place of heteronormative terms? If a supplier is using “married people” instead of bride and groom or sharing their pronouns in their email signature, that’s a good sign they’ll accept you- and celebrate you- for who you are. You shouldn’t have to ask!

3) Do they belong to any LGBTQ+ directories?

If someone has been invited into a queer friendly directory, chances are they’ve been vetted to ensure they are doing the work to be an ally. There are several great directories in Scotland who are specifically tailored to queer couples: I’m proud to be a member of Rebel Love Directory, and there are several others with a similar approach like The Gay Wedding Directory.  Similarly, if they’ve been invited to take part in queer wedding shows or are a preferred supplier at an inclusive venue, it’s a fairly safe bet that their values are in the right place.

4) Do they share their values- as a person and as a business- loudly and proudly?

If a business is queer friendly, they should be upfront about that value and not have it tucked away in the fine print. Some business will share their values on a page on their website or as part of their “About Me” section. Others might have them in their instagram highlights or in a featured post. Business who are  value centred are usually proud to share what’s important to them- and if you share those same values then you’ve found someone who will be a great fit for your day.

5) Do they challenge discrimination?

If they get negative comments on their content- do they respond and stand up for what’s right? Do they make an example of those keyboard warriors or call out other businesses who aren’t playing their part? Or do they keep quiet because they don’t want to rustle any feathers? The more bold the business is about standing up against hate, the more likely they are to stand up for you on your day. Another great way to find true ally businesses is to see if they have created specific content addresses these issues. Have they been interviewed on a podcast and shared their story? (this has personally happened to me, after a viral post from a gorgeous trans wedding and the particularly nasty bout of hatred that followed- listen here)  Have they created a blog post about standing up against hate? Do they share news and content about LGBTQ+ rights in their stories?

All wedding businesses *should* be inclusive. But the truth is, they aren’t.

In an ideal world, this wouldn’t even be a consideration. Until we get there though, these considerations should help you to find wedding suppliers who are queer friendly, value inclusivity and are there to help celebrate ALL love- just as they should. You deserve to be accepted and celebrated as you are- and so does your love.

If you’re looking for an inclusive wedding photographer in Glasgow, Edinburgh and anywhere in Scotland: you’re in the right place. If you take a look through my website, socials and online content I hope you’ll find I tick all the boxes above- and you’ll see that I only work with businesses who share the same values and approach. (You won’t find me working at Trump Turnberry, for example;)) Drop me a message at hello@rhiannoneale.com to check availability for your date and chat all things weddings!