{"id":18537,"date":"2022-06-23T12:00:38","date_gmt":"2022-06-23T18:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/?p=18537"},"modified":"2023-02-08T12:38:15","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T19:38:15","slug":"for-the-vendors-celebrating-diversity-inclusion-guest-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/2022\/06\/23\/for-the-vendors-celebrating-diversity-inclusion-guest-post\/","title":{"rendered":"FOR THE VENDORS: CELEBRATING DIVERSITY + INCLUSION {GUEST POST}"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maybe you haven\u2019t noticed yet, but we \u2014 your Wedding Collective team \u2014 take our jobs here very, very seriously. It\u2019s an honor and a privilege to be perched here, in between engaged couples<\/a> and wedding pros<\/a>, collecting and sharing the love stories from our community<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

And yes, just because it\u2019s a whole lot of fun to do, too, doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s not serious, too! Seriously.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Enough with the tongue twisters, though \u2014 what follows is a guest post<\/a> written by two phenomenal wedding professionals from New Mexico\u2019s community<\/a> of magic makers: Lexa of Lexa Rose Photography<\/a> and Jamila of Mila\u2019s Mesa<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The serious part is that both of these creative, wedding-obsessed artists<\/a> are seriously talented at what they do, and they\u2019re doing us all a favor by breaking down an important topic \u2014 diversity and inclusion \u2014 in a fun and digestible way. (Thank you for that, Lexa + Jamila!)<\/em><\/p>\n

The other serious part is that what you\u2019re about to read was originally given as a speech at one of our favorite community events \u2014 WedTalks<\/a>. But don\u2019t worry if you missed the boat for that in-person, super fun, catered learning opportunity<\/a>! You can keep scrolling for the text format of this speech, and we have another super cool event<\/a> around the corner almost always.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

So, without further ado \u2014\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Lexa Rose Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Wedding Vendors:<\/strong> Questions to ask yourself to see if you\u2019re celebrating diversity and inclusion.<\/h3>\n

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We all<\/em> have the need to feel seen and heard, it is a natural part of the human experience.<\/p>\n

As humans, we need to know we are not the only ones who are experiencing something. That is why we seek out groups of people we identify with in our private lives, like clubs, chat groups, churches, and communities that welcome us.<\/p>\n

Weddings are a kind of a representation of our personal community. As wedding professionals<\/a>, we are trusted with participating in this intimate and private life-event for our couples. When hired, we are asked, in a sense, to contribute in creating spaces\/experiences<\/a> where our clients and their guests feel seen, heard, represented, welcomed, and accepted.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to be mindful and inclusive, as wedding professionals<\/a>, because it benefits everyone by building bridges of kindness towards others, and THAT’S how a community is formed!<\/p>\n

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Lexa Rose Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Terms like \u201cinclusive<\/em>\u201d and \u201cdiverse<\/em>\u201d have become stigmatized over time, but let\u2019s break them down.<\/p>\n

Inclusivity<\/strong> is providing an equal opportunity to your service regardless of and not exclusive of people with different races, ethnicities, ages, genders, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, disabilities, and more.<\/p>\n

Diversity<\/strong> simply involves having a range of people with various ethnic, racial,\u00a0 cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, while also expressing various lifestyles, experiences, and interests. This means having a variety of individuals and points of view represented through your work. More easily put, diversity is a group of people who are different, in the same place.<\/p>\n

As vendors, we know that a lot of wedding professionals<\/a> are inclusive and accepting, but how do you make that known to your couples?<\/p>\n

Do you have a website\/social media presence<\/strong> that you use to communicate and advertise? Do you have contracts that you send to your couples?<\/p>\n

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Lexa Rose Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Take a closer look at all the materials<\/strong><\/em> that you provide and market to your audience, and ask yourself these important questions:<\/p>\n