Kitty + Liam // Styled Elopement

UM, HI.

I’m not sure that I’ve ever been more excited to share a shoot before.;this one was just a complete and utter dream and it’s gonna be a challenge for me to ever top it.

This styled elopement was honestly born out of my deep and endless frustrations with the wedding industry. So many shoots that I see not only look identical stylistically, but almost always feature thin, white, able-bodied heterosexual couples. For couples who fall outside of this box, it’s so hard to find any kind of wedding inspiration. You can scour Pinterest for literal hours and barely turn up a single shoot of a queer couple, an interabled couple, or people of color. Being a fat queer woman, this…sucks. I hate it. I know what it feels like to not see my body type represented within mainstream media. I know how it feels to walk into a wedding day knowing that my orientation will be judged at best and condemned at worst. The wedding industry is not a friendly place for marginalized folks of any sort. I sincerely want to remedy this.

Every vendor featured in this shoot is not only incredibly talented, but also part of the LGBTQ+ community, a person of color, or some intersection of the two. Some of us have disabilities, most of us are women - and all of us put our entire hearts into what we do.

My call to action for every couple currently planning a wedding (or anyone who’ll take on that endeavor in the future) is to pay close attention to the people you choose to hire for your day. Please ask if they work with LGBTQ+ couples. Please make sure they’re including people of color in what they do. Please make sure that their ethos aligns with the values you want to support. I totally realize that some of these decisions may seem so inane and arbitrary, but trust me - you have the power to create a safe environment for your queer friends + family to celebrate your love, to financially support POC-owned businesses, to vote with your dollars, and to be an ally to people who may not look like you. Don’t squander it.

I will temporarily hop off that soapbox and onto another: the one where I praise every last person who contributed to this shoot! I’ll list all of the creators below, please check them out and give them all of the love they deserve. I’ve just been blown away by the team I got to work with on this one. Chelsea from Moda Muneca makes some of the most stunning gowns I have ever seen and if I could cover my body in her designs until the end of time, I would. AND THE FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS. Can we talk about those for a moment? I could not be more honored to work with Asrai Garden. If you’re ever in the Chicago area, drop by their shop. You will lose your mind. I’ve never seen dreamier florals than these and I could hardly believe they were for me to play with. My sweet, wonderfully talented friend Jenae knocked it out of the park as usual. She’s the one I go to for my own hair if that’s any indication of how much I trust her artistry. And both of these jewelry babes are just too cool. I’ve got my own collection of pieces from Delbame that I wear literally every week and I’m pretty sure I’ll be purchasing everyone’s Christmas gifts from Coco Rose. You are 110% missing out if you don’t pay each of these fine folks a visit.

As always, thanks so much for supporting all of my wild projects and dreams. If you ever need a lil bit of assistance in planning a wedding that also smashes the patriarchy and defies all heteronormative puritanical nonsense, I’m your gal. Seriously, so happy to help you find inclusive vendors, encourage you to ditch tradition, or just be your weird cheerleader while you navigate the world of weddings.

dress // Moda Muneca
florals // Asrai Garden
hair + makeup // Jenae VanBoxel, Studio Luxe
rings // Delbame Jewelry
necklace // Coco Rose by Sly