Allied & Inclusive Vendor Guide
Take a look at my guideNew Jersey Photographer
NJ Wedding Photographer
at a minimum..You and your guests should feel celebrated and respected always.
You are freaking magical!! And you shouldn’t settle for less. So it’s important to choose vendors whose values align with your own — vendors who will throw some ass from the excitement of working with you!
This is why I put together a guide including a list of vendors. I wanted to make it easy AF for you and cut through all the B.S. so you can find your dream team and get to celebrating your love asap.
keep scrolling for the full guide!
RESPECT, REPRESENTATION, AND DIVERSITY
This is the bare minimum. Inclusivity for all is the bare freaking minimum.
Wedding Photographer in New Jersey
What to look for when searching for vendors?
GREEN FLAGS
Seeing yourselves in their work and feeling represented without having to look for it.
They’re using gender neutral language and asking for your pronouns.
A willingness to mask up if that makes you feel safe.
Accessible offerings - things like being wheelchair friendly, websites that cater to varying abilities, or even a celiac friendly menu.
Showing kindness and respect towards you and your guest’s abilities and limits.
RED fLAGS
You’re questioning whether they will be supportive of your guests.
You have to scroll all the way down someone’s social media or website just to find love that looks similar to yours.
They’re using language that leads you to believe they won’t be affirming or respectful. (bride/groom where it doesn’t fit)
Support towards anything that conflicts with human rights. (creep on their following list)
They act weird and ghost you when you ask them about being inclusive. (please tell me who!!)
Local vendor's who are brag worthy..Vendors who I’ll yell about from rooftops
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“As a Lock & Shade client, you can take comfort in knowing you’re supporting a small, feminist, female owned business that proudly stands with our local art and activism community. We regularly raise awareness and funds for progressive causes like LGBTQ and Womans Rights, to local food drives.. as we believe deeply in the connection between our salon and the city it lives in. We also take great pride in being an environmentally friendly salon, third party certified as a 99% sustainable business.”
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“We are human. And we love love. And yes, we believe child-bearing persons have a right to choose without explanation. Yes, we believe that kids' rights are more important than a gun's rights. Yes, we proudly support independent, woman-owned, minority-owned, lgbtq+ owned businesses, vendors and artists.”
and
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“Thrifting and vintage shopping isn’t just buying clothes, it’s curating. It’s slowing down, hunting for pieces with history, texture, and personality. It’s art appreciation. Fast fashion is made to be worn for a moment. Vintage is made to be kept, styled, and lived in. If you’d rather build a closet that feels like you instead of the trend cycle, that’s what we’re here for”
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“We are a safe and inclusive space for all. We will not tolerate any racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism or any other form of bigotry in our space.”
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Custom cakes and baked goods - a staple in Asbury Park. Allergy friendly!
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“I work with couples across identities and relationship structures, and I am deeply committed to creating spaces where everyone feels seen and celebrated.”
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“Fen went above and beyond all our expectations. We got a documentary style wedding video and she truly captured the most special parts of our day. From using a drone to multiple cameras being set up during the ceremony and first dance, Fen did it all! We saw a ton of sweet moments we may have missed and it was the best reliving every second of our special day watching our video. The background music she chose was beautiful, and the sound was crisp and clear. There wasn’t a part that she missed! Fen blended right in! We hardly noticed the camera out so she truly got some really candid moments. We could not recommend Fen more! Her work is beautiful and she is extremely kind and calm—definitely someone you want around on your day!”
Fen is one of the kindest human’s I’ve come across in this industry.
All gender identities and expressions. All orientations. All bodies. All abilities. All Peoples.
This business is proudly LGBTQ+ owned and celebrated. And anyone who is in this industry and doesn’t support all love, needs to GTFO immediately.
A perfect blend of dreamy art and real moments,
not bound by tradition or convention.You don’t have to choose between fine art or documentary-style photos for your memories. You can have both; art that feels like you and candids that show how the day really felt.
where to next?