With Bells On!

What do you offer?

I design, print and craft colourful wedding stationery that embodies the type of party folk want to throw. I work closely with couples to understand them, their relationship and help them set the tone for the celebrations they choose to have, with all sorts of sexy paper goods.

Why do you want to work with the LGBTQ+ community?

All types of love and relationships should be celebrated, and being a part of a special day is an honour for me. I feel excited when people get engaged and want to show the world that they love each other. I make stationery that reflects their vibe and brings excitement and joy to wedding planning, which sometimes can be hard to navigate.

Allyship

Honestly, I feel I could do more and that allyship is a continuous journey. I will always ask and respect pronouns, and my contact form provides space for people to give me more detail on any accommodations I can make in terms of language, accessibility, sensory needs and how they'd like to be addressed. My email signature and the top of my website make it clear that all love is celebrated and safe with me.

I've donated to Mermaids, which I chose specifically to support young trans people and their families who are in particular need of allyship currently.

I suppose the trickiest part of allyship for any of us is to say something when we hear bigoted views, and challenge the people (sometimes who we love) when they state these beliefs. So pushing when it's uncomfortable, having conversations and not letting words pass me by.

I have an inclusivity policy on all styled shoots, so I don't take part if they only represent white, cis, het, able-bodied, thin folk. There's way too much of this content out there already, and I see styled shoots as an opportunity to tip the balance and flex our creative muscles at the same time. I'm fairly vocal on my site and Instagram about who is welcome and who is not and that I have the right as the designer to choose who to work with. I have turned people away who have made clear their bigoted views on the LGBTQIA+ community and told them exactly why I won't work with them.

This might seem like a silly one, but when I create example stationery, I always choose gender neutral names (and also things like vegan options on menus) so that the content is as inclusive as possible to whoever comes across it.