We have a very important article to share with you all today, put together by the brilliant Saori and DeVante of Spirit of Revelry. They are a husband and wife photography team based in America who have been instrumental in my personal journey to becoming actively anti-racist and who I have huge admiration for.
The Black Lives Matter movement has had a huge impact on Festival Brides and is something we are extremely passionate about. If you follow us on social media, in particular on Instagram, you will know that we are dedicated to spreading awareness and the truth when it comes to systematic racism and are doing a Anti-Racism and White Privilege Course with the incredible UK activist Nova Reid. If you have not heard of Nova before then the below TEDx talk on Microaggressions is a great place to start and offers a powerful introduction to the life changing work that she does. If it leaves you curious to learn more, she also offers a free Anti-Racism Guide and has a brilliant, thought provoking podcast (which I love so much) called Conversations With Nova Reid.
Nova’s anti-racism course is spread across 12 months and I (Laura – founder of Festival Brides) am only 2 months in. I have barely scratched the surface of my unlearning but my goodness has it been completely life changing and I mean that with every part of my soul. What I thought I knew about society and the world I live in has been completely ripped apart. I am learning about slavery and the history of racism in Britain. How every single system that exists in this country, and others, has been built to benefit the white race and to suppress people of colour, in-particular the black and brown community. I am learning about White Privilege, White Supremacy, Microaggressions and Anti-Blackness – words that before my course used to make me feel uncomfortable. Now that I understand what those words mean, I can see they are not an attack on the white race but rather a way of helping people understand how racism exists within us, through no fault of our own. I am understanding how I, as a white person, am a part of a system that has been conditioned by society to have racist biases. I was unaware of them until I started the course. In fact, I would have laid money on not having hidden racism within me. As far as I was concerned racism in our society was getting better and I was one of the good, more liberated people who ‘didn’t see colour.’ How wrong I was. Hidden racial biases sadly exists in everyone who has been conditioned by the white supremacist system. Even within the black and brown community who have been subtly conditioned by society to believe that white is best and that the closest you can be to the white way of thinking, or presenting yourself as white (i.e. the way you dress, style your hair, your language etc), the more opportunities you will have to succeed in life. It’s why bleaching face creams are still best sellers in Asia. Honestly, I feel liberated to be in a process of unlearning and unpicking these hidden biases – doing this course has been the most important thing I have ever done. I don’t want to live my life through closed eyes. I want to make change. It is so important to me.
As well as Nova, Saori and DeVante have been instrumental in my learning, or rather unlearning, of racism when the BLM movement came to prominence within the media in May and June. They shared a series of excellent videos which shined a bright beaming light on racism within the wedding industry, especially when it comes to photography and the way black and brown skin is edited. They had such a profound effect on me that I asked if they would be interested in sharing more…
“Society has seen a collective awakening in recent weeks, and there’s been a push for anti-racist action from leaders, politicians, business owners, and consumers alike. If you have a genuine desire to be a part of the change, there are plenty of strategies and lifestyle changes you can implement to do so. However, you must first understand the deep-rooted effects of Black oppression from the inside out. It’s imperative to do the work to comprehend how you may have benefitted from the same system that oppresses others, and learn the importance of dismantling it. If you’re still wondering why it’s so urgent to support Black-owned businesses, honour the valuable opportunity to educate yourself on the topic. There is no shame in learning how to support underrepresented groups such as the Black and Brown and LGBTQIA+ communities. Becoming a better ally is a journey… A marathon. And in this industry in particular, you have so much power and influence you can use while planning out your big day.”
Saori and DeVante of Spirit of Revelry
This is only a snippet from this brilliant article by Saori and DeVante. It offers invaluable advice and just makes me love them even more!! Writing articles like this are not easy. Nova often talks about the huge impact being an activist has on her mental health. I am so thankful to Saori and DeVante for writing this article and sharing their insight with us today.
The most powerful steps you can make in being actively anti-racist is to engage with articles like this one. To listen, learn and then unlearn.
The article starts with us getting to know a bit more about Saori and DeVante, their love for photography and their endearing passion for capturing the love between two humans. Their advice on the anti-racism steps you can take when planning your wedding comes further down and is just brilliant on all levels.
So without further ado, I will hand you over to Saori and DeVante from Spirit of Revelry.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN…
DeVante: Every photographer’s reason for picking up the camera is unique. For me, it has always been about art. I was constantly torn between the pressure of making my parents proud by getting a college degree, and pursuing my own creative passions such as singing, writing, traveling, and photography. In 2017, a friend of mine sold me his old camera and I fell in love. I felt like I found a part of myself that had been missing my entire life.
Saori: I started dabbling in photography in 2010 when I was at a point in my life where the most important thing to me was self discovery. It wasn’t about a career at first, it was more so about releasing what I carried in my soul. I have always been an imaginative/creative person, and photography gave me a way to express myself in a way that a paintbrush couldn’t.
When we met, we had fairly similar life goals. The more that we got to know one another, the more we discovered how much we truly had in common. Right off the bat, we bonded over our love for travel and adventure, nature, our fondness of a good beer and great live music, and of course, photography. We got married earlier this year and decided to grab life by the horns! We ditched our day jobs and created our love child, SPIRIT OF REVELRY.
OUR INSPIRATION…
We find inspiration for our photos in the magic of everyday life. Corny, but true, and believe us, we fell in love at a smokey karaoke bar. Inspiration can come in the form of music and the way it conveys emotion directly to the soul, or the warmth and nostalgia of old TV shows like Family Matters or Fresh Prince. We find it in the bond between a mother and her baby. Weird, foreign films in languages we don’t understand. Poetry. Having breakfast for dinner at our favorite campsites around a fire. The connection between lovers and their vulnerability. The universe… Basically, the human experience.
THE WHY AND THE HOW…
We’ve been on both sides of this business, and we know how difficult it can be to find your wedding photography dream team. Through our own wedding planning journey, we learned to avoid choosing someone based on price alone. If you don’t have the budget for someone you like, try to cut back somewhere else. Yes, this sounds biased coming from photographers, but it is so imperative to understand that you will get what you pay for. The documentation of your entire wedding day experience is in the hands of your photography team – it’s an enormous responsibility. The flowers will wilt, the cake will be gone, and the day will be over before you know it. The only thing you’ll have left to relive your memories will be the photographs, and their value will only increase as time goes by. One day, they may be all you have left.
FINDING THE DREAM TEAM…
We’re frequently asked if hiring a photography duo will cost twice as much, but this is definitely not the case. More often than not, the opposite is true. Hiring a single photographer and then booking a second shooter through can often cost you more. Our couples tell us how much happier they are to know they’ve got two sets of eyes on their special day, and we give them the peace of mind we’d want for ourselves. We tag team all our responsibilities in the most efficient way possible, and build the most amazing friendships with our happy, badass couples while we’re at it!
STYLE…
Some photogs have a very planned, posed, and structured approach to shooting, and some are more relaxed, candid, and intimate with their couples. Be sure to pick someone you vibe with! Every photographer has their own creative approach to editing as well. Whether their edits are light and airy, dark and moody, or warm and rustic – feel it out and decide if it’s right for you. It’s a disservice to everyone involved if you choose photographers whose price you prefer, but a style you don’t care for. While some people may not mind, what’s the point of spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on your photos, just to wind up slapping filters on the finished product?
RELATABILITY…
We cannot stress to you how important it is to find people you relate to. The key to having a great experience is to find someone who you wouldn’t mind hanging out with for extended periods of time, because… you guessed it! You’re going to hang out with them for extended periods of time! Like any friendship, your relationship with your photographers will be based on the things you have in common. Tolerating them won’t be enough for this one. Trust us, it’s WAY better when you can send each other memes and go on fun double dates together.
TACKLING PREJUDICE AND RACISM IN THE WEDDING INDUSTRY…
Society has seen a collective awakening in recent weeks, and there’s been a push for anti-racist action from leaders, politicians, business owners, and consumers alike. If you have a genuine desire to be a part of the change, there are plenty of strategies and lifestyle changes you can implement to do so. However, you must first understand the deep-rooted effects of Black oppression from the inside out. It’s imperative to do the work to comprehend how you may have benefitted from the same system that oppresses others, and learn the importance of dismantling it. If you’re still wondering why it’s so urgent to support Black-owned businesses, honor the valuable opportunity to educate yourself on the topic. There is no shame in learning how to support underrepresented groups such as the Black and brown and LGBTQIA+ communities. Becoming a better ally is a journey… A marathon. And in this industry in particular, you have so much power and influence you can use while planning out your big day.
- Listen to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) voices and stories. Re-shape your consciousness and mindset to be proactive and become informed. It’s no secret that discriminatory lending practices have affected Black business owners for so long, and for you to understand that means you can make a change. Black and brown people have to work twice as hard to be half as successful as their white counterparts.
- Cultivate an environment of diversity and inclusivity at your wedding. If your venue or photographers send you a list of preferred vendors that happens to exclude any BIPOC or LGBTQIA+ owned businesses, set off on your own search. Actively seek out Black and brown vendors whether you scour through Instagram hashtags, Facebook recommendations, or just simple Google searchers. Gather up a team of badass, talented vendors and let your wedding be the place where they showcase their best work.
- Reviews and recommendations will make the world of a difference to your vendors. Use your voice to sing their praises wherever you can! Even after your big day has come and gone, and even if it seems like something you’d do anyway, make the effort to highlight and amplify the BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ team of businesses who bring your vision to life. Word of mouth marketing has been the predominant source of clients for us, and it means so much when our couples help us strengthen our networking efforts.
- Last but certainly not least, keep the momentum going. It’s not enough to be non-racist anymore. Part of your anti-racist journey will include unlearning your own unconscious and implicit bias. Holding yourself and others accountable. Just because something doesn’t affect you directly doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care. On the contrary, your ability to “not care” is proof of your privilege. Social media is an incredible resource for raising awareness and mobilization efforts, but your activism cannot end there. Change must also occur on a sociopolitical level, and we need all hands on deck.
This is simply scratching the surface, and we encourage you to dig deeper. Keep the conversation going and continue seeking out anti-racist education. The journey to becoming a better ally isn’t a trend, and shouldn’t be treated as such. We truly hope you’ve found something valuable in this article and cannot thank you enough for reading through to the end! We’re an open book, so please feel free to reach out with any questions or comments. We welcome you to follow along on our journey as well! We have many exciting projects in the works and cannot wait to share them with you. Cheers!
ABOUT THE AUTHORS…
Saori and DeVante are traveling wedding and portrait photographers based out of Houston, TX. Karaoke addicts, lovers of the open road, here to shake up the wedding photography industry. They live to document the art of human connection and have been shooting for 10 and 3 years, respectively. They recently married and joined forces in January 2020 to consolidate, re-brand, and launch Spirit of Revelry. They’ll be sharing some tips and pointers for couples seeking out wedding photography for their big day, and will touch on a few ways we can all eradicate the influence of prejudice and racism in the industry altogether.
If you would like to watch the videos Saori and DeVante put together to help in the fight against racism, please find them below:
Calling Out The Photography Industry
Reaching out to BIPOC and Promoting Inclusivity
Editing Melanated Skin
Huge huge HUGE thank you to Saori and DeVante for sharing all of their insight with us today. I appreciate it so much. You both rock in the biggest possible way!
Continue The Fight…
We will be sharing more resources to help in the fight against racism soon but in the meantime, please do visit Nova Reid’s website and view her online anti-racism courses. You can also follow her on Instagram.
Lastly, please find a link to a series of documentaries on racism by channel 4, BBC and Netflix that are so worth a watch:
13th – Netflix
This documentary will blow your mind. It is an absolute MUST watch if you want to understand the BLM movement, why slavery still exists in the US and why racism is an urgent issue in the entire world.
The School That Tried To End Racism – Channel 4
A brilliant BRILLIANT series that follows a pioneering British school which helps its students uncover and eradicate hidden racial biases. The students are tested for unconscious bias and are shocked by the results.
Black and British – A Forgotten History – BBC
As part of my course with Nova Reid, I am reading the book Black and British by David Olusoga. Like 13th, it is blowing my mind. If you don’t have the time to engage with the book, then watch this series. I haven’t personally watched this but my Mum has and she said they are brilliant. From watching this trailer, it sounds like she is right!
The Talk – Channel 4
On channel 4 tonight at 10pm there is The Talk featuring well known Black British celebrities. They are sharing their poignant and emotional experiences of the conversations parents have with their children to prepare them for the racism they will face:
