212: Inclusivity in the Wedding and Event Industry

Not all couples consist of a bride and a groom. And not all wedding guests self identify as simply male or female! Although the wedding industry follows a long history of traditional gender roles, times they are a changin'! In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting about the small steps and shifts in mindset you can make to ensure your business is being fully inclusive. 

About our guest:

Jess McSweeney has been a writer for as long as she can remember and a calligrapher since 2014, when she launched her business helping couples and stationers add a touch of extra romance to their wedding paper through beautiful custom lettering.

After 7+ years in the industry and one major global pandemic that stopped all weddings, she turned her love of writing beautifully into a thriving copywriting service for creative business owners. Her clients are artists and industry experts who produce inimitable and inspiring work but who struggle to tell their story in a way that connects with those they serve. Jess herself is queer, and she specializes in writing gender and sexuality inclusive copy for luxury wedding and lifestyle brands. She is currently based in Baltimore, Maryland, where she watches way too many reality TV shows and Nick Cage movies in between her wedding and writing projects. 

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Jessica's background and how she got started in the event industry
• How Jess' personal story prompted her to be passionate about inclusive language
• The importance of doing an audit of your marketing materials for inclusive language
• Alternative ways to say "bride" and "groom" on your website copy
• How to incorporate pronouns on your website and contact form
• Jessica's article/podcast episode for Etiquette for Creatives 

Want to connect with Jess?

• Online: www.jessica-mcsweeney.com
• Instagram: @jess.mcsweeney