Santa Cruz, CA Santa Cruz Wedding Photographer, Carmel Wedding Photographer, Big Sur Wedding Photographer
Pride Month LGBTQIA+ Celebratory Styled Shoot
Growing up in Santa Cruz, California I think I was lucky to always have friendships with and experiences with the LGBTQIA+ community.
My mother was also a theater actress so that community too had many friendships and more wonderful experiences. I mean Santa Cruz was known as the lesbian capital of the world when I was a kid growing and forming opinions so when I say I didn’t really understand the bigotry, I didn’t. I was a kid, I knew what my parents taught me. For me I have never known what it would be to be raised in a family that isn’t inclusive or where a person has never had an experience of friendship or family with someone in the LGBTQIA+ community.
When I had had my first child in my late 20’s my ex husband and I had to move to Arizona for his work and wow did my naive little eyes get opened! I only last 10 months there needless to say….I have family members that I care about so immensely in the LGBTQIA+ community including my sibling, it’s hard for me now as a wedding photographer in Santa Cruz to imagine and understand that some in the wedding community would exclude these beautiful souls and love stories from their venues or from working together. So in an effort to counteract some of this hate and exclusionary practices….
a few of my friends in the Santa Cruz wedding community, some within the LBGTQIA+ community themselves and some not, really wanted to put together a beautiful shoot to showcase and include some more LGBTQIA+ love stories in our Santa Cruz wedding industry.
Kate did the amazing hair and make up and super cool tooth gems.
