Editor’s Letter: Introducing Our #AlreadyWeddingReady Campaign
Zoe Burke, Editor of Hitched, explains more about the #AlreadyWeddingReady campaign and why it's important to spread the message
I want to start by saying how excited I am to share our latest Hitched campaign with you. I’m excited, but also grateful, optimistic and hopeful - and even a bit emotional - about our #AlreadyWeddingReady campaign.
I’ve worked in weddings for a really long time (like, a really long time) and whilst I love this industry so much, I’m also well aware of its faults and failings.
There is a long way to go when it comes to things like inclusivity and representation in the wedding industry, and the pressure couples can feel, to lose weight, to spend more, to change themselves, all for one day can be overwhelming.
As Editor of Hitched, I’ve always wanted to help couples enjoy planning. To me, that means feeling confident, comfortable and most importantly, seen. It means pushing back against the narrative of ‘getting’ wedding ready.
So we’ve worked with a group of five truly inspiring individuals to share their stories, and I’m so grateful to them for speaking up about how they are #AlreadyWeddingReady, just as they are.
As we move into wedding season, and my inbox fills up with pitches about ‘wedding workouts’ and ‘bridal Botox’, let's instead listen to the stories from Eliza, Chloe, Yasmin, Eden-James and Cameron and focus on what it really means to be wedding ready.
- Eliza’s Story: Already Wedding Ready as a Disabled Wheelchair User
- Chloe’s Story: Already Wedding Ready as a Plus Size Woman
- Yasmin’s Story: Already Wedding Ready as a Bald Woman with Alopecia
- Eden-James & Cameron’s Story: Already Wedding Ready as a Transgender Couple
I’m grateful to all these individuals for sharing their empowering stories, and I’m also grateful to our Deputy Editor Rima for taking this idea and bringing it to life.
This isn’t just a one-off thing either - I want us to keep this conversation going, to use Hitched to help more nearlyweds feel represented, so please do download the badge (you can save it as a sticker on your phone or apply it to your photos using a free photo editing app like Canva!), use the hashtag #AlreadyWeddingReady and share your story too.
If you want your story about how you feel wedding ready to be shared on Hitched, please get in touch via editorial@hitched.email - I’d love to hear from you.
Zoe x
