Allison & Holly – Changing The Lens - Queer Wedding Inspiration & Education

Words by Amber from Honey & Lux Photography

Changing the Lens was a labor of love, brought to life through the unfortunate circumstances of a queer couple being rejected for services by a photo/video business in my hometown Brantford, Ontario.

As a queer photographer I noticed that many photographers were expressing that they had not had the opportunity to work with 2SLGBTQIA+ couples, and some were using language and terminology that might actually still paint them as discriminatory. This styled shoot was planned to provide photographers an opportunity to get beautiful portfolio content of a real couple. Additionally, an educational component was added so that photographers could invest in the work of learning how to avoid unintentionally excluding this clientele.

Instead, attendees engaged in conversation facilitated by two queer educators, to learn how to cultivate space for queer love in their business structure and practices, and spread that education so that we can make effective change in this industry.

How Did You Meet?

In December of 2017, I slid into Hollys DM’s on Instagram. Holly was back home in Niagara for her winter break as she was attending university on the east coast at the time. The first ACTUAL date was on Christmas Eve at the movies, and Holly panicked and got orange soda because she was so nervous even though it’s pretty much her least favorite soda ever. Allison dropped her free movie passes in the parking lot, which were gifted to her for Christmas by her grandmother, and had to crawl under a car to retrieve them. We were (and still are) quite the pair. Fast forward a couple of dates, and we found out we had actually crossed paths a few times in high school, always just missing each other.

Tell Us Your Favorite Memory Together?

Our favorite memory together is when we took our first trip together to Montreal. Holly was going for the weekend to attend a conference and invited me to come along. We had only been together for a few months at this time, and this trip really confirmed how we felt about one another. We were long-distance at the time, so we really treasured being able to spend whatever time we could together here and there. The memory is bitter-sweet as it ended with Holly driving back to the East Coast and myself (Allison) flying back home to Niagara.

What’s The Biggest Challenge We’ve Overcome Together?

Beginning and maintaining our relationship long-distance was probably the biggest challenge we have had to overcome. Holly would either fly or drive home every couple of weeks, and we’d spend the weekend together, making it hard to go our separate ways each time. Eventually, Holly moved back home to continue her studies here in Ontario, and we moved in together shortly after. And the months of falling asleep over facetime and hopping on planes were all proven to be more than worth it.

What’s Your Favorite Thing About One Another?

A: My favorite thing about Holly is probably her willingness to go out of her way to help and support others. This is something that carries over from her personal life to her professional life. She also really loves goats, and I love that she really loves goats.

H: My favorite thing about Allison is her never-failing ability to make me laugh no matter what. And the way she smiles shyly when she’s driving and knows I’m looking at her but won’t acknowledge it. She’s also really fucking hot.

What Are Your Plans For The Future Together?

Hopefully, a house, maybe a dog, some cows and goats, a few cats and a couple of snazzy rings. We’re both still in school right now and have big plans for grad school, amongst other things, so we’ll be living the student life for a while yet. But we have many things to look forward to, hoping to start a family one day and have some kids and all that stuff.