Celebrating Diversity // Change Starts at Home

I have been thinking a lot about what is happening across the world right now, and was struggling with how I could make a change. And then I came across a post by Huck Magazine.

Change starts at Home

So last night I sat down and started researching Cultural Diversity in Weddings. I was reading about Indigenous marriage, and realised how little people of colour are represented in Wedding Posts, Blogs and Magazines across Australia and the World.

Here at de lumière we are truly blessed to be able to capture people across all cultures and religions, so this week we are going to celebrate diversity. I will share some of our gorgeous multicultural weddings, knowledge that I have learnt about indigenous marriage, and stories from my own personal experience.

Because changes starts at home.

Let's start at the beginning...

I was raised in the country on acreage just outside of a small country town in Riverina, NSW. My father was a local doctor, and we were a religious family. I was always a very serious kid who preferred her horse (and various other pets) over people, who ALWAYS had her head buried in a book, with a heart for minorities. When I was about 4 years old my father went to South Africa, and took the family with him (Mum, my sister and myself). We travelled through Kenya visiting small villages and from memory it was a missionary/medical trip.

We were exposed first hand to how the Third World lived and I think that those memories really stuck with me and changed how I viewed my place in the world. I have never taken what I have for granted, knowing that it was just a twist of fate that I was born into a the family and country that I was.

Despite their situation the South African people were so open, and excited to meet us. I was a complete novelty to them as I had dead straight white blonde hair, and pale skin. If you have a look at the photo below you can see me on the left surrounded by curious children all touching and feeling my hair.

Not long after our return to Australia, my brother arrived. Mum and Dad had applied to adopt a little boy from South Korea. He was nine months old on his arrival. Matthew became an integral part of my life, he had a wicked sense of humour, loved cuddles and grew into a sweet empathetic young man. Tragically he died at just 19 years of age.

After school I studied Nursing, my goal was to travel and use my skills to aid people in Third World Countries. Fate had other plans though and the next 25 years of highs and incredible lows have resulted in the resilient, strong woman and mother that I am now.

I am still the one who speaks up for the minority, who has a heart for tradition, and I still have my head constantly buried in a book (just ask my husband!).

My kids have grown up with those same values, I have encourage them to travel the world, to see and experience cultures other than their own. To understand how privileged they are to live where they live, to have received an education, and to know that they are free to pursue the lives that they choose while others aren't.

My business, I hope is a reflection of those values, and shows my passion for capturing real moments and memories for ALL - knowing from experience how incredibly precious those moments are.

So why am I telling you all of this?

I am not a stranger to isolation, grief, or injustice. I have endured tragedy after tragedy and have experience firsthand how cruel people and life can be.

Watching the world currently struggle with isolation, devastation, and racial injustices, has stirred something in me.

It's difficult to know where to start but I am a bigger believer that change has to start small, and it has to start at home.

Where to go from here?

I am going to start by spending time learning about Indigenous Australians, and sharing some of what I learn with you all.

And I hope that by continuing to share our amazingly diverse clientele with you that we can celebrate what it means to be human, in all our glorious diversity.