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Award Winning Wedding Photographer

by Gem Wright | Last updated Mar 3, 2025 | Published on Mar 3, 2025

Gem and her boys cuddle in front of rainbow wings

Why I entered the Quirky Wedding Awards

Back in May 2024, I entered the Quirky Wedding Awards. I don’t tend to enter wedding industry awards as a lot of them seem to be a very expensive popularity contest. The reason I entered the Quirky Wedding Awards is because their team of judges share the same values and ethos as me. Their awards are not based on couples’ votes, but instead on the quality of the company.

Festival Wedding at Himley Glamping West Midlands

The Judging Criteria

My website, marketing materials, reviews and social media sites were looked through thoroughly and scored in four main areas; uniqueness, inclusivity & accessibility, sustainability and customer service. Here are just a few of the judging criteria:

alternative wedding photographer Digbeth birmingham midlands

Inclusivity and Accessibility

🖤 Are you inclusive in your use of imagery?
🖤 Does your language promote inclusivity?
🖤 Have you made it clear you are inclusive to all types of couples?
🖤 Do you specifically cater for couples from the LGBTQ+ community?
🖤 Do you use the right language e.g not referring just to ‘bride and groom’ and using/asking for pronouns?
🖤 Does your imagery include couples of all cultures?
🖤 Have you worked weddings of different cultures or have you explained you are open to them?
🖤 Have any of your photoshoots or imagery included cultural appropriation? – this is a negative thing!
🖤 Do your videos include subtitles/captions?
🖤 Do you use Alt text on social media and on images on your website?

Uniqueness

🖤 Does your product or service have a unique selling point?
🖤 Is it something we’ve not seen before?
🖤 Have you put a unique spin on something traditional?
🖤 Are the couples you work with all similar or are you appealing to a wider audience?
🖤 Do you encourage uniqueness from your couples?
🖤 Do you offer bespoke services? Or have you made it clear that your services can be bespoke?

Sustainability

🖤 Do you promote sustainability?
🖤 Are you part of any sustainability alliances?
🖤 Have you been featured in any sustainable wedding blogs?
🖤 Do you discuss sustainability on your social media?
🖤 Have you done any sustainable-focussed weddings?
🖤 Do you run any sustainable initiatives e.g planting a tree to offset carbon emissions from each wedding?

Customer Service

🖤 Do you have positive reviews and happy customers?
🖤 Do your testimonials talk about you going above and beyond?
🖤 Do you seem to build a personal relationship with your clients?
🖤 Do clients engage with you on social media posts?

Award Winning Photographer

Having been judged against all the criteria, I’m so excited to say that I’m now officially an award winning wedding photographer! To get through to the finals, and then to be selected as the winner from so many incredible photographers has been my biggest achievement so far and I am so proud of my little business.