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Inclusivity Matters: Meet the Boutique Owner Championing Diversity

We caught up with Rebecca Baddeley of TDR Bridal about their latest shoot, to highlight the ongoing need for diversity in the wedding industry.

Zoe Burke

21 August, 2023

eyes to pixels

Group shot from a diverse wedding shoot featuring a range of different models in wedding dresses, including a heavily tattooed woman, a model in a wheelchair, a trans model, a model with one leg, a model with one arm, a model with Downs Syndrome, a model holding her walking stick up in the air and more, all posed in front of gold palm trees and a glittering gold back drop in an industrial wedding venue setting — eyes to pixels

We caught up with Rebecca Baddeley of TDR Bridal about their latest shoot, which focuses on featuring a range of diverse models, to highlight the ongoing need for diversity in the wedding industry.

Here at Hitched, we’re on a mission to make sure everyone feels wedding ready, because if you’re getting married, you are already wedding ready.

We want to banish the idea of a ‘bridal body’ and kill the concept that weddings are just for brides and grooms, because frankly, none of that is true. And we’re so delighted to see other wedding businesses spreading that message too.

Rebecca Baddeley is the owner of Birmingham wedding dress shop TDR Bridal, which she founded in 2006. For almost 20 years, she and her team have been empowering nearlyweds and helping them to feel radiant on the day.

A model smiling in an off-the-shoulder wedding dress as her train is held up by a laughing stylist, who is taking a photo on her phone — Eyes to Pixels

Rebecca is keenly aware of the need for more representation in the wedding industry: “I have a brother with cerebral palsy, and I’ve always been acutely aware of the challenges and the exclusion he is faced with in his everyday life.”

As a result of this first hand experience, Rebecca devised a concept for a shoot that would be truly representative. “I wanted to do something to celebrate all these incredible people,” she told us. “I want to celebrate their uniqueness, but above all, empower them and allow them to tell the world ‘we get married too!’”

A group of models, featuring a heavily tattooed model in a bridal jumpsuit posing in an arm chair, surrounded by other models, including a person of short stature, and a trans model in front of a gold glittering back drop with gold palm trees — Eyes to Pixels

She pulled together a shoot featuring 15 models, with three photographers. It took place at The Wedding House Droitwich, with dresses supplied by TDR Bridal and makeup by Bridal By.

Describing how it felt to see her vision come to life, Rebecca says: “The shoot was emotional, celebrational, nerve-wracking, exciting, thought-provoking, fun, soul searching, empowering, educational, enlightening and every other emotion you could possibly imagine. The goose bumps were on high alert and the tears of joy were abundant.”

A model in a ball gown tulle wedding dress seated in an arm chair in front of a gold glittering backdrop, confidently holding her mobility aid to one side — Eyes to Pixels

It’s clear that to Rebecca, this is more than just a shoot and a one-off celebration - it’s a way of life for her business and a message that she’s keen to spread: “Whilst I understand that being a business that is inclusive, in all its forms, can be challenging, it is something I am incredibly passionate about.

“Being inclusive is always a work in progress, it’s a daily reminder to think about how we treat others and how we respond to different situations.”

Scroll on to see more images from this incredible shoot, as well as details of the vendors and models who brought it to life...