Why does a wedding planner want to talk about politics and identity? As a Texas-based business owner, you can imagine how often I get asked that question. But the answer is always the same: because politics and identity affect everything I do: my choice of hairstyle, who I work with, the very fact that I’m a black-owned business that loves working with same-sex couples in a state that makes its position on that very well-known. I could go on. But ultimately, do you know why? Because people are politics.

While in San Francisco for {un}convention last month, carly+jen, as well as our friends Marita and Brandon from Slingin' Pretty, visited the home studio of Danielle Wen of Lace & Liberty.