Catalyst Wedding Company highlights weddings by and for game-changers. We seek to amplify and empower voices and viewpoints that are usually missing from the Wedding Industrial Complex. We're a community of badass wedding professionals who love all things funky, fresh, diverse, unique, and personality-driven; we convene twice yearly for (un)convention, a collaborative workshop, styled shoot, and dinner party. We're also the publishers of Catalyst Wedding Mag, a resource for couples looking for inspiration and affirmation that doing things differently in wedding-world is not only ok, it's wonderful!
I love suggesting micro-weddings to couples on a tight budget or couples who don’t want to deal with the emotional labor of planning a highly detailed wedding. Micro-weddings are small celebrations that don’t skimp on style but do cut a majority of the costs. But there are a few other benefits to having a tiny wedding, as well.
Read MoreSan Francisco is one of those cities that’s both magic and really authentic. It doesn’t apologize for being itself, and neither do its couples. The average wedding spend for 100–200 guests is $63,00–105,00. San Francisco is also home to the nation’s biggest Pride events. You can only imagine the magic that comes from a city priding itself on authenticity and artistic expression, not to mention the beautiful views and venues at your disposal!
Read MoreThis glamping styled shoot in Asheville was our way of shooting for us and our portfolios. It was a way for us to have a little fun behind the camera without the pressure of paying attention to clients’ expectations. I was so happy when I found Amber and Jaleesa via a model call I put out in The Queen Photographers on Facebook. They are such a lovely couple who are truly SO in love. It was a pleasure to photograph them for this shoot.
Read MoreOur fairy tale wedding was the perfect prelude to our fairy tale life. I can say this with certainty, not because we will have any particular experiences, any particular successes, or any particular things, but because whatever happens to us will be met with a spirit of gratitude, partnership, learning, and wonder.
Read MoreAfter prepping at the hotel, we made our way down to the pier. It had been overcast and threatening to pour all day, but we'd yet to have any rain and we crossed our fingers and prayed to Mother Nature to hold out until after the ceremony. Lo and behold, those grumpy grey clouds were the best thing to happen to our wedding because when we arrived at the site around 4 p.m. it was absolutely deserted! With the exception of a group of teenagers and a lone, very chilled out pot-smoking cloud gazer who was occupying the only skyline facing corner of the entire pier (and who kindly conceded it when approached by our ever efficient, polite and diplomatic officiant), we had the whole pier to ourselves! It was incredible. We felt as though we were in New York City's most exclusive spot, set against the backdrop of one of the most iconic skylines in the world. The breeze was blowing, the water was lapping and the city was just starting to light up—we were on Cloud 9!
Read MoreAbout three years later, still not married and a two-year-old son later, I decided it was about time we finally did it. Laying in bed one night I told her "We're getting married this year in Colorado."
Read MoreIt was actually really hard to write about our relationship without just saying I LOVE THE SHIT OUT OF HIM like a thousand times. (laughs)
I would love to say that we met in a bookstore on a crisp autumn day, but alas we met online—an anticlimactic beginning to the most fulfilling and deepest love of my life. I got to marry my best friend and the best person I know. He is the calm to my storm, the voice of reason to my extra-ness, and the smartest person I have ever met. We complement each other in so many ways — it’s almost hard to put into words. We just get each other and everything works. Our relationship is easy.
Read MoreChristine shared with us that their relationship was a bit of a roller coaster ride with highs and lows. They were even apart for a stretch. Through that she learned that when you lose something you once had, it’s an opportunity to realize how important that something — that someone — is. When they got back together, she knew that he was the one and she wanted to share all of life’s blessings and challenges with him.
Read MoreMonica and Chris, a Broadway violinist and a violin maker, sat up in bed one evening and realized that the big NYC loft wedding they’d planned wasn’t at all how they wanted to be married. Going back to the drawing board they stumbled upon the perfect little garden on the Lower East Side and decided they’d have a wonderful dinner with 30 people nearby at Edi & the Wolf.
"After spending a couple years embroiled in the process of wedding planning for a larger affair, we have decided to throw the big event out the window and take off to Bavaria to elope. We are flexible with the specific day, but we are shooting for sometime during the two weeks of folk festivals that take place around mid-August in Garmisch-Partenkirchen to maximize the braids/lederhosen/dirndl/beer swilling good times! Do you have any availability to be flown out to capture the day and drink some german brews with us?”
That’s how it all started. My reply was almost instantaneous with a “Yes, please! I will gladly document your wedding and drink some German brews with you!” Over the next few months, Melanie and I talked back and forth to discuss logistics to make it happen. Serena was brought on as the official photographer, as I concentrated on making a memorable film of the day. Serena and I both adore intimate elopements and what could be more romantic than eloping in Bavaria, the land of Grimms’ fairy tales?
Read MoreThis wedding between two incredibly talented Irish photographers on a cliff in Carmel was fairly unplanned in that they were married the day before they intended, in a city they didn’t plan, on a cliff they hadn’t seen before, but in the end it was perfect. Their home in Northern Ireland is the only place in the UK and Ireland that doesn’t have marriage equality, so they’d been planning their Big Sur ceremony so they could get married somewhere beautiful—to finally have a piece of paper that said they married. But the week of their ceremony, the storms had been brewing in Big Sur and didn’t seem like they weren’t letting up. Warnings of weakened bridges to Big Sur, the intended wedding destination, and pictures of washed away cliffs filled my inbox as I drove from the airport to Carmel-by-the-Sea. Karolyn and Jess realized that I was there an extra day, the one day it was expected to not rain, so they decided Carmel would be the place they would get married. They were married with the sun shining down on them, hands clasped together, over the rushing sounds of waves, while greenery was hanging off cliffs for as far as the eye could see. And this is the story of how they were finally married.
Read MoreThe inspiration for this shoot was drawn from the Zodiac signs, specifically Libra and Capricorn, without being too literal. Libras are known for being harmonious with a light and airy personality, while Capricorns rely on structure and are represented by dark, earthy tones. A scale is the symbol for Libra, so the shoot also plays with the theme of balance, which can be seen through the contrast of the light and dark color palette.
This was meant to be a nontraditional shoot, set in an intimate venue with a backdrop that acted as a setting for the ceremony, as well as the dessert bar. One bride rocked a flowy, ivory jumpsuit, while the other wore a dark lavender tulle skirt with an intricately beaded ivory top. The jewelry was hand-selected to compliment each bride’s sign, with one ring boasting a dark green sapphire and the other, a light blue sapphire.
I never wanted to plan a wedding, as I think it’s a waste of our time and money. I always believed that the plan would reveal itself when we’re ready. So a week ago, we jokingly talked about getting married before Trump becomes president. We looked at the calendar and saw Friday the 13th and thought it was perfect! Shortly after, we picked what to wear from our closets, we asked friends (and our witnesses) to come over on Friday, and we spent less than $500 in food, drinks, etc. We had no plan. Our only plan was to enjoy each other’s company.
Read MoreWill and Ruby eloped on the winter solstice, December 21, 2016, at Charlotte Beach in Vermont. Will built a fire from drift wood to warm their hands, much to the confusion of their puppy, who continuously tried to start a game of fetch. A truly intimate event, the only people present were myself and the officiant while they exchanged their vows on the shores of Lake Champlain. It was incredible.
"We chose to celebrate our marriage on the winter solstice to create a glowing memory to brighten the shortest and darkest day of the year. The lake and Charlotte Beach hold a wistful and romantic place in both of our lives. We could not have picked a more memorable and moving time, place, and photographer to engrave this moment into our memory." - Will
We sat down with Kelley Raye to learn more about her deep-rooted entrepreneurial spirit, how she taught herself the art of photography, and how she and her wife scrapped their wedding plans after four stressful months to elope and travel.
Read MoreNora and Ben were married at San Francisco City Hall surrounded by their families and a good friend. I loved that they weren't afraid to do things a little differently. Nora wore the white, embroidered overalls her mother was married in paired with a lacy, backless top and gold shoes. For their flowers, which were made by a friend, Handsome Flowers, Nora asked for a bouquet that looked like it could have been foraged in the forest. Ben's only request: mushrooms. Which resulted in one of the coolest boutonnieres I've seen!
Read MoreThe pair was planning an August wedding at the Berkeley Botanical Gardens, but given the current political climate they decided to move up their legal ceremony. I donated this session as a part of Catalyst Wed Co’s movement to support LGBTQ and undocumented couples in the wake of the election. Thomas, Craig, and I gave $500 to the Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth, in lieu of the session fee.
Read MoreNatalie and Lucie were visiting from London and got in touch with me before their trip because they knew that while here on holiday they wanted to tie the knot. I was not only their photographer, but also their witness at City Hall. They told me they both love architecture, so after their ceremony at City Hall in Manhattan, we went over to Brooklyn and took photos in DUMBO with the Brooklyn Bridge as an awesome backdrop, as well as the rest of the fun feel of the neighborhood. The colorful murals were perfect for their white outfits to pop against! They wanted intimate and romantic mixed with fun, and I think we accomplished that well!
Read MoreOnline two years ago, they both swiped right, despite no written profile. They went out for a quick glass of wine on their first date, but Katie had made dinner plans (as an escape option), not that she really needed them as they got on very well and had quite a bit in common. She was headed to the Cayman Islands for the holidays, and then they lost touch a bit as Sylvester’s matches disappeared! Sylvester remembered what Katie did and found her on LinkedIn; she accepted his request to connect, but she was headed away again skiing in the French alps! He wondered who this jet-setting woman was… Date two was again just a drink (as Katie “conveniently” had dinner plans, again), but Sylvester persevered, and they had a lovely third date at Beauty & Essex on the Lower East Side, followed by ‘pint-size’ glasses of red wine in a nearby hotel lobby. They discovered a photo booth in the basement where they had their first kiss (yes we have the photos still) and the rest is history!
Read MoreWhen Brittany and Alex, owners of SCULPTEDFILMS learned that their family will be expanding come this July, they knew that they had to expand their business as well, because a triple-faceted business is hard enough for a two-person team without anticipating a birth in the middle of wedding season. Cue their new, fabulous second shooter, Brianna, who photographed this shoot. As an exercise to train Brianna, and to show off some SCULPTEDFLORALS, we put this elopement inspiration shoot together about as spontaneously as a real elopement might happen.
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Catalyst Wedding Company highlights weddings by and for game-changers. We seek to amplify and empower voices and viewpoints that are usually missing from the Wedding Industrial Complex. We're a community of badass wedding professionals who love all things funky, fresh, diverse, unique, and personality-driven; we convene twice yearly for (un)convention, a collaborative workshop, styled shoot, and dinner party. We're also the publishers of Catalyst Wedding Mag, a resource for couples looking for inspiration and affirmation that doing things differently in wedding-world is not only ok, it's wonderful!
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