December 14, 2018

Wes Anderson Inspired Styled Shoot at Hotel Trundle in Columbia, SC

December 14, 2018/ Hotel Trundle/ Catalyst Wedding Co

For this styled shoot, I wanted to emulate one of my favorite directors and a source of inspiration. Wes Anderson is known for his use of color, symmetry, iconic locations, and quirky characters. This styled shoot was loosely inspired by his film, The Darjeeling Limited, and was done to showcase local vendors in a simplicity that felt unique and would help others in their inspiration for their weddings or elopements.

December 14, 2018

7 Reasons to Have a Portland Wedding

December 14, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Portland was just recently named one of the best cities to be single in. While Portlanders are split on whether to agree or disagree — the truth is that it’s one of the best cities to get married in, too! The average wedding spend here is lower, at just $26,473. Living here, I might be biased. But what other city has its own wedding llamas?!

December 07, 2018

9 Reasons to Have an Atlanta Wedding

December 07, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Atlanta, Georgia is known for its “City in the Forest” vibe, amazing music, and, don’t forget, peaches! It also landed at number THREE on the best places to get married in the U.S. It’s not surprising — there’s a place for any kind of wedding. It’s also easily accessible via train, air, or major highways, which is a big factor for those with out of town guests!

November 29, 2018

A Vintage Wedding Editorial at the Art Factory in Paterson, NJ with George and Matt

November 29, 2018/ The Art Factory/ Catalyst Wedding Co

As Schoenfilms captured the couple dancing to a vintage gramophone, Matt couldn't help but gleefully remark, "It really feels like we're getting married today! All we need is the officiant." Of course, the couple doesn't plan on that until the fall of 2020... when the roaring 20's are officially back.

November 09, 2018

8 Reasons to Have a Seattle Wedding

November 09, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

If you've ever considered a destination wedding in Seattle, we'll convince you to go for it. And if you're lucky enough to already live around the Emerald City, then you already know how special Seattle weddings can be! We've compiled our favorite reasons we love Seattle weddings, too! Here are eight undeniable reasons to consider having your big day in Seattle.

October 31, 2018

15 Dark Decor Upgrades for You Halloween Wedding

October 31, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

If you are getting married during this time of the year, or if you just love the darker vibes that are accepted during this season, but that seem to get stares the other 11 months of the year, then here are some of our favorite dark and spooky items for your day.

July 31, 2018

Styled Shoot // Love Out Loud in Parker, CO

July 31, 2018/ The Scholhouse on Main Street/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Candice and Kaitlyn are a real couple who are engaged and preparing to walk down the aisle. They dub themselves "Muscles and Mouse," and as you can see, live up to the playful, loving couple that the nicknames imply. Inspired by the historic school house, we went with an art inspired theme. The shoot is colorful, bright, and abstract to show that you can be bold in expressing yourself while celebrating life and love.

June 29, 2018

Styled Shoot // A Multi-Cultural Same-Sex Joshua Tree Elopement

June 29, 2018/ Desert Lily B&B/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Stylized shoot with real multi-cultural female couple. These two have been married for a year, and we provided them with a stylized shoot in Joshua Tree during a Creatively Inspired Workshop + Stylized Shoot. Many vendors included in this shoot (included below photos).

May 25, 2018

Styled Shoot // Amber and Jaleesa's Colorful Asheville Glamping Elopement

May 25, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

This 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.

May 11, 2018

What Happens to Boudoir When We Banish the Male Gaze

May 11, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We at Catalyst want to celebrate bodies of all types, and for folks that are queer, trans, and genderfluid or non-binary, these bride-centric ideas of femininity that have come with bridal boudoir simply don’t apply. That doesn’t mean we want to banish boudoir. Quite the contrary, in fact. We want to see it reclaimed.

May 10, 2018

Styled Shoot // An Organic, Modern Love Shoot in Baltimore, Maryland

May 10, 2018/ The Assembly Room/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We wanted to create an organic, modern atmosphere mixing hard and soft elements. Combining the Assembly Room’s brick walls and graffiti with pastel florals, candles, and organic dress details really made that theme come alive.

We also wanted the true love between Hassan and Dymir to stand out as much as possible. I used directions and fun techniques to make them feel at home and focus on the connection they have with one another. They were the most humble couple I have ever met, and so deeply connected, that it was a dream working with them.

April 04, 2018

Styled Shoot // Love & Light Filled Wedding Inspiration

April 04, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

This past fall, I purchased a deck of Tarot Cards by Starchild Tarot that were so beautiful and inspiring, and ultimately ended up being the catalyst for the whole vision of this shoot. I knew I wanted to incorporate some "woo-woo" elements but wanted to stay away from the typical, trendy ways of incorporating these various elements. I envisioned the guest names being lettered on some type of crystal, using the tarot cards as table "numbers" and, most of all, having two brides be our models. I knew right away who would make the perfect brides, and luckily they were available and very open to being a couple, even though they had never met before. Their "reception" was spent getting to know each other!

The motivation for this shoot was to express creativity, get something atypical in my and the other vendors' portfolios, and connect all of my favorite woman-owned wedding vendors together in one room! It was truly an inspiring, uplifting experience to be with so many amazing women for the day as they supported my vision and made it a reality.

March 28, 2018

Styled Shoot // Hip Engagement Inspiration in Asheville, North Carolina

March 28, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

For this styled shoot my goal was to take two models into an environment that was aesthetically less than ideal, and create a stylish, artistic vibe that captured a diverse couple. The two locations were a tennis court and an old archery range surrounded by burlap drapes.

I wanted Jasmine and Chris to give off a hip, casual, urban vibe while simulating a comfortable connection between the two models so I asked them to wear black to give off that feeling and energy. I envisioned this mixing well with the unique, unorthodox setting.

During the shoot I wanted Jasmine to represent the traditional "male" role which was a challenge but because of the height difference in both the models it ended up working out through experimenting with switching the "norms" of how a male/female couple should interact.

I chose to capture this shoot using two different formats: film and digital. I felt this would add to the different urban feel that I was going for.

March 20, 2018

Black BeauTEA Talk // Makeup Trends for The First Day of Spring

March 20, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Hey beauties, it’s March and the first day of spring, and I am so ready for some warmer weather and sunny days. It’s actually a bit rainy here as i’m sitting writing this but i’m still sipping on a half and half, or Arnold Palmer like the sophisticated people say. The weather seems to be lagging on getting the information that it's spring, but that doesn’t mean that we have to wait, so i’m going to drop my top 5 beauty products for the spring and a few makeup trends that I want to see in excess this season!

March 19, 2018

6 Times Having Fur Babies at Your Wedding was Awesome

March 19, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

What could make a wedding even more special than sharing it with loved ones? Sharing it with your fur babies, of course! Most couples consider their fur babies members of the family, so why should they stay home on this special day? Here are some of our favorite wedding fur babies.

March 12, 2018

Styled Shoot // A Vibrant and Bold Bohemian Styled Wedding

March 12, 2018/ Constance Manor/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We wanted to highlight a real couple with real love who have been through real life together. Our couple, Jeanette and Corey, have a history that many can relate to. Their story is one of an experienced love built on lessons of patience and understanding for the both of them.

Their story started similar to many. As Jeanette would say, "(Cory) made it really easy for me to love him." When the couple met, she was 19 and he was 20. They fell in love, made up, broke up, and even got engaged before deciding to take a break. It took long 7 years before they would reconnect again and eventually pick up right where they left off. In 2015, the couple wed during an intimate ceremony in their home in front of a host of close family and friends.

For the Bohemian styled shoot, we created a vision that was a tad different from what you would normally expect. Our designer brought in a color palette of blush pink, red, and teal while incorporating traditional bohemian elements like dream catchers along with vintage furnishings and china. The vibrant, bold design paired with real love was displayed throughout this entire shoot!

February 06, 2018

Styled Shoot // We Are Young: a Celebration of Young Black Love

February 06, 2018/ Overland Park Ballroom/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Our debut styled shoot, WE ARE YOUNG, is about diversity and exploring the ways in which weddings can look and love can be expressed. That beautiful weddings include imagery, past rustic, chic, and pastels.

We especially wanted to celebrate young black love, which we often times feel is underrepresented. WE ARE YOUNG is a representation of the vision that many millennials like ourselves share toward humanity: that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.

January 22, 2018

Black BeauTEA Talk // Selfish Self Care

January 22, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

I think that people have romanticized the idea of self care; we don’t talk about what it really means to take care of self. What I want you to do when thinking about self care is to keep in mind those things that you need so badly. This includes the physical, mental, emotional, and financial. What is it going to take you to get to the place you need to be in these areas?

December 19, 2017

Styled Shoot // Brooklyn Industrial Glam at the Williamsburg Hotel

December 19, 2017/ Williamsburg Hotel/ Catalyst Wedding Co

A significant focus of this inspiration shoot was on impactful and stylish details. From the unique mix of geometric pattern and calligraphy of stationery and signage by Cut Above Stationery, the custom written vows by Daniela at Once Upon a Vow, sustainable linens from The Bayith, the incredible pop of color in the florals by Rose Red and Lavender, and the classic pieces with modern flourishes from Party Rentals Ltd. all of the decor was carefully styled by Soiree & Cabernet to highlight but not overpower the features of the Williamsburg Hotel.

November 24, 2017

Styled Shoot // Same-sex Elopement in Montreal on a Boat

November 24, 2017/ navark/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We are very privileged to have our photo-shoot done by these wonderful collaborators! Everyone was enthusiastic and so lively. Every detail was on point. We laughed all through the photo-shoot and that is of great importance to us!