October 23, 2015

LA Arts District Engagement Session: Alissa + Bethany

October 23, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Alissa and Bethany traveled from Chicago to LA and while they were in town they wanted to do their engagement photos. They had planned out the shoot months in advance and seeing their style, Elmer knew the Los Angeles Arts District would be perfect — a real LA vibe. At the end of the shoot, they went down to the LA river where you can see all the iconic bridges in the background (if you’ve watched any car commercial it’ll look familiar). The thing that stuck out most to Elmer about Alissa and Bethany was the way they got along together: specifically, how Bethany was happy simply seeing Alissa happy. Bethany is apt to do little things to show Alissa she cared for her.

October 22, 2015

A Revolution that Begins with Cake

October 22, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

At a coffee bar off Washington Square Park, the stranger seated next to me noticed my gift bag. “Going to a baby shower?” he asked. “No, I’m a wedding planner, actually. Headed to a rehearsal soon.” “Oh, god. That sounds intense. Does that gig make you never want to get married?” I paused, unable to give him a straight answer. The truth: the answer was far too complicated to get into over an iced tea. I’d need at least a shot (maybe several) of espresso.

October 16, 2015

Real Couples // Portuguese Village Wedding: Rex + Evelyn

October 16, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Rex's love for food and Evelyn's love for beautiful design made this wedding one of the best we've ever been to. Getting ready together, the stress free vibe, the simple and honest food — family style — and the happiness in their eyes said it all. Having no connection no Portugal whatsoever Evelyn and Rex chose a unique venue, all the way from the USA to a humble village in Portugal, before they chose anything else for their wedding. Rex's father proudly celebrated the ceremony and even we got emotional when they started pronouncing their vows, as a couple, to their families, promising them they would stick together no matter what life would throw at them. A truly heartfelt party, blessed by the rain — which they didn't care about — made with love.

October 15, 2015

Business We Believe In: Cads About Matrimony

October 15, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Any thinking person who has planned a bachelorette party for a friend has felt the singular anguish of trying to steer clear of the humiliating, tired old clichés that traditional wedding culture likes to throw at you, while still delivering fun ways to honor someone you care about. That anguish was what inspired me to create the wedding-themed party game, Cads About Matrimony.

October 09, 2015

Real Couples // Thirty-Years-Coming At-Home Wedding: Annie + Janice

October 09, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

In the late 1970s, in Santa Cruz, California, Annie and Janice met and realized that they enjoyed each other's company so much that they should give living together a chance. Thirty years later, at their home in Maryland, they celebrated their marriage with family, neighbors, and life-long friends. They believe that the strength of their relationship comes from mutual respect for each other's creativity, the ability to enjoy being alone, and of course, the joy of a profound love that comes along once in a lifetime.

October 06, 2015

Learning to (Sort of) Accept the Proposal

October 06, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

In May of 2015, a girl I went to high school with got engaged, and the video went viral. That’s not really special; at this point, a lot of us know someone in at least one YouTube sensation. But for me, this proposal video—which involved two teachers, a school band, a principal, and a class full of teenagers—sparked a debate in my relationship and among my friends over the tradition of a proposal.

September 30, 2015

4 Reasons Why Couples Should Embrace the Courthouse Wedding

September 30, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Whether a couple chooses to have a courthouse wedding as a budget-friendly alternative to a large wedding or is celebrating their new legal right to be wed, courthouse weddings are not second rate; rather they are intimate, beautiful celebrations of love.

September 28, 2015

Business We Believe In: Save the Date Originals

September 28, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Save the Date Originals does graphic design and printing for folks who want to make fun things to send to friends and family! "Send them something exciting!"

Angela is the founder of the company, and she has been making Save the Date Originals for eleven years!

September 21, 2015

Business We Believe In: Oriana Koren Weddings

September 21, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

As an artist, I’ve made it my duty to reflect the way we celebrate marriage today. I am most interested in the ways in which we subvert, disrupt, and ultimately, reclaim what marriage can be for each and every one of us. I am lucky to be able to document vanguards who are celebrating community and inclusion as primary to what it is to be in love and to marry in these times.

September 18, 2015

Real Couples // Reception-First Backyard Wedding: Stephanie + Felipe

September 18, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Stephanie and Felipe's wedding was an extension of their relationship and their community. They opted to mix things up a bit and do the reception before the ceremony which was a first for me (and hopefully not the last). People got a chance to mingle and catch up, sharing drinks, a great meal, and a lot of laughs. The setting, Stephanie's family backyard, was absolutely perfect and just captured the intimacy, and spirit of this weekend. Stephanie wore a skirt that she loved and turned it into a dress wearing a belt she and her mother made specially for the day. Her mom even hand embroidered napkins for the guests and they were gorgeous. When the ceremony started it seemed like the most natural thing to watch and be part of this day with these two. Words of encouragement were shared by the family and Stephanie sang a song to Felipe, I don't think there was a dry eye there, I know mine were a little damp at one point during the day. The night ended with dancing and time together, no huge send off, just a, "See you tomorrow at brunch." The weekend ended with a brunch at a local vineyard and as with the theme for the weekend you knew this couple wanted this to be as much about everyone else as it was about this new part of their journey together.

September 14, 2015

Business We Believe In: Betty Clicker Photography

September 14, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

My name is Kate. I was born near the white mountains of New Hampshire, grew up in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, had a few-year stint in Brooklyn, and have settled for the time being in Richmond, VA. My most recent blissful moment was standing atop a glacier lagoon in Iceland with my medium format film camera. My happiest place is around a table with wine, home-cooked food, friends and family in abundance.

September 11, 2015

Real Couples // Courthouse + Irish Pub + Purdue Wedding: Sarah-Jean + Kent

September 11, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Sarah-Jean and Kent have always been unconventional in their views including how they felt about big weddings. This of course translated into their own wedding where they decided to have a small, intimate ceremony at the courthouse surrounded by their family. Even though the wedding was a small affair, there was still thought behind the details such as the bride’s dress sewn by her mother, the handmade paper bouquet & cupcakes for dessert. Despite several things going absolutely wrong on the wedding day (all day rain, bride’s hair falling flat & walking around a parking garage looking for a misplaced car) everything came together and the celebration of their love was just so right.

September 10, 2015

Business We Believe In: Susty Party

September 10, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Susty Party inspires people to come together and connect over food and conversation without it feeling like a hassle. Our tableware is stylish and fun, makes for easy clean-up, and there's no guilt about making mountains of trash because all our products are made from recycled or renewable resources!

September 08, 2015

Does Obergerfell v Hodges discriminate against single people?

September 08, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

In the form of organizations like Unmarried Equality, organized unmarried citizens made public statements like, “Unmarried Equality joins in the celebration of the Supreme Court’s long overdue decision that marriage will now be a CHOICE for all! We also call on the U.S. to remember that all of us are not married — single people and those in relationships who choose not to marry or cannot marry for a variety of reasons.” Amid all the celebration, unmarried people raised the point that choosing not to marry is also a valid personal choice, one which has material implications with regard to health care, taxation, parenting and more.

September 04, 2015

Real Couples // Funky Food Truck and Brewery Wedding: Jazmin + Ben

September 04, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Jazmin is one cool girl. She likes beer and baseball (oh, and so does Ben), so this couple swapped out the usual wedding decor and reception plans in favor of brewery tours, a food truck, locally made popsicles, and nods to baseball here and there. This wedding was a really fun party that was all their own.

September 02, 2015

Business We Believe In: Paisley & Jade

September 02, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

is a boutique-style rental company and prop house located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia. Specializing in vintage and eclectic items, we maintain an inventory of gorgeous furniture and decor pieces that can be used to create one-of-a-kind visual displays. From soirées to styled shoots, our collection contains the details that assist our clients in executing their vision. We have sourced up & down the east coast, dug through barns and even pulled items from our own grandmothers’ attics to curate our extensive collection. With a selection of upholstered pieces, plus a warehouse full of furniture and smalls that would make any thrift store junkie jealous, we are truly a destination for event designers, art directors, stylists and commercial photographers.

August 31, 2015

Labor of Love: How to Coordinate Your Wedding Crew

August 31, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

This sense of communal engagement is especially important in DIY weddings, with their emphasis on personal connections, small scale production, and cost saving. But can you ask too much of your friends and family on your special day? Depending on the circumstances, there is a fine line between being a guest and feeling like staff.

August 26, 2015

Business We Believe In: Pop! Wed Co.

August 26, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Pop! Wed Co. was created because as a designer, I know how to plan weddings that will look awesome, and my partner Steven was just perfect for a wedding officiant — we realized that we could plan a whole tiny wedding for our couples, relieving all of their stress, and letting them simply show up and have an amazing wedding.

August 21, 2015

Real Couples // Foggy West Virginia Overlook Love Portraits: Rachel + Jeff

August 21, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Rachel and Jeff have forged their love for one another in the mountains. The two met at a friend’s barbecue in Charleston, West Virginia, last summer and have been roaming the woods together ever since. Neither Jeff nor Rachel are West Virginia natives. The two both found themselves settling there when their families relocated from the south—Jeff’s from Louisiana, Rachel’s from Texas. But their spirits are entwined in the state’s mountains and rivers. It seemed like fate when Cassie, a longtime friend of Rachel, woke up one morning to text her about a dream photoshoot at a magical, plateau campground. The two decided to make Cassie’s dream come true the following weekend with a spontaneous photo session in West Virginia’s New River Gorge—home to some of the most beautiful vistas on the East Coast. It has been easy for Rachel and Jeff to begin their journey together in the place they’ve come to call home. We are obsessed with the earnest, not-overly-styled quality of these photos, and how clear their love for each other and their environment is.

July 24, 2015

Real Couples // Winter-in-Amish-Country Wedding: Crystal + Jayleen

July 24, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Wedding photographers know that there are many different kinds of love, and many different ways to show love. Some couples have a low-lying, steady love that is on the quiet side; some couples have loud, boisterous love that encircles everyone around them. Somehow, Jayleen and Crystal have both and everything in between. There wasn't a moment of their wedding that wasn't steeped in pure joy, from the (few, haha) silences to the end-of-the-night dance-offs. Getting married in the winter isn't for the faint of heart, but Jayleen and Crystal didn't let some chilly rain put a damper on anything. Their ceremony was full of warmth and roses; their dinner was full of laughter; and their reception (where they each danced with all their parents) was endlessly emotional (in a good way). Everything was authentically them, and thus authentically wonderful.