Real Couples // A Geeky Engagement Session: Lilly + James

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Real Couples // A Geeky Engagement Session: Lilly + James

Lilly and James (yes, really!!) are self-confessed geeks with a love of all things Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Batman, Star Wars, and just about everything else in between. They wanted an engagement session that really reflected who they are, so they opted to do it in Southend-on-Sea, a little English seaside town where Lilly grew up and both she and James spent a lot of time together early on in their relationship. They chose to start at an amazing coffee shop they know called Utopia. It's full of quirky furniture, interesting decor, and the food and coffee is pretty damn good, too. After working their way through a slice of raspberry cake and relaxing a bit more in front of my camera, we strolled over to James' favourite place, the local comic book store, where he could wander around and choose a few of his favourite graphic novels to take home with him. Then, for Lilly, we headed to a bookstore just around the corner where we mooched around opening and sniffing all the new books (aaah!). Finally, we finished by wandering down to the seafront, buying ice creams, and getting a few final shots on the shore.

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Real Couples // Nick + Brad's Awesome Wedding

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Real Couples // Nick + Brad's Awesome Wedding

We met Nick and Brad at a marriage equality wedding show in Philadelphia. We have always believed love is love and can't be more thrilled that amazing couples like Nick and Brad can now be legally married with the same legal rights as anyone. They chose to have their wedding ceremony and reception in a less “typical” venue. The held it at JG Domestic in the Cira Center in Philadelphia. This is a fantastic restaurant run by the Garces Event Group for weddings. It offers a small, intimate and unique setting for couples looking for something different. The whole theme of the day was love and family. The couple wanted a fun and relaxing wedding so they could share it with the people they love and those who love them. We think they had the perfect day. They got ready together instead of in separate rooms. This is always a great moment because they are helping each other for their wedding! I think it is so cool to share that time and memory together. We had a blast capturing photos and video of them at the 30th street station and were then joined by their wedding party. Their ceremony was filled with so many cute moments and stories about how they first met.

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Real Couples // An Intimate, Love-Filled Brooklyn Wedding: Kat + Lauren

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Real Couples // An Intimate, Love-Filled Brooklyn Wedding: Kat + Lauren

"We have a running joke that we are always kind of late to the game on things - showing up to shows after they have closed, missing events that we talked about going to for ages. This story is not dissimilar. In June we had planned a trip upstate as a getaway, but our cats (yes, both of them) caught some sort of stomach bug so we had to cancel. Little did we know, that both of us were planning to propose to one another that weekend. Fast-forward a couple weekends later to the third of July when we rebooked our trip. It was a Friday and we both had off work. A typical day off consists of coffee in bed while we read the news and stuff on our phones. Kat got up to serve the coffee, while Lauren was in bed (unsuspecting) checking Facebook when our cat Napoleon bounded on the bed with something special tied around his neck. Kat totally beat Lauren to the punch! Lauren was prepared with a ring to return as a bottle of bubbly was popped later that morning."

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Real Couples // A Home-Grown Wedding: Erik + Ryan

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Real Couples // A Home-Grown Wedding: Erik + Ryan

In 2014, Erik officiated the first legal same-sex ceremony in Wisconsin. The next day, he and his partner Ryan came back to the courthouse to get legally married themselves. It took almost a year for all of the legal and political dust to settle when the Supreme Court finally weighed in making same-sex weddings the law of the land. After this momentous ruling, Erik and Ryan decided they would like for their family and friends to to take part in their marriage as well. Their ceremony was a simple and classy affair focused on their family and friends.

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Baking with Arley Cakes! – Springtime Rhubarb Pie

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Baking with Arley Cakes! – Springtime Rhubarb Pie

This past weekend, I was given the task of making 10 pies, in 10 unique flavors, with 10 unique designs for a college friend’s wedding. If you are thinking to yourself Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun! DING! you’re totally right. On the other hand, if you’re thinking Wow, that sounds crazy hard!, DING! you are also totally right. Everyone’s a winner today! Including me. I was pushed and stretched in an area that is usually very comfortable for me. The process included some stress, some sweat, but mostly it introduced some exciting new pies to my life.

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Real Couples // A Queer Wedding With a View: Brandy + Conley

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Real Couples // A Queer Wedding With a View: Brandy + Conley

Brandy & Conley (lovingly referred to as Bronley) are one of the most amazing couples I've ever met. Their wedding day was gorgeous and memorable for so many reasons. These two are very dear friends of mine, so photographing their celebration was already an honor. Everything about their celebration magnified just how much these two love each other and their friends and family, as well as what an incredible and caring support system they have. The ceremony was held at a local park that overlooked the city. Brandy & Conley said this was really important for them, because they could come back and visit the spot where they said their vows anytime they wanted. The reception was hosted by a fabulous drag queen and one of their friends did a pole dance performance in the middle of the dance floor that left everyone with their jaws on the floor. Many people at the wedding didn't know that Conley had started transitioning (including his Father), and it was a beautiful moment to see Conley called by his chosen name for the first time in such a public yet intimate setting. Everything was uniquely Bronley. No bullshit, just awesomeness, tons of laughter, and lots and lots of love. 

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Real Couples // A Laid-Back Urban Wedding: Paige + Ben

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Real Couples // A Laid-Back Urban Wedding: Paige + Ben

Paige and Ben are such a cool couple, and it was an honor to be a part of their special day. They are both super quirky and laid back and they went out of their way to have a party that was meaningful for them. The best part of the day was when a mob of superheroes decided to crash their first look — by far, my favorite image of the day!

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Keeping it Real with Elaine B Jewelry

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Keeping it Real with Elaine B Jewelry

We are so excited to introduce our newest sponsor, Elaine B Jewelry! We sat down with founder Elaine Butcher to learn more about her sustainable and thoughtful approach to jewelry design. We love what she has created and we know you will, too. After seeing these pieces, you'll never go back to a traditional engagement ring again.

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Get Your Drink On: How to DIY & Pre-Mix Cocktails For Your Big Day

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Get Your Drink On: How to DIY & Pre-Mix Cocktails For Your Big Day

With the ever-increasing popularity of craft cocktails, it might seem nearly impossible to serve your favorite cocktail and still stay within your budget. Luckily, there’s a DIY solution that won’t break the bank: pre-batched cocktails. By making large quantities of the drink before your wedding, you can ensure that the drinks will be quick, tasty, balanced and consistent. To help guide your quest for the perfect signature cocktail, we’ve put together a how-to guide for one method of pre-batching cocktails.

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Millennial Marriage: Thirty with Roommates

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Millennial Marriage: Thirty with Roommates

For the majority of my adult life, I have lived with roommates with the exception of the year before Adam and I got married and the year after.We made the mistake of renting an apartment that was too expensive for our budget in central Washington, D.C., which promptly entered us into the “yopro” rat race of working to make rent. We say now that we are grateful for that expensive lesson: for us, a simpler life is a happier life.

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Real Couples // A Cozy Camp Wedding in the Woods: Mikhail + Whitney

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Real Couples // A Cozy Camp Wedding in the Woods: Mikhail + Whitney

Mikhail and Whitney had been together for precisely seven and a half years when they married on August 29, 2015. Having already done the moving in together seven years earlier and the getting a dog five years earlier, they wanted their wedding to be a celebration of the friends and family who loved them. With no enthusiasm for wedding planning between them, Mikhail and Whitney turned to a wedding planner to make their vision of a homey, camp-like retreat in the woods a reality.

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Finding Our Way: A Wedding Photographer’s Journey to Balance Work, Marriage, & Travel

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Finding Our Way: A Wedding Photographer’s Journey to Balance Work, Marriage, & Travel

It is an honor to have the responsibility of documenting a day that is the result of hard work, sweat, and often tears of wonderful people. I love all aspects of my photography business. It’s nice when I can step away from editing and respond to inquiries; even the financial side isn’t a bother. But since I’m actually quite horrible at balancing work and life, I’ve decided it’s time for a break. 

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Real Couples // A Stress Free, No Fuss Wedding: Miranda + Andrew

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Real Couples // A Stress Free, No Fuss Wedding: Miranda + Andrew

Miranda and Andrew spent more time deciding how to celebrate tying the knot than actually planning the occasion. From city hall, to small beach ceremony, to a grand celebration at Nixon Library, it took them some time to figure it out. They had their share of stubborn moments, overstepping family members, and budget challenges, but they knew when to stick up for each other, and when things weren’t worth the stress. 

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Introducing Arley Cakes! - Mini Brown-Butter + Pistachio Donuts

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Introducing Arley Cakes! - Mini Brown-Butter + Pistachio Donuts

We are so excited to be adding Arley Arrington of Arley Cakes to our list of recurring contributors! She is a baker who hails from Charlottesville, VA, and who is winning over hearts and stomachs with her amazing recipes. 

She'll be sharing new recipes with Catalyst on a recurring basis that are delicious, attainable, and most importantly, appropriate for celebrations! For the DIY couple that doesn't want to break the bank, her treats just might be the perfect alternative to the large traditional wedding cake. 

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Real Couples // An Intimate Southwestern Love Celebration: Emily + Billy

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Real Couples // An Intimate Southwestern Love Celebration: Emily + Billy

Emily and Billy met when Emily got hired at the restaurant where he managed the kitchen. She asked him out a week before she moved out of state. They wanted their wedding to be about celebrating with the people they actually love and live life with, rather than an obligatory and stressful party. They spent the morning of their wedding showing parents and grandparents around the Grand Canyon, then held their intimate 30-person ceremony that evening at Chapel of the Holy Dove, a small shack outside of Flagstaff, AZ with no electricity or water. Their decorations were all borrowed, thrifted or homemade. The money they saved went to helping friends with plane tickets and their European honeymoon. The ceremony itself was hand-crafted by the couple together to exclude gender-specific language and many of the traditional, symbolically problematic elements of weddings, such as the giving away of the bride and the permission to kiss. Emily, being an incredible spoken word poet, recited her vows as a ten part poem that had everyone in tears, blown away by the beautiful honesty and sincerity of her words. When it seemed the ceremony didn't know to follow after such moving vows, Billy began snapping like a beat poet, which perfectly broke the tension and got everyone laughing again. They have no regrets about choosing not to have a big and elaborate wedding. Emily and Billy currently reside in Nashville, TN with their two cats Lewis and Lucy.

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Comparison is the Thief of Joy

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Comparison is the Thief of Joy

Pinterest, Facebook, & Blogs. We live a world where visual inspiration abounds. For a first-time bride with very little experience in the wedding planning world, I started my year-and-a-half long engagement thankful for all of the “wedding-inspo” on the Internet. But my gratitude for pretty pictures quickly turned into a much darker force as the pre-wedding months wore on.

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Real Couples // A Camp Wedding for City Folk : Nicky + Nicole

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Real Couples // A Camp Wedding for City Folk : Nicky + Nicole

Nicky & I have been together since we met in Ann Arbor in 2009.  We have always been adventurers and made a move to Brooklyn, NY in 2011.  For most of our years together, we knew we'd found our lifetime partner but we weren't sure about getting married, what that would mean and what it might look like.  We became domestic partners in NYC in 2013, and in 2015 decided we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to get all of our family and friends together by getting married.  

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5 Tips for Staying Mindful on Your Wedding Day

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5 Tips for Staying Mindful on Your Wedding Day

I woke up the morning of my wedding exhausted, stressed, and haggard. My mom was frantic about the forecasted rain that day, and I hadn’t slept a wink. A few hours later I hunched in the salon chair letting the stylist do most of the work to keep my head propped up and debating whether a cup of coffee would jumpstart the best day of my life or unleash the full-blown, barely-concealed crazy. Then I had a near meltdown when I couldn’t find my lipstick, and I coped by throwing back mimosas on an empty stomach as my friends worriedly stood by. While I felt calm, collected, and present during the ceremony, the full day of preparations was just not that great. But that time is precious, and as everyone will tell you, it flies by. Part of mindfulness is simply noticing; being present makes a moment that you would otherwise skip past expand like a balloon.

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Real Couples // Creative Expression & Magic: Karin + Joe

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Real Couples // Creative Expression & Magic: Karin + Joe

As Joe's and my lips met for the first time in the middle of the most magical and dusty place called Burning Man, we knew we had found something very unique in each other. Our hearts recognized their equal, and our minds were intrigued by our compassion for our kids, family, community and Mother Earth. Our hearts filled with deep conversations about living simply and experiencing everything! The universe conspired for us and less than a year later, my son, Trent, and I moved up to Bend, Oregon to move in with Joe, his kids, Josiah, Faith, and Grace, his parents, and Nana. Joe, the creative artist and builder that he his, had recently found a 1959 International Harvester School Bus, gutted her and created a Gypsy palace for him and me to live in on his parents' property. We named her Primrose. Älska Art (Love Art in Swedish), is our business, filled with Joe’s unique one-of-a-kind jewelry, sculptures, and circus/fire props that allow us to work together and travel to events.

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