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!
In the middle of October, Andrew posted an ad looking for a photographer to assist in a surprise proposal to his boyfriend of 4 years, Judah. They moved from Louisiana about a year ago, and he wanted to propose to Judah at one of their favorite places. Both of their families flew to New York on the 5th (per Andrew's directions without Judah having any idea) to surprise Judah at the proposal.
Read MoreOur shoot, entitled “Love Wins,” is an awesomely eclectic, reimagined concept derived after the 2017 presidential inauguration. Our original shoot concept and date was derailed by the protests and marches that overshadowed the inaugural festivities. But instead of sulking and complaining, we used the current political climate to inspire our finished story.
Read MoreJasmine speaks with New York City wedding photographer Amber Marlow about how she creates an elopement experience, the centering of whiteness in our wedding culture, eviscerating the seeds of intolerance, and being aggressively authentically yourself.
Read MoreThe inspiration for this shoot came, for the most part, from my own personal experiences. I knew that I wanted to embrace the romance of an elopement (my husband and I eloped!) and that I wanted to showcase the beauty of unconventionality by adding subcultural elements. I wanted there to be courtship and passion without losing a sense of self; I wanted there to be strength and individuality as well without losing the aspect of soft femininity. Three of my favorite styles of fashion and music are 1960-1970s ska (Rudies), psychobilly, and punk rock; this was the driving force behind making my vision a reality. There are no fancy venues or elaborate décor here. This is meant to be the down-to-earth, private, backyard celebration you’d love to have with the people closest to you.
Read MoreAnd then they got married. I will never forget Anya standing on the beach with her Dad, while Arlo was so overcome with emotion that he stood there and spoke loudly and with so much conviction, telling Anya how much he loved her. He was proclaiming his love for her through tears, to her and to their families and to the sea that surrounded them...and this was before the wedding had even begun, so you can only imagine how emotional the actual ceremony was.
Read MoreThis styled shoot steps away from the more traditional wedding attire and keeps the focus on the couple's connection, supporting the free and wild spirits out there and showcasing that marriage and love truly is meant for everyone, no matter who you are, where you are, or what you're wearing.
Read MoreGroom (Henry) and Bride (Alex) had been friends since childhood. Their names were taken from the children's book series, Boxcar Children, where one book is titled Treehouse Mystery. After high school, Alex ran off to the city to lead a life of freedom from the confines of their small hometown, while Henry stayed behind. She eventually realized she missed the freedom, a different kind, that only the country provided her, so she came back home and reconnected with Henry. They rekindled an old fire with each others' fun-loving spirits like they were kids again.
Read MoreLeonor and Katryna have a soft, quiet, comfortable but strong love. I could see it in the way that Leonor's eyes sparkled when she looked at Katryna when she was getting animated over talking about some adventure, or the way Katryna's hand held onto Leo's. They cheer each other on through challenges and hardships -- through graduate school life and military life and everything else. Katryna, a pilot instructor, volunteers to fly dogs from overcrowded shelters across the country with Leonor happily keeping the dogs comfortable in-flight. They have five dogs between the two of them and are more adventurous than even these elopement photos would suggest. Katryna is the live-life-to-the-fullest, no-holds-barred type of soul, with Leonor, her strong champion and companion, quietly but equally as passionate for life.
Read MoreSabrina and Moira are a real-life queer Chilean-American couple living in Los Angeles, CA. They met through mutual friends in Portland, OR in 2005. Moira attempted to get Sabrina’s attention several times, but it wasn’t until 5 years later, when the 2010 earthquake hit central Chile that they made a real connection, bonding over their concern for family in the region during the natural disaster. In Moira’s words, “It took an 8.8 earthquake in Chile to get her to notice me!” They fell in love and have been together ever since. This past New Year's Eve, they spontaneously eloped in Hawaii.
Read MoreThe idea for this shoot was to capture the natural beauty of the desert in Joshua Tree alongside the natural beauty of these two gorgeous brides for elopement inspiration. To accentuate the minimal, modern appeal of eloping, we chose dramatic, modern copper geometric accents for the decor contrasted with loose organic florals and plants, and minimally adorned but beautifully draped gowns in black and white. Our models are a real-life couple, Bridget and Kristi, who were planning their own elopement at the time of our shoot!
Read MoreGabby and I were engaged and planning a wedding for November 2016. We had joked about eloping, both of us not wanting a big spectacle, and one morning it became more than a joke. Around 11:00am on a Wednesday morning, it just clicked for both of us. We knew we wanted to get married that day so we jumped off the couch and started scrambling. Seven hours later, with our beautiful daughter and two amazing friends, we were getting married in a little chapel in LA. We had a tiny little cake, a few flowers, a photographer and the clothes we picked out in ten minutes at a Banana Republic on the way. After the short ceremony we went to a restaurant nearby for champagne and dinner.
Read Moren addition to scripting a completely creative and unique wedding experience for themselves, Mike and Jon Mark are a perfect example of an amazing couple who beat the odds: thirteen years ago, they serendipitously met at a Minneapolis gay bar when Jon Mark was visiting from the East Coast and Michael was out with friends: their eyes met across the crowded bar, they struck up a conversation, and they've been together ever since. They both live professional lives in New York City, love to travel extensively (their first date was a trip to Norway!), and have family and friends throughout the country. Because of the logistics of marriage laws, family dynamics, etc., they opted to tie the knot in the most private and pleasurable way possible. They flew to Maui, one of their favorite places on earth, for some sightseeing and relaxation. About a week into their stay, they went to the courthouse Wailuku where Justice Rhonda Loo (reportedly the first female judge in Hawaii!) performed a sweet, tear-filled ceremony for the couple and a witness. After the ceremony, the couple went to a nearby bistro to start the flurry of texts and phone calls to loved ones back home- surprise, everyone, we’re married! After a celebratory meal, Michael and Jon Mark went to a gorgeous beach on Maui's north shore for some quiet time and relaxed portraits by the water as the sun began to set on their wedding day. Their deep connection and gratitude for each other is so plain to see in the resulting photos.
Read MoreYujie and Wade previously lived in China before moving to the United States. Wade is from the US and Yujie is Chinese, and while they were already engaged and planning a more traditional wedding in Tahoe, they found themselves needing to move up their official wedding date due to an expiring visa.
Read MoreTricia and Molly met and fell in love in an unconventional and completely 21st century way: on an online dating website. They shouldn’t have met, but their combined fates could not be stopped by the 10 mile radius set by Tricia. They decided on a small wedding at the Norfolk Courthouse to keep the most important people involved in their wedding day, opting for immediate family only. Tricia recalls the day of the ceremony being stressful yet glorious. One of Molly’s favorite moments was on the way to their honeymoon in the Outer Banks, rocking out to Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, their unofficial wedding song. Tricia’s favorite moment was having dinner with their families, while enjoying the aura of love. Currently, Molly is an Auto Damage Adjuster and Tricia is a banquet server by day and rockstar bassist by night for the band Blue Ribbon. They live in the Ghent neighborhood in Norfolk, Virginia with their cat ShiShi.
Read MoreI didn’t think it was a good idea. Telling guests—moms especially—surprise news at a wedding rarely is. My good friend Claire and her fiancé Mike had secretly gotten married in New Orleans with their darling baby Liora Rose in tow. Almost a year later, Claire hadn’t told anyone until now, not even moi. And the only reason Claire spilled the beans was that she wanted me to “officiate” at their wedding. Sort of.
Read MoreChris and Maegan have been together since early college. Chris is an engineer, and Maegan is co-founder of oVertone, a totally badass hair product line for fantasy hair color. They're atheist non conformist intersectional feminists, have two rescue boxers, and love to hike, travel, Netflix binge, and eat as many delicious things as fiscally possible.
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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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