November 13, 2017

With These Rings

November 13, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

They made their rings with Stephanie in January of 2017. “It was one of the best experiences of my life!”, Alex says. Alex had ethical concerns with diamonds, so she knew she didn’t want a traditional engagement ring. Furthermore, she “loved the idea of having completely matching rings. We have a long history of making each other handmade custom gifts (for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, etc.) so the idea of hand crafting matching wedding rings really seemed to be the perfect fit.” They drove to Port Townsend: “We were actually very nervous when we arrived because once you get there it all becomes very real, and for a moment you almost feel like you aren't really going to leave with a real life wedding ring because how could you possibly make it with your own hands in an afternoon?” Alex said she also had “this weird feeling that she was going to mess it up so bad that she’d be asked to leave.” But her fears were alleviated once she met Stephanie: “Once you sit down with Stephanie before the actual metalwork begins, she does a really good job of making you feel at ease and reassures you that you really are going to leave with professional quality rings that you hand craft, and that it will be easy and fun.” Right away, Alex knew she had made the right decision.

November 10, 2017

Real Couples // A Vibrant, Urban Anniversary Photoshoot in Orlando: Duong + Vi

November 10, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We are both from Vietnam and both have similar challenges adapting to life here in the States. You would have thought that would make us get along so well that we would have no conflict at all. However, reality struck us hard. Like any other couple we fight, we don’t communicate well with each other, we made mistakes, we separated, we survived a four-month long-distance relationship, we got married, we fought again and again, we lost hope, we tried to mend things, we learned from our mistakes, and we have been loving each other more than ever since.

October 24, 2017

Real Couples // Engagement at the Griffith Observatory in L.A.: Nancy + Will

October 24, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We got engaged over Christmas vacation while visiting home (Massachusetts). We were headed to have dinner with his dad when he decided to take me on a little driving tour of his hometown. Little did I know that he was just gathering up courage to pop the question. We park at a quaint little pond and take a walk to the gazebo and that is where he asked. We drive by it every time we go to his Dad's house.

October 09, 2017

Make Your Own Wedding Rings and Propose on the Washington Shoreline // With These Rings

October 09, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

With These Rings is a sweet studio in Port Townsend, Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula where you and your special someone can make your own wedding rings and fall in love all over again. The studio tagline is “You Can’t Buy Love, But You Can Make It.” The owner and artist behind the studio and concept is Stephanie Selle, a kind and gentle soul who will ensure you have a pleasant and creative afternoon melting metals and crafting one-of-a-kind rings.

September 25, 2017

Real Couples // Urban Riverside Engagement: Daniel + Cameron

September 25, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

"I proposed to Cameron at Magic Kingdom via caricature. Plans were for me to propose to him on our cruise we took via karaoke, but they only had karaoke the first night of the cruise, and we were at dinner during that time, so I missed my opportunity. When we arrived at Magic Kingdom after our cruise, I had his ring in my backpack and no clue how I was getting it on his finger!! After lunch we noticed a caricature artist, and Cameron was excited, as we had been wanting to do one! There were no appointments for a while so we walked away, but then I came back and booked the appointment and told them what I was planning: she was to draw me on one knee proposing. When the time arrived I was beyond nervous and fidgety; a crowd was gathering and Cameron asked the artist if crowds were common. She played along and said, 'Oh yes, it happens all the time!' When she was finished and turned the picture around, I was on one knee and asking the big question, while Cameron was confused as to his positioning in the picture...a few (what seemed like minutes) seconds later, he realized what was going on, and with tears in his eyes he said YES!!!"

September 18, 2017

White Sapphires as an Alternative to Diamonds // Bario Neal Goes Behind the Ring

September 18, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

So there you have it, white sapphires are the most natural, hard, rare gemstone that are second only to diamonds. Though not imbued with the same properties or “fire” as a diamond, they are more affordable and are therefore more attainable in larger stone sizes with pristine clarity that can be designed with custom cuts. White sapphires also don’t come with all the trappings of diamonds and can be a conversation-starter with a unique story.

August 30, 2017

Real Couples // Cleveland Edgewater Park Engagement: Hannah + Bishoy

August 30, 2017/ edgewater park/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Cleveland holds such a special place in their hearts. It is where they first met, bought their first home, are raising their fur baby Napoleon together, and are saying their "I DOs" this summer. Of course, Edgewater Park was the perfect location for this beautiful couples engagement photos!

August 25, 2017

Real Couples // Georgetown Sunrise Engagement: Varun + Amanda

August 25, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Varun and Amanda met up with me early in the morning on a weekday, on a day when the world was still too cool in the morning to not wear coats, but it warmed up quickly. They told me they met getting their MBAs and joked that their hands brushed while using excel, and the rest was history. We traipsed through the tiny bit of forest we found near the water in Georgetown, DC, as we discussed all things Wes Anderson, and Amanda talk about how Varun has taught her a lot about South Indian food and culture. We ended the session just as most coffee shops were opening and as the sun started to warm the city.

August 24, 2017

Real Couples // A Surprise Proposal on the Columbia Riverwalk: Taylor + Lexa

August 24, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Taylor and I planned to surprise Lexa about half way through their session so we could have time to photograph them together after Taylor popped the question. Our plan was this: Taylor would put the ring in my camera bag when Lexa was not looking at the beginning of our session, and we would shoot their first outfit as if nothing was out of the ordinary — just a casual couples session, or so Lexa thought! I told Taylor I would get Lexa alone in front of my camera down by the river, give Taylor the signal, and let her walk up behind Lexa and pop the question! Thankfully, everything went off without a hitch!

August 22, 2017

Buying An Ethical Engagement Ring

August 22, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Six weeks ago, my fiancé Nathan and I were in Park Slope with a jewelry saleswoman encouraging me to try on a $19,000 vintage ring from early 19th-century Europe. That’s right: $19,000.

Seeing that rock, my stomach sank — not because the ring was way out of price range, which it was, but because I didn’t know how to express my diamond ambivalence to the clerk without being rude. After all, her hands were bedazzled with five diamond rings of her own. With the price tag, it should have been easy for me and Nathan to tell her we were going to pass. But as we explained our preferences, I started to feel like my value was under the spotlight — as though the worth of the ring was a reflection of my worth.

August 09, 2017

Real Couples // A Fashionable Brick Lane Engagement: Chrissy + Sam

August 09, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Chrissy and Sam initially met through friends in 2014, but at the start it was a slow burn. They had no further contact until four months later when Sam found Chrissy on Facebook. He was about to be a groomsman for his friend and the night before the wedding he stayed up chatting on the phone all night with Chrissy, such that he overslept and was late for duty the next day. Since then they have been inseparable.

August 07, 2017

Real Couples // Motorcycle Fine Art Engagement: Waqas + Kari

August 07, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Kari and Waqas went on a motorcycle camping trip and this session was a pilgrimage of sorts to return to a time they loved so dearly. As we walked around with a light breeze blowing Kari’s hat, they pointed out all the areas they remembered eating breakfast at, the places they stumbled around in the dark, the lake where they watched the sun set as the shadows creeped up the trees. The revs from Waqas’s motorcycle echoed through the forest, a curious baby black bear crossed the road behind us, peeking as he trotted along. We went our separate ways, the bear and us, and this is how their session went.

July 31, 2017

Real Couples // Beauty & Bounty in St. Louis: Lindy + Jordan

July 31, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

I wouldn’t say it was love at first sight but more of a “when you know, you know” type of love. Jordan and I met in summer of 2014 when a mutual friend introduced us with the intention of us dating. Knowing that was her intention made both of us a bit hesitant and probably nervous. We spent that summer going to endless Cardinal’s baseball games and eating as many tacos as we could at our favorite spot, Mission Taco. It really only took a couple months for us to both realize we enjoyed each other’s company, made each other laugh, and wanted to be together forever. We both knew we wanted to get married, and it was a conversation that we’d had several times. 2016 turned out to be an exciting year as Jordan turned 30 in July, he proposed in early December, and I graduated with a Child Psychology degree a couple weeks after. We always say that we are a “fall and winter couple” because we don’t like the heat and humidity in St. Louis, and we like the cozy aspect of fall/winter. We are getting married this December, and while we don’t want weather to hinder anyone coming to the wedding or ruining the day, we are praying for some snow!

July 27, 2017

Ask A Wedding Photographer // Props, and Why You Don't Need Them

July 27, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We're about to get into a discussion about engagement photography, but first I’d like to get something out of the way. I don’t necessarily have anything against props, I just don’t think you need them to come away with images you will love. And I’m going to tell you why. And I’m also going to tell you that this is purely my opinion.

This post isn’t meant to diss people who are really into props and styling and have a whole story planned out in their head. This post is for people who think they’re supposed to have props because that’s what other people are doing and could use a little reassurance that they are not missing out.

July 24, 2017

Real Couples // Sunflower Sunbath: Lauren + Sean

July 24, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Broom’s Bloom Dairy has fields of crops all over in Maryland, but Lauren and Sean told me about the sunflower field that only blooms for a tiny amount of time (coupled with the temptation of fresh made ice cream), and this is where we found ourselves in an afternoon as the sun began to sat. The flowers were a maze we escaped into, muffling the sounds from the rest of the farm. We were suddenly isolated, surrounded by sunflowers, and showered by sunlight.

July 21, 2017

Real Couples // A Weekend in London: Amelia + Francis

July 21, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

This couple wanted some natural, but also special, photos and that's why they chose Sara as the photographer. They live in London, which is a perfect place for a photo session. All of the photos are about a normal weekend in Amelia and Francis life's: how they had breakfast, how they walk around the city...normal moments that Sara photographs from her perspective. The final result is an amazing photo shoot by Sara and a really timeless memory for the couple.

July 17, 2017

Real Couples // Old Town Alexandria Summer Engagement: Lauren + Micah

July 17, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We first met at the University of Maryland where we would meet every now and then for lunch with a group of mutual friends. Our relationship grew very naturally. We started as friends and as time went on, our lunch meetings with our friends became lunch dates with just me and Micah. We spent a lot of time getting to know each other. One of our favorite places to spend time together has always been Old Town in Alexandria. We both enjoy being outside and being near water. The day after my birthday (February 19, 2016), Micah had my best friend invite me to get my nails done and go to happy hour. After Kristian and I left the nail salon, she suggested we go to Old Town for dinner and drinks. When we arrived in Old Town, Kristian pulled up next to Founder’s Park (which is right along the water). She handed me a box and told me to look at what was inside. On the outside of the box was a note that said “Open and walk towards the light in Founder’s Park.”

July 14, 2017

Real Couples // Spanning A Decade and Thousands of Miles: Soundarya and Anand

July 14, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Far too often, we are asked to let go off things. But maybe, it is not always a good idea, not in all cases at least! Ours is one of those stories that proves otherwise. Our story spans a decade—a decade of funny, good, bad, and hard times, plenty of roadblocks, and inconveniences. We met each other 10 years ago back in 2007, in college in India, thanks to our friends who set us up. I was a freshman, and Anand was already in his junior year, and we had the most beautiful time in college, holding hands and taking long walks in the valleys, motorbike rides in the woods, watching sunrises on the beaches, sharing memories with friends and going to parties. Two years just flew by, and Anand graduated from college and decided to do his Master’s in the U.S. Living on two different sides of the globe didn’t make it easy, but we became the experts and ‘know-alls’ of video conferencing apps and international calling cards. After three long years, I moved to the U.S. in 2012 to New York to get my Master’s, and I fell in love all over again. However, this time it was with New York City, which I now call my second love. Anand was living in Boston by then. Living in the same country made things a lot easier for our relationship. We had our shares of fights and break-ups, but in the end, we "always found our way back to each other." I recently moved to Philly for a job, so we are still in a long-distance, although a shorter distance, relationship, and we are still counting up those air miles/burning up the highway, and we are happy.

July 05, 2017

Real Couples // Natural History Museum Engagement: Jess + Karolyn

July 05, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

I was enjoying swimming in a sea of accents as the bustling group of tourists funneled their way into the Natural History Museum in London. Karolyn and Jess told me about their engagement story as we walked through the crowd. They pointed at the staircase and told me it happened upstairs, a small private corner of the museum all to their own. This is where they got engaged, this is where they come to remind themselves of how it all started. This is where we took photos in loud whispers, in the echoes of the monumental stone walls, before wandering out into the rare sunlight of London for a walk in the park.

July 03, 2017

Real Couples // Knoxville, Tennessee Soulmates: Randall + Jenna

July 03, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We met in 2014 at Carson Newman University. I had just graduated from UC Santa Barbara and transferred to Carson-Newman to finish graduate school and my last year of volleyball. I remember the first time I saw him. I was in the cafeteria, and he strolled up on me trying to ask me whole a lot of random questions like I was the new one at school. He was good-looking, so it didn’t bother me too much. Soon we started to hang out more and more and became really good friends. I remember always having the feeling that we were going to know each other forever, but I thought just as friends. I wasn't ready to get in a relationship, and he was still being whoever he was. But eventually, a love began to blossom between us. Fast-forward two years later to the weekend of my graduation, my family all came down to see me and out of the blue, he popped the question!!! I was so surprised but very happy. What I like best about our relationship is that nothing felt forced. Everything just felt easy and natural.