February 15, 2018

A St. Augustine Wedding: Allie + Ywanarai

February 15, 2018/ Lightner Museum/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Allie and Ywanarai had the most warm and loving Lightner Museum wedding. St. Augustine is always on my top favorite locations to photograph. There are so many hidden alleyways, cobblestone roads, palm trees, gorgeous stone buildings, and gorgeous natural backdrops. The two brides got ready in separate houses, down the street from one another, and did a really sweet and intimate first look. Ywanarai was so nervous as she could hear Allie walking down the steps, walking toward her. The look on Ywanarai's face when Allie turned around was priceless. She couldn't help but just grab her and hug her as soon as she saw her gorgeous bride.

February 12, 2018

Latoya Dixon Photography Knows How to Treat Her Clients Like Family

February 12, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We have loved Latoya Dixon for a long, long time. She has been a huge supporter of Catalyst, our keynote speaker at the last {un}convention, and is the leader of The Queen Photographers, who sponsor our Photo of the Week series. But Latoya is more than just a major part of our community, she is also a vendor who knows how to connect with her clients on a very personal level, resulting in some truly amazing photos. That's why we are so thrilled to have her join our vendor directory!

February 05, 2018

South Carolina Photographer Jessica Hunt Is Championing Diverse Representation By Publishing More Than Anyone

February 05, 2018/ Catalyst Wedding Co

South Carolina wedding photographer Jessica Hunt sees it as her responsibility to advocate for diverse representation by photographing awesome couples and publishing their images on popular wedding blogs. In 2017 she published 75 times.

January 31, 2018

Real Couples // Casual Same-Sex Romance in Columbia, SC: Brittany + Michele

January 31, 2018/ Studio Cellar/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We met in college. We were actually both dating other people when we became friends. We talked all the time and could not wait to be around each other. The relationship eventually became something more and we broke it off with our other partners. We both knew from the very beginning that there was something special between us and despite some drama in the beginning (ending our other relationships and Michele's family not being supportive), we made it and have never been happier.

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?

January 09, 2018

Real Couples Video // A Magical Farm Wedding in Asheville: Amy + Lindsay

January 09, 2018/ The Farm: A Gathering Place/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Amy and I met at the hair salon! Let’s just say she gave me a haircut that changed my life. Literally. We had a mutual friend who went to Amy for really awesome haircuts, and she had told me to go see Amy. It took me almost a year to walk in that salon, but I was so glad that I did. She had me mesmerized: she was beautiful and absolutely stunning! Plus she gave me the most awesome haircut ever. The sparks were flying and I had not felt this way before.

January 04, 2018

Real Couples // An Intimate, Eclectic Austin Wedding: Jennifer + Juan

January 04, 2018/ Casa Rio de Colores/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Before we were even engaged, a friend of mine told me he KNEW where we were getting married. After we were engaged, we booked a tour of the venue he suggested, on my birthday. He was absolutely right. It was the best birthday gift to book our wedding venue, Casa Rio de Colores! We fell in love with the eclectic and ornate decor, and the laid back vibe of the property. Our reception (and our ceremony due to rain) was held under one of the stilted river homes in an area that looked like a cantina on steroids. It was perfect!

December 30, 2017

Real Couples // A Fun Private Estate Wedding in Boone, NC: German + Laura

December 30, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We met back in 2011. He was definitely the last person in mind to fall in love with! We both were dating other people, but we developed a great friendship and respect for each other. As time passed and our other relationships ended, we looked at each other in a “this can actually be a thing” kind of way.

December 20, 2017

Evergreen Era Films Creates Wedding Films with Authenticity

December 20, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

One of the things I love most about my films are the honest interactions I'm usually able to capture from my couples. My favorite moments are the unscripted ones, and I've found that if I keep my gear simple and unobtrusive I am able to fade into the background enough for them to feel comfortable to be themselves — so important for my filmmaking process!

December 07, 2017

Real Couples // Multicultural Ballroom Wedding in North Carolina: Liz + Pedro

December 07, 2017/ Noah's Event Venue/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We both work at Best Buy. I was fairly new to the store, and he had just transferred from Ohio. We instantly became friends and grew that friendship for almost two years before we decided to start dating. We got engaged when I surprised him with a birthday weekend with all his best friends from Ohio. He made a proposal video, and played it at his birthday party, and we celebrated the next two days with all of our closet friends.

December 05, 2017

Real Couples // A Tattooed Garden Wedding in San Antonio: Mykel + Orlando

December 05, 2017/ The Gardens at West Green/ Catalyst Wedding Co

My boss had told me about this girl I needed to meet. She was new at work, but I had no idea that I had already met her. The first thing that caught my attention about her with those beautiful eyes and her smile. She thought I didn't notice her, but how could I not? She invited me out for coffee and after staring into each other's eyes we shared our first kiss, and after that I knew that she was the one.

November 28, 2017

Real Couples // After Nine Years and Three Kids, A Wedding: Dre + Shanai

November 28, 2017/ Doko Manor/ Catalyst Wedding Co

I was sort of a loner, so for someone to really peak my interest AND make laugh was a win-win. We ended up dating and going to prom together, and the rest is history. Sort of your typical high school sweetheart love story, with a bad girl twist!

October 18, 2017

Real Couples // An Indian American Wedding in Galveston: Jessica + Ryan

October 18, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Ryan and Jessica are some of the kindest people you will ever meet. They first met in the fall of 2011 at Texas A&M University. When they met at Schuhmacher Hall, Jessica thought Ryan was super weird. They became close friends almost immediately, so Jessica was also probably a little weird in her own right. From late night studying and dinners at Sbisa to playing in the rain on campus and cheering on the fightin' Texas Aggie football team, Ryan and Jessica realized there was something special between them and eventually started dating. Ryan loved Jessica for a long time and waited patiently for her to finish nursing school before they got married.

October 06, 2017

Real Couples // A Childhood Love Story: Ashlee + Mike

October 06, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We met at church; his mom was my Girl Scout troop leader. He was always trolling and dropping in on our Girl Scout meetings. We were like kindergarteners. I'm pretty sure he picked on me because he was so in love, lol. We became really close friends and remained that way through college.

He popped the question while we were on a surprise anniversary trip to Lake Tahoe. I had no clue! When we started dating Mike always loved to write poems for me. There was a poem that he wrote for me when we first started dating that he hadn't finished, and he named it "untitled." So after dinner we went back to the hotel, and he asked if I could record him reading a new poem. Come to find out it was the unfinished poem he had written, except this time it had an ending... he asked if I'd be his wife! He retitled it "Lucky Number 7" in honor of it being our 7th and final dating anniversary. Not only that, he proposed at the same time he'd asked me to be his girlfriend 7 years ago. I still have no clue how he pulled all that off.

September 21, 2017

Real Couples // Modern Downtown Atlanta Engagement Shoot: Aubrey + Ronnie

September 21, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

AuBrey and Ronnie are so confident in who they are. Their love was so amazing to witness because as well walked down busy city streets, you could tell they couldn't even tune in to all the people around. That's the kind of love I LIVE for.

September 07, 2017

Real Couples // Fashion Forward Engagement Session in Charlotte, North Carolina: Rashan + Quanda

September 07, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Rashan and Quanda are the type of couple that found each other late in life, but are better for it. They are both successful in their respective careers and decided to blend their families and lives later next year in Jamaica. Since they decided to have a destination wedding, Rashan and Quanda wanted to make sure to have their engagement session set in THEIR city: Charlotte, North Carolina.