Real Weddings, Advice, & Inspiration

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!

Kimberly, 33, is from Ithaca, NY; she is a professor at a local university and does freelance writing for several businesses. I (Ashley), 32, am from Ramsey, NJ, and work at the Humane Society of the United States, own a fitness coaching business, and co-own of another small business.

Together we love to hike, laugh, listen to serial killer podcasts (ha!), and have as many adventures as possible.

We met at a local gym. I was coaching when Kimberly came in, and it was love at first sight for me. I kept asking her to get coffee, not knowing Kimberly really didn't like coffee. But nevertheless, we got coffee together… and every day since. Something in both of us just 'clicked': that desperate, heart-yanking feeling of “you aren't even gone yet and I miss you” type gushy love.

We didn't even know we were waiting for each other.

I was proposing to Kimberly and had to capture that moment candidly, in a planned proposal at the Wm. Mulherin’s Sons hotel in Philadelphia, PA. The vibe was just perfect — romantic, dark lighting, industrial, private, classy, and sexy!

Our photographer, Lauren, nailed it and absolutely caught the perfect hand-over-face shock moment. The rings are from L.Priori, and I had flowers brought in from Belovly to complete the romantic mood.

My now-wife and I saw Lauren’s work on Instagram, and every time we scrolled by we scrolled right back to her photos. They have the aesthetic we LOVE and capture moments in a way we have never seen before!

Since the engagement, we have used her for our private intimate wedding, and we have a baby coming in July that she will be taking some photos for as well. Lauren is super easy to work with and sweet as pie — making us look more flattering than we ever have before!

Words by Ashley, as told by Amber Marlow. Photos by Lauren Driscoll.

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography ashley on one knee with ring

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography ashley putting ring on kimberly

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography kiss laying on floor surrounded by string lights

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography small table with floral centerpiece

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography ashley and kimberly sitting at bar holding hands

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography teardrop-shaped ring on table

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography kimberly on couch, ashley on floor, couple holding hands

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography kimberly on ashley’s lap, both looking at ring

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography couple looking at ring on kimberly’s hand

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography couple laughing

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography couple laying on floor with blurred light effect

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography couple on floor with string lights, black and white

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography kimberly and ashley sitting on floor with string lights

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography candid laughing on floor

surprise proposal wm. mulherin’s sons hotel philadelphia pennsylvania lauren driscoll photography couple dancing

LAUREN DRISCOLL

I'm Lauren! I've been photographing couples madly in love for about 4 years now and have loved every minute of it! I'm obsessed with rich colors and tones and love to make that shine in my work without overpowering the couples in the images. I just love photographing love, no matter who, what, when, where, why!