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!
We are huge fans of Aide-mémoire Jewelry, and owner Aran Galligan is the designer behind this all-inclusive, queer woman-owned studio in Seattle, Washington, and her pieces never cease to amaze us. Continuing to “wow” us is her new Sculpted collection, which offers a softer and more subtle departure from her more geometric designs.
Read MoreKendall has always loved photography and from a young age knew they wanted to be a photographer when they grew up. Recognizing and validating each person's identity is critical to their core beliefs of feminism and equality. And the super gendered, binary nature of weddings? It really pisses Kendall off.
Read MoreArtisan jeweler Lori Linkous Devine makes wedding jewelry with a modern aesthetic that is perfectly suited for texture-lovers with an avant-garde streak. Here are six ways her designs set her apart from other wedding rings on the market.
Read MoreIf you've ever considered a destination wedding in Seattle, we'll convince you to go for it. And if you're lucky enough to already live around the Emerald City, then you already know how special Seattle weddings can be! We've compiled our favorite reasons we love Seattle weddings, too! Here are eight undeniable reasons to consider having your big day in Seattle.
Read MoreHave you been looking for a unique wedding band where you can really feel the hand-crafted work that went into it? Then you're going to want to check out Aide-mémoire Jewelry's incredible collection of textured wedding rings.
Read MoreArin is from Sequim, WA. She's the youngest of four brothers and very close with her family who fortunately live nearby. She works as an Occupational Therapist in an outpatient neurology clinic. She enjoys all outdoor activities like rock climbing, paddle boarding, hiking, and kayaking. Most recently, she's been doing some amazing yard work on our new house! Katie is from the Bay Area, California. She's the middle of three children, is also very close with her family and loves being an aunt to her nieces and nephews. She works as a Nurse Practitioner in community health at a family practice clinic and a homeless youth clinic. She loves animals and dreams of living on a small farm someday. She enjoys running and recently has discovered gardening.
We met online and fell in love quickly. Our first date lasted an entire day! We went out to brunch and ended up spending the entire day together, and saw each other every day after that.
Read MoreTrupti and Patrick met a few years ago at work. They got to chatting over Star Wars, and the rest (as they say) is history. Their friendship grew into romance, and eventually they adopted a cat and a fluffy white puppy. Getting married was in the stars. We had the honor of photographing their wedding. It was extra special to us, as the bride and groom are friends of mine. The rain came and went during the day, and a few thunder rumbles added a bit of extra drama to the tented outdoor ceremony. But nothing could ruin this day (not even a terrible mishap with a safety pin in the bride’s sari). Just look at their faces, and it is plain as day: these two are madly in love. Their wedding was beautiful, the food was amazing, and it really was difficult to pick a favorite between Trupti’s traditional Indian attire and the stunning white wedding dress she changed into for the reception.
Read MoreBlanca and Cody met in Seattle in the summer of 2007. Cody was 21, and Blanca was 24. They dated for nine years before tying the knot. They're a couple that's always on the go! Cody is an amazing cook at a local hot spot in Ballard, and Blanca is a talented photo stylist for Zulily.com. Together the couple also runs an Airbnb and are superhosts! Their home has also been featured on Apartment Therapy.
Blanca: We didn't have a traditional engagement. We came to a decision to get married together while in traffic. Then we planned a 2-day wedding in only three months! We planned and executed it ourselves with the help of friends.
Read MoreThese two decided to elope and have a simple ceremony that included just the two of them. For their official wedding photos they wanted photos to reflect their time spent together in Utah. They met by fate one night outside of a club and have not been apart since. They loved to take drives out to the flats and watch the sun set over the city. We spent the day adventuring together doing just that.
Read MoreThis is a spring inspired wedding shoot celebrating diversity and individuality. I wanted to keep the aesthetic pretty minimal with bright colors and a modern take on a bohemian vibe. Because the space was formerly a DIY venue and vintage shop that has recently shifted gears into a more traditional venue space, we thought it would be appropriate to use some of the vintage pieces from Rent Wander to set the tone.
Read MoreRecently I have been getting more involved with my engagement sessions and spending the whole day with my couples. When we are hanging out we really get to know each other and create photos together that reflect real aspects of their lives. So I spent all day with these two, and we had a blast. We started the day chillin' at their home and then eventually adventured out to Rattlesnake Ridge. They met at a bar, so it felt only natural to end the night at a few bars.
Read MoreThese two had a very traditional two-day celebration filled with modern elements, so much color, and love. On the first day they hosted the Mehndi Ceremony and Nikah Ceremony. The Mehndi Ceremony is when the bride gets her hands and feet painted in henna. The patterns are completed with intricate details, and she sports them for the rest of the ceremonies. The Nikah Ceremony is the traditional signing of the marriage contract. The couple repeats the word qabul, which means "I accept" in Arabic three times to demonstrate they are freely marrying each other. The Shaddi Ceremony is the actual wedding day. They held a huge reception and at the end of the night performed the traditional giving away of the bride. The bride's family walks them to their get away car and reflects on the joining of their new families.
Read MoreThese two bonded online with their shared love of laser tag. They wanted a intimate ceremony with a family-style dinner and games. Being chill and artistic, it was important for them to have their wedding reflect them as a couple. Mahsino designed the invites and baked the cakes. The ceremony was held at Parsons Garden and was short and sweet. The reception at Bastille Cafe was spent laughing under the twinkle lights and passing delicious food around the table. The night ended with fun games like Uno.
Read MoreLiz: Is there anything else you would like to share with folks reading who are also working to find their own place and their own identity?
Bri: I would say to others that it starts with stepping out of the denial. Don’t deny how you feel or think because it is beautiful, and it is you. Once you stop denying you can start loving, and that extends to yourself.
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 MoreWe became friends again through the power of Facebook (breaking and making relationships since 2004!) and managed a reunion in Las Vegas. Geoff says it was love at first sight. I am a much more emotionally oblivious person, so Geoff took another trip to Seattle where I inadvertently set up the perfect first date. It took a subsequent trip together to Vancouver for me to catch on.
Read MoreAya & Britta both hail from the Pacific Northwest, so even though they now live in Los Angeles it made the most sense to get married here in Seattle. I find their love story to be all sorts of adorable… they were college roommates, and they loved living together, but it wasn’t until the very last few weeks of their first year living together that they realized they were honest-to-goodness in love with each other. They are such a fun couple (and it’s no surprise to me that they fell in love after living together for a year!), and their wedding was seriously fun!
Read MoreAlexa and Stephen are totally awesome. Alexa is a petite and meditative (with a Buddha-like personality) woman from Puerto Rico. She has an awesome Brooklyn accent, and wildly amazing hair. Stephen is originally from Washington state, and is funny and quirky, and still knows how to rock a paperboy hat and suspenders. Their energy from day one of knowing them was rooted in just being, and loving and it shows. Best of all, they were so real, top to bottom. They met while working together at Ruby Tuesdays in Virginia Beach, and fell in love. What is more real than that? Their wedding was crazy fun, and felt like a true celebration of not only their love, but their families as well. They blasted traditional Puerto Rican music far into the night, danced their butts off, and belted in Spanish with fist pumps in the air.
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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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