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 wanted to present an alternative option for couples in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area who want to get married in the city. All of the vendors are able to accommodate vegan couples in every aspect, from fabrics, to beauty products, to food.”
Read MoreWe were both a little nervous – there were certain moments we didn’t have an exact script for, and so were awkward for a moment – but knowing that everyone there was thrilled for us, we felt comfortable to be a little informal and come up with things on the fly.
So much pressure is put on people to have the perfect wedding with every last detail planned, but in the end, simply having a fun day with the people we loved most was what made the wedding special.
Read MoreI loved the idea of pairing paper flowers in the centerpieces and an origami bouquet to show that unconventional does not have to be all modern and you can use alternatives to real or silk florals. I used rose gold to add a bit of luxury to the dusty rose and paired with champagne linens.
Read MoreThe badass team of Wood Grain & Lace has taken on a rebrand in the last few months, and we are in love with the new look and vibe! Rebranding can have its ups and downs, but we know that for The Hive Wedding Collective, there will be nothing stopping this amazing team!
We got some time with founder, Christine, to hear more about the rebranding process, what their new brand means to them, and what she wishes they knew when they started the process.
Read More"We knew we wanted to have it in the Berkshires since most of my family and friends back in Virginia had not been there yet, and we wanted to give them a chance to experience the community and see why I decided to live in this area. We decided to go with the simplest (and most affordable) wedding venue option so that we can spend the money to customize a few details to our liking.
"I hate being the center of attention, so if I had my way, I would just magically appear at the front of the aisle, say "I Do", and then immediately poof away. Unfortunately, technology isn't there yet. So we settled on a very short ceremony so that there was minimal looking at me. But it was a very special moment because we had our dear friend, Ethan, perform the wedding ceremony. He quoted Bob Dylan, as requested, and really made the ceremony specific to us."
Read MoreWe reserved the Lorien's Presidential Suite which has a beautiful roof top terrace. After the official wedding reception ended, we had all our family and friends join us for drinks and light snacks on the terrace. It was a time for us to relax, get comfortable and unwind on a beautiful summer night with views of Old Town. The last guest left at 3:00 AM so we would say fun was had by all!
Read MoreWe first connected with Tyler Adams aka The Girl Tyler in November 2016 at {un}convention RVA, and we were thrilled to have her be our official event photography at {un}convention. Tyler is a joy of a human and a total joy to work with, and so we could not be more thrilled to add her to our vendor directory. Couples in the Norfolk, Virginia area (and beyond) get real excited to work with this rock star!
Read MoreCeremony and ritual help us acknowledge change and transition in our lives. You can think about the difference between a meal that starts with a toast or saying grace versus a meal that just starts. In the former, everyone takes a moment to settle in and be present with each other before eating, and in the second we just start right in and we don't necessarily stop to be present.
Read MoreMydanh Nguyen Tran and Alec Baker met only a year and a half ago, and it was love at first sight. They were both newly divorced with kids in tow and decided to do a very low-key two day event at Alec's farmhouse in Upperco, Maryland, this past June with only close family members invited to the actual ceremony and close friends and other family for the reception the following day. Mydanh's daughter, Laya, and Alec's daughter, Justine, were the flower girls, while Mydanh's son, Liam, walked her down the aisle. The kids stole the show to say the least
Read MoreSometimes I dream about the kinds of wedding I’d love to shoot. Those in distant places, like Africa or Asia, with simple details and big landscapes. I often think it would make me a better photographer, to have a portfolio with these weddings. But I’ve come to realize the kinds of weddings I want to shoot are the ones like this.
We met Hana and Kaity a little over a year ago and quickly became friends. Their wedding day was full of genuine, real love. They asked to have their closest friends and family present for their first look. I wasn’t sure how it would go, but afterwards I looked around and saw that we were all crying. It was my favorite part of the day.
Read MoreKanayo: My fiancée, now wife, bought me a camera for Christmas. So she tends to buy me enabling gifts when she notices a new interest I may have. I think I have an extreme personality, so say you give me 10-pound weights, I may end up a body builder, or you buy me a bike, I may start biking 20 miles a day. All of this happened by the way. So she gave me a camera, and it ended up as a photography business.
Read MoreWhile wedding websites and blogs are a great destination for inspiration, wedding photographers are the original sources for beautiful wedding images, most of which are never published on blogs, in magazines, or on websites. If you are looking for original, nontraditional, and diverse wedding inspiration — or just a daily dose of love — then do yourself a favor and follow these talented artists:
Read MoreThe good news is that it is possible to take the pressure off of your friend to prepare a perfect ceremony for you, while still allowing them to lead the celebration and legally marry you and your partner. Life-Cycle Celebrants are trained ceremony and ritual professionals who can work with you and your officiating friend to create a ceremony that feels comfortable and meaningful to all of you. We are skilled and trained in blending and incorporating elements of different faith traditions and backgrounds into secular (but possibly spiritual) ceremonies.
Read MoreAs we got to know each other more, the more I fell head over heels for this man. In 2015 on Memorial Day weekend, Luis had asked me if I wanted to go to Virginia Beach for the weekend with family. I said yes, and on that Saturday morning he woke me up at a few minutes before sunrise to go to the beach and watch the sunrise. I was livid. I huffed and puffed the ride down the elevator stating, "it's vacation time so we shouldn't be up this early; it's just wrong." He of course thought that it was hilarious. As we walked the beach and watched the sunrise, my eyes drifted toward the beautiful view, but then quickly remembered that sleeping in has its beauty too. Luis didn't risk any minute longer and called my name and got on his knees and proposed to me. I was stunned, and so many emotions were squeezing through my brain that I was mute for a minute or two. And he asked again. This time I had to pay him back for waking me up so early, so I said I would think about it, and oh boy I have never seen a man blush so hard in my life. And I reacted quick and said yes.
Read More"So KaShawn and I met when he was just a freshman and I was just a junior, in high school. It started as a usual high school relationship but the longer we lasted...the more I realized that this was different. We are going on four years in April, which will be the longest we've ever been in a relationship point blank period. Growing up, the awkward stages in high school, and going through real life adult struggles with him wasn't what I expected at all, but I'm so glad it turned out to be him. He turned me back to God, changed my life completely... We're literally the best of friends, and I couldn't see it any other way. We know all of our weaknesses and strengths, but we are definitely still learning a lot about each other. He brings out the absolute best in me, and he's the best he can be. It's imperfectly perfect."
Read MoreOur goal for this shoot was to have fun and highlight color and love! Our theme was Girls! Girls! Girls!, and we were able to put together an amazing team of women, The Richmond Association of Boss Babes. We thought, what would a real life couple do when they woke up together on the day of their wedding? Morning sex, obviously! Boudoir images are usually just of one woman, and even less often do you see images of lesbian boudoir featuring an actual couple. We wanted to capture our girls in their element, being themselves together, whether that was dressed or undressed.
Read MoreRoxann and Trey have traveled in the same orbit since they were 18 years old, their lives circling around each other and convening at certain points. When tragedy struck they got closer, but it just was not the right time yet. Through relationship after relationship, they stayed in each other's orbit being that shoulder for each other but declaring nothing because the orbit was just not perfect. After a decade of love, support, and caring it all finally clicked, and they knew the other was their person. Seeing them together, it's obvious that even though it took a while to get to this point, it was the exact perfect point for them both. They are already a family, and their wedding in June of this year will just solidify what was known by all.
Read MorePlay. The idea of play is a form of connection, to each other and to their surroundings. We kept saying that in their world it would rain confetti. The wedding bouquet was edible. Hot pink and bold shapes. Swings, bubbles, ribbons, a hot pink bamboo altar, laughs, confetti frozen into ice, play. Anywhere you go in the world the happiest people you see are often the ones that know how to play, whatever that looks like to each person. It was fun. It was also fun to gather a group of dynamic, female, artists in the area to create together for the first time.
Read MoreI've never believed in love in first sight until I saw her. You know that butterfly-in-your-stomach, hair-standing-on-the-back-of-your-neck feel? We met in high school while she played basketball, and I was a cheerleader. I couldn't keep my eyes off her during basketball games. It went on for years, and I just couldn't find the words to tell her how I felt until years later. I woke up one day and said I'm going to finally let her know how I feel.
Read MoreMeet Shawnee Custalow of A Lovely Photo, a queer wedding photographer in Richmond, Virginia, who approaches weddings with curiosity and delight.
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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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