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 MoreI decided to do a boudoir session for one reason: radical self love.
A few events sparked my motivation to begin this journey, however. I'd just come out of an emotionally abusive relationship that left me feeling unlovable, ugly, and with the lowest self esteem I've ever had. I was frustrated that I wasn't feeling the way I knew I deserved to feel about myself.
Read MoreWe got engaged on our four-year anniversary. Ever year we try to outdo each other with gifts on our anniversary. I was sure that I would win this year as I planned on gifting Michael, not one, but two Seattle Sounders jerseys because they are his favorite MLS soccer team. I had planned to record his reaction live for all of our family and friends to witness his priceless reaction. However, I did not realize that Michael had planted all of these ideas into my head through various family members.
Michael played along with the surprise and had a small gift to give me so that I felt I had won that year’s gift exchange, and at the very end of it all Michael got down on one knee and proposed to me while all of our family and friends watched from all over the country. It was a magical moment that we’ll have forever and can relive whenever we want because he made sure that I had recorded it.
Diablo Lake was chosen as our photoshoot location by suggestion of our photographer, Meghann. It had been on our list of places to visit and therefore it was the perfect opportunity.
Read MoreWe met in 2011, just before graduating high school. We went on to date others before finding our way to one another, in 2013, when I delivered Jess coffee to work. We went through a series of challenging events—moves, jobs, and emergency surgeries—that required for each of us to spend a year apart. We’ve been happy nesting in our cozy little studio apartment since June of 2016.
The deal was that since I asked Jess out, I’d be ready to get engaged when she was. If it was up to me we would’ve eloped right there! Although I had been hoping the proposal would come, I was surprised when it did. Jess had me swept up by the sea when she got down on one knee!
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 MoreThey 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.
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 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 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 have loved working with Lauren Scott of Tickled Photo Booth ever since she attended our very first {un}convention back in 2014. Tickled is a DC-based photo booth company that offers a variety of photo booth experiences for weddings, private events, and conferences. All of the photos from her still photo booth are professional quality and will give you so many memories to share from your event.
Read MoreWe met at a bar. Rachel's friend bailed but she decided to go out anyways so she was standing by the wall. I walked past her at first but stopped and turned around to talk to her for some reason. Neither of us were expecting to meet anyone that night; neither of us were looking for a relationship at that point actually, but we started hanging out constantly after that night and we've basically been together ever since.
Read MoreThis wedding was a game changer due to the both the creative and brilliant multicultural couple Nodira and Alex and the amazing experience they put on for their guests (and me!). Nodira and Alex wanted their wedding to create a unique community-building experience out in nature with all of their friends and family for a weekend. Most of the guests camped out in tents on the property, Moon Mountain Lodge, which is a beautiful off-the-grid place in Northwest Washington State.
Read MoreBack in 2010 when I planned my wedding, most of the things I wanted (bridesmaids in any black dress, no assigned seating at the reception, groomsmen in chucks, and a short wedding dress with *gasp* no veil) seemed pretty nontraditional. Wedding blogs were just getting started and Pinterest wasn’t even a glimmer in the internet’s eye. So I clung to my Microsoft Word collage of images and ideas every time I had to brave the storm of trying to explain to my mostly traditional parents why I wanted these things in our wedding.
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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