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!

They 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.

Many jewelry retailers have jumped on the ethical bandwagon or tout conflict-free diamonds, but what does ethical really mean for the conscientious shopper about to commit to an engagement ring or wedding band? How do you cut through the noise and the the green-washing to get to the truth? What questions should you ask to ensure that your rings are made with standards that address glaring issues like unsafe working conditions at mines and cutting facilities, the environmental effects of mining, and child labor? The following tips should help you navigate through the complex process of choosing truly ethical wedding rings, and create a ring that both represents and supports love and progress.