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!
For us lay-people, the mysteries of bridal gown tailoring can seem like pure magic. We sat down with the expert, Amanda Madden of AMadden Tailoring, and we asked her everything we have ever wanted to know about altering, customizing, and creating wedding dresses!
Read More"My goal when photographing weddings is to capture the story of the day. I’m just as interested in showcasing the small subtle moments and quirky personal details, as I am with documenting the big showstoppers. I find beauty in the imperfection and chaos that is a real wedding day. When my clients look back at their photos I want them to have more than just a record of their day, I want them to be reminded of how the day truly felt.
Read MoreMy clients are a real power couple. They are dream clients — successful, stylish and confident. When they arrived for their session, I was blown away by their attire. I immediately thought they looked red carpet ready. So when I saw the red carpet at the location, which isn't normally there, I knew it was fate. It was perfect. I try to show my clients' style and personality in my images. I believe this photo does that. It represents black excellence and black love, two things that aren't really shown in main stream media.
Read MoreWe have loved Latoya Dixon for a long, long time. She has been a huge supporter of Catalyst, our keynote speaker at the last {un}convention, and is the leader of The Queen Photographers, who sponsor our Photo of the Week series. But Latoya is more than just a major part of our community, she is also a vendor who knows how to connect with her clients on a very personal level, resulting in some truly amazing photos. That's why we are so thrilled to have her join our vendor directory!
Read MoreSouth Carolina wedding photographer Jessica Hunt sees it as her responsibility to advocate for diverse representation by photographing awesome couples and publishing their images on popular wedding blogs. In 2017 she published 75 times.
Read MoreThere are a lot of voices out there telling us to go paperless in this new digital world, and now with Paperless Post, you can even consider going paperless with your wedding invitations. In case you're on the fence about going paperless with this super important part of your wedding, here are five reasons why you should definitely consider it.
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 MoreModern day wedding planning has somehow turned into a months-long project where you're working through a checklist of things you need to pay for and then figuring out how to pay for those things. (I'm speaking from personal experience here!) So much time and energy is invested in staging the picture perfect event with all the trimmings and making sure that all necessary do's and don'ts are being observed. My take: throw it all out and start over.
Read MoreThe mission of Jessica Hunt Photography is to provide high-end wedding photography services to every JHP couple and to create imagery that represents each client's unique love story in a personal and artistic way. Beyond the mission of ensuring every JHP couple walks away from their wedding photography 100% satisfied, the mission of JHP is to create positive imagery of those less represented in the current wedding industry and cause societal change by normalizing the love stories of those underrepresented.
Read MoreAre you looking to breathe new life into a family heirloom piece or a vintage ring? We know just the place for you! Bario Neal is an amazing jeweler, not to mention they are an ethical company run by WOMEN. We have profiled their gorgeous, creative, inspiring jewelry before, and we have talked to them extensively about using white sapphires as an ethical diamond alternative. What always amazes us is that many of their rings are one-off pieces created for a special individual, often recycling family pieces.
Read MoreCreated by interior designer Katie Burt, The Wedding Nest Gift Registry lets couples create unique registries full of designer pieces. Many gifts that couples receive are unwanted, or simply aren't meant to stand the test of time. The items available via The Wedding Nest are all high quality and couples will find items for their home that will last as long as their marriage.
Read MoreOne of the things I love most about my films are the honest interactions I'm usually able to capture from my couples. My favorite moments are the unscripted ones, and I've found that if I keep my gear simple and unobtrusive I am able to fade into the background enough for them to feel comfortable to be themselves — so important for my filmmaking process!
Read MoreWhy rely on the Internet and unknown future technologies to be the keepers of your most important memories? Having a printed wedding album means knowing that in 50 years, you will still be able to flip through it with your grandchildren and tell the tales of how old Uncle Frank got way too drunk and made that really embarrassing toast before falling down on the dance floor. Those are memories you never want to lose.
Read MoreTory planned the most elaborate and heartfelt proposal for her girlfriend, Kate, and a run-of-the-mill engagement ring would not do. After dating for seven years and living together for two, Tory and Kate knew they wanted to get married, but both felt ambivalent about engagement rings, as neither wears much jewelry. Tory says that after guessing at Kate’s finger size based on a mood ring, she went into Tiffany’s one day after going for a run, “which was one of the funniest experiences. I was like, can I just look at bands with no bling, and they were very confused why this sweaty woman with no engagement ring wanted to try on wedding bands.” In the end, Tory decided they would make their own wedding bands together at With These Rings in Port Townsend, Washington, and she planned an elaborate proposal leading up to the making of the rings.
Read MoreElaine was trained in metal smithing and glass blowing at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. "Inspired by minimal but inventive designs, rough stones and geometric shapes, and the versatility of jewelry meant for work or play, she created her small business, Elaine B Jewelry."
Elaine's designs are perfect for gifting to dear friends or family members who have played a part in your wedding day, or for the holidays.
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 MoreKseniya Thomas is the founder of Thomas-Printers in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and she makes gorgeous letterpress papergoods for weddings and businesses all over the country. We were so intrigued that she is using presses from as far back as 1898 to create modern, playful designs that we wanted to understand her whole process. What is a day in the life of a printer like in the digital age?
Read MoreHave you all heard of Rover? It's totally amazing, like the Airbnb of pet sitting. Rover says, We believe in the unconditional love of dogs, and Rover exists to make it possible for everyone to experience this love in their lives. Who could disagree with this mission? Maybe you've used Rover to find a high quality, affordable pet sitter in your area, or maybe you watch their Instagram stories every day because they share the walks of some really cute dogs. But have you considered signing up to be a dog sitter? Pet sitters and dog walkers on Rover can earn $1,000 or more per month. Each person has the freedom to choose their own services, schedule, and rates. One of the added benefits is that Rover sitters can work from their own home and they can schedule their work around their availability. Let's hear from one such dog walker who funded his WEDDING off of that dog sitting cash!
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 MoreAmy: I had so many back-to-back weddings with donuts (they're very in right now), and so at a client's wedding, while I totally knew in my heart of hearts they were not donuts, I had a brain fart and had the band announce that the donuts were now out at the dessert table! I was literally looking at these NOT DONUTS and saying, would you like a donut? Then, the photographer's assistant came up to me and said, “Amy, those are not donuts, right? They're like muffins, right?" And I was like, "no, they're donuts!" And then my assistant and I realized: WHAT THE HECK, THESE ARE CUPCAKES. I had a grandma or two ask for some donuts, and I had to sadly tell them we only had cupcakes. I'm a very on-top-of-my-shit lady, but that was the one moment I broke. Could have been worse! You have to laugh.
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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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