Hey beauties, it seems like this has been a long-ass month, or am I tripping? Either way I have been waiting to come chat again; did ya miss me? I’m sipping some Teavana tea; it’s a winterberry blend, and it is amazing!! Seriously you all have to google it and order some and then let me know how you love it?! It is a loose tea and has like grapefruit and strawberry flavors; it tastes so good so if you’re into tea, then grab some! Onto the tea you’re all here for. This month I am doing another interview and actually trying something new! I want to add some “spotlight articles” where I will interview a business owned by a black woman that caters to black women. So this month I am putting the spotlight on my girl Felicia. She is the owner of Shopfe-line, a brand that if you follow me you are very familiar with, as I do makeup for her product shoots! So let’s see how the interview went with this bossbabe, shall we?!

One part that really seemed to stand out last month according to the feedback was the story about none of the vendors posting photos of the black bride's wedding. Her story really drove home why I push the phrase, “Go where you are celebrated, not tolerated,” so much. It's very important that on top of realizing these issues, we do our part to support those who truly support us! How many times have you been online and come across a new viral post about yet another business owner coming out as having been racist?! How many of these business owners had you supported in the past? Yea, I know girl, me too, and the worst part is there is no way for us to be able to tell, right?! Well of course there isn't, but we can damn sure look for the businesses that SHOW us that they are here for us. It's really easy to do; if you go to their website and don't see anything close to a representation of you, peace out! You'd be taking a chance with giving this business your support, or in other words, your coins!!

We first met Molly last February around the time she was planning the Galentine's Day pop-up in Charlottesville, Virginia. It quickly became clear she was a talent to be reckoned with, both as an artist and a baker. She creates beautiful wedding cakes, as well as portraits of couples, but her influence goes beyond the wedding industry. She has developed an artistic series focused on highlighting women bakers and chefs. While the kitchen may stereotypically be the place for women domestically, commercial kitchens have often excluded women and made professional baking and cooking a male-dominated industry. She wants to change that, and step one is to bring focus to the women who are already excelling in the professional realm. Read on to learn more!

We are so excited to introduce our newest sponsor, Elaine B Jewelry! We sat down with founder Elaine Butcher to learn more about her sustainable and thoughtful approach to jewelry design. We love what she has created and we know you will, too. After seeing these pieces, you'll never go back to a traditional engagement ring again.

In my 20s, I found myself buying wedding gifts on registries for friends who were getting married. Those experiences were so impersonal and transactional I started to wonder if I could build something better. Before Thankful, I was a copywriter at design agencies working on big corporate websites and also small, fun brands with lots of personality. So I started with the tone I wanted the site to have. Since gift giving is so emotional, I knew the brand would be more about the relationships between people, and less about "stuff." That's what set us apart from the way retailers were doing registries.

While in San Francisco for {un}convention last month, carly+jen, as well as our friends Marita and Brandon from Slingin' Pretty, visited the home studio of Danielle Wen of Lace & Liberty.

My mission as a wedding photographer is to capture and share authentic wedding day stories. Whether my couples are eloping at San Francisco City Hall or getting married on a rainy day in the middle of an Oregon forest, my job is to be there to photograph all the candid moments in between beyond the epic posed portraits. I want my wedding photos to feel true to my couples and the reality of their wedding day. I’m drawn to catching the tender glances my couples share throughout the day, the times when nervous anticipation gives way to liberating laughter, and the elation in their eyes when when it hits them that, "Yes! We’re getting married today!"

Christie Hardwick, the author of The Progressive Wedding Book, has been a wonderful supporter of Catalyst, and we are stoked to share an excerpt of her book, aimed at addressing the needs, concerns, and dreams of the LGBT community in the wake of the federal legalization of same sex marriage.  

Any thinking person who has planned a bachelorette party for a friend has felt the singular anguish of trying to steer clear of the humiliating, tired old clichés that traditional wedding culture likes to throw at you, while still delivering fun ways to honor someone you care about. That anguish was what inspired me to create the wedding-themed party game, Cads About Matrimony.

Save the Date Originals does graphic design and printing for folks who want to make fun things to send to friends and family!  "Send them something exciting!"

Angela is the founder of the company, and she has been making Save the Date Originals for eleven years!  

As an artist, I’ve made it my duty to reflect the way we celebrate marriage today. I am most interested in the ways in which we subvert, disrupt, and ultimately, reclaim what marriage can be for each and every one of us. I am lucky to be able to document vanguards who are celebrating community and inclusion as primary to what it is to be in love and to marry in these times. 

My name is Kate. I was born near the white mountains of New Hampshire, grew up in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, had a few-year stint in Brooklyn, and have settled for the time being in Richmond, VA. My most recent blissful moment was standing atop a glacier lagoon in Iceland with my medium format film camera. My happiest place is around a table with wine, home-cooked food, friends and family in abundance.

Susty Party inspires people to come together and connect over food and conversation without it feeling like a hassle.  Our tableware is stylish and fun, makes for easy clean-up, and there's no guilt about making mountains of trash because all our products are made from recycled or renewable resources!

is a boutique-style rental company and prop house located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia. Specializing in vintage and eclectic items, we maintain an inventory of gorgeous furniture and decor pieces that can be used to create one-of-a-kind visual displays. From soirées to styled shoots, our collection contains the details that assist our clients in executing their vision. We have sourced up & down the east coast, dug through barns and even pulled items from our own grandmothers’ attics to curate our extensive collection. With a selection of upholstered pieces, plus a warehouse full of furniture and smalls that would make any thrift store junkie jealous, we are truly a destination for event designers, art directors, stylists and commercial photographers. 

Pop! Wed Co. was created because as a designer, I know how to plan weddings that will look awesome, and my partner Steven was just perfect for a wedding officiant — we realized that we could plan a whole tiny wedding for our couples, relieving all of their stress, and letting them simply show up and have an amazing wedding.