Modern Rebel & Co. is an alternative event planning company that gives back to local New York City non-profits. We interviewed the owner, Amy, about how to celebrate friendships at your wedding without making your friends begin to slowly resent you.

Have you met Amy Shackelford of Modern Rebel? She owns an awesome alternative event planning company in Brooklyn that partners with nonprofits. That means Modern Rebel donates money to domestic violence, homelessness, and education-based organizations every time her team coordinates an event. She also shares our feminist values, and she invited Catalyst to join her on a panel about feminism and weddings at this year's Love Union, a dreamy week-long staycation and education opportunity for wedding professionals in NYC. It's hosted by 501 Union, a gorgeous venue for weddings and events in the Gowanus neighborhood.

Chelo Keys is a woke wedding photographer in New Jersey. In this interview with editor Liz Susong, she talks about growing up in New York, bringing her whole self to her creative work, and growing in her social justice values.

Kori and Sam's beautiful bridal shower took place at Peony's Envy, a magical peony garden in NJ.  Kori is a floral designer and owner of Colly Flowers, so it's no surprise that their celebration took place amongst hundreds of peonies at peak bloom. Flowers continued to be central to the theme as friends and family crafted their own flower crowns and explored the peony garden for hidden raffle tickets. Kori and Sam are undoubtedly loved, and this was the perfect gathering for family and friends to honor their upcoming union.

Wedding photographer Chelo Keys snapped a photo three years ago of Alicia Caldwell breastfeeding her infant daughter on her wedding day. When Chelo shared the photo on social media, she met resistance from “people who felt that breastfeeding should be a private moment or didn't feel it met the definition of a bridal portrait.”  While she disagreed with those opinions, she didn’t want to “subject Alicia to unnecessary hate,” so she took the photo down, and it has remained dormant for the last three years.