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!

We wanted to create an organic, modern atmosphere mixing hard and soft elements. Combining the Assembly Room’s brick walls and graffiti with pastel florals, candles, and organic dress details really made that theme come alive.

We also wanted the true love between Hassan and Dymir to stand out as much as possible. I used directions and fun techniques to make them feel at home and focus on the connection they have with one another. They were the most humble couple I have ever met, and so deeply connected, that it was a dream working with them.

I reached out to four different planners with my vision, and only one got back to me — she sent me Brandi's name from Charming Grace Events. Brandi agreed with my vision wholeheartedly. We both felt we need to be a part of the solution of expanding diversity within the wedding industry. We believe in being active and directly inclusionary.

We found other vendors that shared this vision and want to continue it with their own business practices. We understand that representation matters, and wanted to give other LGTBQ couples a chance to see themselves in this shoot.

Words by Corinne Thompson of Love to the Core Photo, as told to Amber Marlow.

baltimore photo shoot grooms' wrists tied with ribbon

baltimore photo shoot grooms in front of brick wall

baltimore photo shoot candid of grooms laughing and holding hands

baltimore photo shoot couple on elegant couch with lit candles on floor, brick wall in background

baltimore photo shoot couple laughing on sofa and holding hands

baltimore photo shoot candid embrace laughing

baltimore photo shoot dymir sitting in armchair, hassan on floor in front of him

baltimore photo shoot faces close in embrace

baltimore photo shoot couple posing for camera, hassan's head leaning on dymir's

baltimore photo shoot portrait shot of dymir with brick wall in background

baltimore photo shoot portrait shot of hassan wearing floral sash looking off into distance, brick wall in background

baltimore photo shoot hassan's floral sash detail shot

baltimore photo shoot couple at altar made with floral arrangements on large wooden semicircle arch, candles and flower petals surrounding arch

baltimore photo shoot altar arch with graffitied brick in background

baltimore photo shoot armchairs and end table with vintage camera and light; small sign on table reads "welcome to the assembly room"

baltimore photo shoot wedding bands resting on bouquet

VENDORS

Photography | Love to the Core Photo

Planning | Charming Grace Events

Venue | The Assembly Room

Models | Dymir Arthur | Hassan Henderson

Menswear | Christopher Schafer Clothier

Florals | Floret and Vine

Makeup | Michael Owen O'Donnell

Rentals | Paisley and Jade Rentals

Calligraphy | Allison Dee Calligraphy

Styling Board | Heirloom Bindery

Ribbon | Torn and Tied Ribbon

Rings | Amazon

CORINNE THOMPSON

I photograph weddings because what the world thinks about people who are weird is bullshit. My mission is to photograph the weirdest people having the most authentic wedding because being yourself is the most important thing you can do in this life. When you met your partner, it’s because of who they were at their core and that’s the beauty I will draw back out of both of you.

BRANDI ERHARD

Brandi is the leader behind Charming Grace Events and offers full service planning, partial planning, and month-of coordination to couples in the Annapolis, Maryland and Washington, DC area.