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!

Pink and navy glam wedding invitation suite on wine barrel during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Closeup of pink and navy glam wedding invitation suite on wine barrel during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Spread of white flowers and green botanical decor during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Head table with white flowers and green botanical decor during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Closeup of candles and white flowers and green botanical decor during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Portrait of Grace in wedding dress, cape, and tiara during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Grace laughing in wedding dress, cape, and tiara during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Grace laughing and showing off full wedding cape during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Close up of Grace’s round bouquet during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Close up of Grace’s round bouquet and diamond engagement ring during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Portrait of Grace in wedding dress with cape and hoop bouquet during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Grace and TJ laugh and embrace during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

TJ kisses Grace’s hand as she laughs at head table during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

TJ whispers in Grace’s ear as she laughs at head table during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Grace and TJ sit together at head table during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Grace and TJ share first dance during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Four tiered white wedding cake on wine barrel during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Top tier of wedding cake on platter during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Candles, centerpieces, and gold acrylic table numbers during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Floral hoop centerpiece on guest table during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Individual bundt cake on guest table during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Grace and TJ snuggle over dessert during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Grace and TJ laugh together over dessert during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Grace laughs while dancing during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Grace and TJ embrace on the dance floor during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Grace and TJ laugh on the dance floor during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Grace and TJ on the dance floor during wedding inspiration shoot at The Hotel at Lafayette in Buffalo New York Jacqueline Connor Photography

Words and photos by Jacqueline Connor Photography

We wanted to show marriers that you can truly transform a space. Buffalo has a lot of wonderful, quirky venues but people often struggle with decor. This design had a balance of an industrial, quirky space and glam accents.

There was a lot of white on white, greenery, and texture to provide a gorgeous contrast to the brick, industrial space. There were piles of faux florals and beautiful dessert details. We balanced the quirky with the glam, added a cape (why can't every wedding have one?!), glamorous accessories, and perfect little details. There was a styling change during the second half of the session to showcase how marriers can incorporate their culture into their wedding day look.

When it came to choosing models, we really wanted to focus on joy. Wedding days are full of joy, so we wanted to make sure marriers could see themselves in that. Grace and TJ perfectly fit that bill, you can practically hear Grace’s laughter by just looking at her. Here, you can have your quirky cake and eat it glamorously, too (personal bundt cakes and all).

It was really a collaborative effort that everyone loved. Grace walked into the bridal shop and immediately did a happy dance when she saw that cape. Jenny of Magical Bakes had free rein over creating the elegant dessert details (and boy did she knock it out of the park). Crystal really wanted to showcase the depth of what she could create, so she worked with multiple layers and textures.