March 01, 2017

Knoxville Winter Backyard Wedding After 26 Years: Diana + Sue

March 01, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

26 years. That is how long Diana and Sue have been together. I was five years old when they got together. It’s a lifetime when you think about it! And I could feel that lifetime as I walked into their home in Knoxville on their snowy wedding day. Their home was filled with trinkets from a life well lived: hundreds of cookbooks lined the shelves in the kitchen, Christmas cards from the recent holiday hung on the rafters, and photos of children and grandchildren lined the hallways.

February 28, 2017

Out of the Box Challenge // Uncommon Goods

February 28, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Play. The idea of play is a form of connection, to each other and to their surroundings. We kept saying that in their world it would rain confetti. The wedding bouquet was edible. Hot pink and bold shapes. Swings, bubbles, ribbons, a hot pink bamboo altar, laughs, confetti frozen into ice, play. Anywhere you go in the world the happiest people you see are often the ones that know how to play, whatever that looks like to each person. It was fun. It was also fun to gather a group of dynamic, female, artists in the area to create together for the first time.

February 27, 2017

Real Couples // Island Elopement With Loved Ones: Anya + Arlo

February 27, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

And then they got married. I will never forget Anya standing on the beach with her Dad, while Arlo was so overcome with emotion that he stood there and spoke loudly and with so much conviction, telling Anya how much he loved her. He was proclaiming his love for her through tears, to her and to their families and to the sea that surrounded them...and this was before the wedding had even begun, so you can only imagine how emotional the actual ceremony was.

February 24, 2017

Real Couples // Basketball Star & Cheerleader Love Story: Jasmine + Jasmine

February 24, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

I've never believed in love in first sight until I saw her. You know that butterfly-in-your-stomach, hair-standing-on-the-back-of-your-neck feel? We met in high school while she played basketball, and I was a cheerleader. I couldn't keep my eyes off her during basketball games. It went on for years, and I just couldn't find the words to tell her how I felt until years later. I woke up one day and said I'm going to finally let her know how I feel.

February 10, 2017

Real Couples // Gothic Library Wedding: Nick + Kristin

February 10, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Nick and Kristin were married this past fall in Saint Paul, Minnesota. They chose their wedding venue to be the historic James J. Hill Library because it felt timeless, just like their love for each other. Their wedding style was gothic, crisp, and classic. They will have been together eight years this March!

February 03, 2017

Get Your Groove On: Tunes to Help You Get Pumped for Your Big Day

February 03, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

The internet is crawling with playlists to match your wedding morning joy. If you rise like a flower, float to your bridal party, and arrive at the venue on a magic carpet — those playlists are for you. For all the betrothed who are hoping to speed through their makeup routine so they have more time to dance in the hotel room with their best friends, turn this up.

February 02, 2017

One Ceremony, Centuries of Patriarchy

February 02, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Then they enacted wedding ceremonies from three different eras — the 1700s, the 1950s, and the present — with costume changes for each. At the end of each ceremony, a certificate was handed to Levana that said: “You are now a full woman,” with an asterisk — the asterisk was “pending children.”

January 26, 2017

Wedding Inspiration // One Couple Three Ways: Royal

January 26, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

“Let’s do a shoot that involves cats…and motorcycles!” That was the sentence that began this project. Later we’d add to the list: deer teeth, parachute pants, and a grungy bouquet of flowers with roots still attached.

January 11, 2017

Real Couples // A Black Renaissance-Inspired Wedding: Adrienne + Joshua

January 11, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

I am a co-owner of The ARTisan Cafe, an artisan cooperative in Richmond, Virginia so with my involvement in the arts and culture scene I really wanted to find a fresh and new muse for our special day. The wedding was inspired by classic charm, rustic elegance, and Black Renaissance.

January 10, 2017

Wedding Inspiration // "Perfect Pairings" from Asheville, North Carolina

January 10, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

This shoot was located in a brand new wedding venue, Highland Brewery, and features a phenomenal dessert bar by French Broad Chocolates, two favorite local establishments. Asheville is all about lifting our local community up, and all the vendors for this shoot are local to Asheville! The shoot has an industrial setting at the brewery but brings in the romance through styling.

December 14, 2016

Real Couples // High School Sweethearts: Sarah + Zack

December 14, 2016/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Zack and I don't remember when we met for the first time, but it was probably sometime in the third grade. As freshmen, we were on a youth football/cheer team, and we won king and queen at the homecoming game. But it wasn't until our junior year of high school when we actually started dating. We grew up together, graduated together, had a two-year long distance relationship, and have been experiencing life's highs and lows together. One day before the two-year anniversary of my mom's passing, Zack proposed to me at AT&T park after a Giants game. The date and the place were both extremely close to my heart. We also chose to get married on my mom's birthday, May 7. We are best friends and are so happy we get to live life loving each other.

October 28, 2016

Real Couples // Minneapolis Romance: Theresa + Brenda

October 28, 2016/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Theresa and Brenda are examples of strong, modern individuals who do great work in the world: Theresa has a PhD in Child Psychology and is a university professor, and Brenda is an MD who practices medicine. This couple lives in Portland (OR) but traveled back home to Minneapolis to get married and celebrate amidst their loved ones. They are the kind of couple that is not only so happy and in love, but they are also incredibly deserving of the happiness and love they have found. They are kind and gentle, and their joy is truly contagious.

October 17, 2016

Real Couples // A Tiny Wedding: Ralph + Avison

October 17, 2016/ Catalyst Wedding Co

It was great to meet Tampa couple Ralph and Avison on their wedding day at The Reunion Resort. They have been together for 10 years, and we could tell. They were playful, in love, and so happy together.

October 03, 2016

Real Couples // "In Sickness and in Health": Brandi + Robbie

October 03, 2016/ Catalyst Wedding Co

The day began as any other "day before" a wedding day. We spent the morning running around, trying to finish up all last minute details. That afternoon, I was headed to our suite to prepare things for the girls the next day, and Robbie went out with the guys to the trampoline park. This was to be the last time we'd see each other before the wedding day. I joked, "don't break an arm!" A few hours later, I get a call from Robbie that something had gone wrong. I rushed to the ER to find the doctor telling him that he had torn both of his patellar tendons in a freak accident and that he had to have emergency surgery. We were both scared, but knew the show must go on. As Robbie was recovering from his surgery, I went to our rehearsal and spread the news. Minus rescheduling the honeymoon, things continued as planned, with the addition of the groom's wheelchair.

August 30, 2016

That's Ms. Manners to You: Michelle & Melinda Share Their Advice for Having Kids at Your Wedding

August 30, 2016/ Catalyst Wedding Co

I get your fear. You’re dreaming of a chic, quiet refined celebration. Kids are loud. They can cry during ceremonies, they dominate the dance floor, they run around like monkeys on espresso. Buuuuut girl, I hate to break it to you, I’ve seen adults act that way, too.

August 25, 2016

Molly Reeder Is Baking Cakes and Bringing Visibility to Women Chefs and Bakers

August 25, 2016/ Catalyst Wedding Co

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!

July 26, 2016

5 Steps to an Empowering Perspective Shift While Planning Your Wedding

July 26, 2016/ Catalyst Wedding Co

In most of the wedding planning world, "styling" your day means deciding what you want everything to look like and then buying all the stuff you'll need to make it look like that...

It's all fun and games at first, but eventually the whole decor choosing process can start to feel a bit out of control.

May 02, 2016

Comparison is the Thief of Joy

May 02, 2016/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Pinterest, Facebook, & Blogs. We live a world where visual inspiration abounds. For a first-time bride with very little experience in the wedding planning world, I started my year-and-a-half long engagement thankful for all of the “wedding-inspo” on the Internet. But my gratitude for pretty pictures quickly turned into a much darker force as the pre-wedding months wore on.

March 25, 2016

Real Couples // Second Grade Sweethearts Wed: Kurt + Ronni

March 25, 2016/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Kurt and I have known each other since we were seven years old as elementary school acquaintances. After reconnecting later in life while we both had significant others, we soon ended those relationships and began dating each other. Kurt eventually proposed on the playground of the elementary school we both went to. Pretty adorable.

August 31, 2015

Labor of Love: How to Coordinate Your Wedding Crew

August 31, 2015/ Catalyst Wedding Co

This sense of communal engagement is especially important in DIY weddings, with their emphasis on personal connections, small scale production, and cost saving. But can you ask too much of your friends and family on your special day? Depending on the circumstances, there is a fine line between being a guest and feeling like staff.