May 12, 2017

Seattle is for Lovers: Allie + Angie

May 12, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Recently I have been getting more involved with my engagement sessions and spending the whole day with my couples. When we are hanging out we really get to know each other and create photos together that reflect real aspects of their lives. So I spent all day with these two, and we had a blast. We started the day chillin' at their home and then eventually adventured out to Rattlesnake Ridge. They met at a bar, so it felt only natural to end the night at a few bars.

May 11, 2017

Ask A Wedding Planner // Is it tacky to ask for money?

May 11, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Dear Heather,

My partner and I are set to be married this fall and have invited lots of family and friends to celebrate with us. Already we have been peppered with questions about where we are registered and when the registry will be available on our wedding website. The thing is, we are two people in our 30s who have lived together for several years. Our home is furnished with all of our favorite things and we see no reason to upgrade anything or accumulate more needless things. However, we would like to go on a honeymoon and cash would really help us out with that! Can we ask our friends and family for money? Is that tasteless?!

-Experiences, Not Things

May 10, 2017

Woke Wednesday // Meet Richmond Photographer Nadiya Nacorda of Imani Fine Art Photography

May 10, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

If you find yourself questioning something that feels inappropriate or abusive, then it probably is. Do not "use" an interracial couple in a shoot just to make your portfolio more diverse so you can start seeming more inclusive to the industry. Start first with yourself. Take a step back, and look at the inner circle of people you see every month. Who are they? What do you all talk about? Are you discussing issues related to populations you have no experience with? Do you participate in tokenizing? Overall, if you share these values and want to start out in the industry, double and then triple-check yourself and your own life. Because if you're still participating in social practices that are damaging or harmful toward marginalized groups in this country, whether it be consciously or subconsciously, then frankly you haven't done the work.

May 10, 2017

Real Couples // Bridal Overalls & City Hall: Nora + Ben

May 10, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Nora and Ben were married at San Francisco City Hall surrounded by their families and a good friend. I loved that they weren't afraid to do things a little differently. Nora wore the white, embroidered overalls her mother was married in paired with a lacy, backless top and gold shoes. For their flowers, which were made by a friend, Handsome Flowers, Nora asked for a bouquet that looked like it could have been foraged in the forest. Ben's only request: mushrooms. Which resulted in one of the coolest boutonnieres I've seen!

May 09, 2017

The Avowed Podcast // Interactive Mini Episode: Art & Norm Mixdown

May 09, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

A special interactive mini episode about relationship tools! Jasmine shares a nugget of relationship wisdom from jeweler Mariele Ivy, previously on episode eleven "A Touch of Stardust" and talks about contrasting personalities, and the tools we develop to relate to one another. Tell us about your own relationship tools at jasminerlilly.com/wise-words for a chance to appear on a future episode of The Avowed Podcast!

May 09, 2017

The Bridechilla Podcast // Catalyst Wedding Magazine

May 09, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

The Bridechilla Podcast is hosted by comedian, author, and your virtual bridesmaid, Aleisha McCormack. Each week, Aleisha shares her tell-it-like-it-is view and unique take on wedding wisdom to help Bridechillas and Groomchillas ditch the pressures and obligations that we sometimes feel during the journey and have fun planning this awesome day. Interviewing the leading wedding bloggers, planners, and experts, The Bridechilla Podcast is all about empowering couples to plan the wedding that they want.

May 09, 2017

The ARQ Wedding Guide // Understanding & Incorporating Jewish Customs

May 09, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Jewish tradition teaches that a wedding celebrates the creation of a new world, a new beginning that may change the meaning of everything that has come before. We love the endless possibilities to be inspired by and to build upon ancient Jewish wedding rituals.

May 08, 2017

Real Couples // High Line Engagement: Nina + George

May 08, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Samantha had us meet her at the High Line at the perfect time: just before the morning crowd and runners. She and her assistant put us at ease because we were both anxious about having our photos taken, and they reassured us that we were going to be 'natural' rather than posed. We were anxious about how the morning would pan out, but to our pleasant surprise and relief we had the most amazing time walking the High Line with Samantha and her assistant. A year later I still remember how we both felt at the end of that photo shoot—relaxed and completely at ease and completely in love! We are so glad we picked Samantha to do our engagement shoot. She is an incredibly talented photographer who is creative and someone who I would highly recommend to anyone. We cherish her photographs and displayed them at our wedding, and they grace the walls in our home.

May 05, 2017

Real Couples // Mehndi, Nikah, and Shaadi Ceremonies: Saleha + Sameer

May 05, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

These two had a very traditional two-day celebration filled with modern elements, so much color, and love. On the first day they hosted the Mehndi Ceremony and Nikah Ceremony. The Mehndi Ceremony is when the bride gets her hands and feet painted in henna. The patterns are completed with intricate details, and she sports them for the rest of the ceremonies. The Nikah Ceremony is the traditional signing of the marriage contract. The couple repeats the word qabul, which means "I accept" in Arabic three times to demonstrate they are freely marrying each other. The Shaddi Ceremony is the actual wedding day. They held a huge reception and at the end of the night performed the traditional giving away of the bride. The bride's family walks them to their get away car and reflects on the joining of their new families.

May 03, 2017

Woke Wednesday // Meet Erika Swift

May 03, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

We spoke with Erika Swift, the owner of J&E Designs and The Bridal Loft in Phoenix, Arizona, about her experience growing up in a predominantly white community and finding her voice in the wedding industry to advocate for couples of color.

May 03, 2017

Real Couples // College Sweethearts: Elena + Frandy

May 03, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

"We have been together for five years. We met in college on an Alternative Spring Break trip to Alabama to work with Habitat For Humanity. We spent the week helping to rebuild a house, and during the process we developed a connection. In the summer of 2016 we got married, and since we were college sweethearts we decided to have our wedding on the campus. It was a beautiful day that we will remember always."

May 03, 2017

The Avowed Podcast // Episode 11: Folie À Deux The Madness Of Two

May 03, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Jasmine speaks with wedding planner Erica Greenwold, owner of Folie à Deux Events in North Carolina about humanitarian efforts in the wedding industry, creating a ceremony and reception that reflect your personal beliefs, and creating a totally rad wedding in 5 months on a five thousand dollar budget. Cover Photo by Ashley Posthuma

May 02, 2017

Modern Rebel // Celebrating Friendship at Your Wedding Without the Bridesmaid Nonsense

May 02, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

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.

May 01, 2017

Real Couples // Rooftop Cree Wedding: Onowa + Paul

May 01, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Their wedding was not just centered on Onowa and Paul's love for each other, but on their love of each other's family, friends, and community. Their wedding started with a Cree smudging ceremony and a beautiful musical performance, followed by promises made to each other, and an exchanging of rings. Onowa, Paul, and Onowa's youngest daughters then shared what they were each bringing to the marriage, which brought looks of tenderness as well as lots of laughter. Both Onowa and Paul wore items that reflected their cultures; Onowa wore a beaded hair piece with her veil, and Paul wore a traditional Maori necklace and tie with Maori designs.

May 01, 2017

What is Documentary-Style Wedding Photography? // 10 Awesome Candid Wedding Moments by Corey Torpie

May 01, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Queens-based wedding photographer Corey Torpie is the real deal. She studied photojournalism in school and has been honing the craft of documentary-style photography for eight years as a professional photographer while teaching courses in the darkroom. And there’s something really different about the images she creates — something captivating about the subtle moments she seems to capture so effortlessly. And those moments are like segues into an unfolding story, one that the viewer can begin to imagine without even knowing the couples in the photos.

April 28, 2017

Autostraddle Stories // Coming Out and Coming Up Short

April 28, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

When I was 14, I stayed up late watching chick flicks, crying, and desperately hoping I could have a love that would set me free. Yes, I know, this is an unfortunately stereotypical story of a pubescent teenage girl pining for a relationship. I believed the best way to achieve happiness was through a happy monogamous relationship. Unfortunately, I had no idea (and still don’t know) what that looked like. After much trial and error, I later discovered being in a relationship and feeling free, without a healthy foundation, isn’t that simple.

April 28, 2017

Real Couples // A Day in the Life of Lovers: Bonnie + Vince

April 28, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

This session melts my heart for a few reasons. First of all, I had the opportunity to really get to know a friend from school and meet her boyfriend—something that wouldn’t have happened otherwise if we didn’t all share a passion for photography. At our initial meeting, they began to explain how different they both are but how great their relationship works. They both agreed that once I saw their apartment, everything would make sense. And it did.

April 27, 2017

"It Only Happens Once!" // Sales Tactics Used to Get You to Say "Yes" to the Dress

April 27, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

A phrase I heard repeatedly when I worked as a bridal consultant was, “it only happens once!” Bridal consultants and guests frequently used this phrase when a bride thought twice about a purchase.

For example, let’s say a bride was trying to decide whether or not she should wear a veil. A bridal consultant could then reply with, “It’s your wedding, it only happens once! You’ll only be wearing the veil a short time, and it’ll make such an impact.” In this case, the bridal consultant is appealing to a bride's emotional desire to both look fantastic on her wedding day and to plan a successful and memorable party. This sales tactic is often times effective, as the desire to plan the perfect wedding is the fuel that keeps the wedding industry alive.

April 26, 2017

Woke Wednesday // Meet Houston Photographer Tomayia Colvin

April 26, 2017/ Catalyst Wedding Co

Tomayia Colvin, a portrait photographer and educator in Houston, is a well-known leader and activist in our community. She is a children's book author, a doctoral student in the field of educational leadership, and she works with conferences to connect them with talented and diverse speakers and educators.