What is Altared?

Altared (pronounced “altered”) is a space for wedding vendors who change the wedding industry.

We provide education and resources that make the wedding industry more diverse, inclusive, accessible, equitable, and sustainable. Although we’re based in Portland, Oregon, we serve an international audience. To date, that means vendors in 29 states, one district, five Canadian provinces, and six countries.

Altared is NOT a membership group. Vendors participate in whatever way serves them best. Read the “How can I participate?” section below to learn more.

How can I participate?

Altared’s goal is to support wedding vendors. Here’s what we’re currently doing and how you can participate:

Subscribe (or submit!) to the monthly newsletter

Every month, Altared sends a newsletter that is specifically about resources for and by wedding vendors with a focus on resources that center diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability in the wedding industry.

• What does this newsletter look like? Read examples.

• Who gets this newsletter? 500+ wedding vendors, primarily in the U.S. and Canada

• How do I get this newsletter? Subscribe here.

• Can I submit something for consideration? You sure can! Either use this form or email the details to altaredpdx@gmail.com. It’s free, and Altared retains the right to publish what we feel best serves our community.

• Does Altared charge for submissions? No. Altared does not receive payment for including any of the resources beyond any sponsorships (which are clearly noted at the top of the newsletter).

Join an in-person wedding vendor meet-up

• This program is in hibernation until spring 2024 as the person who leads it, Altared co-founder Elisabeth “Beth” Kramer, will be out on leave. Want to know if we reboot the program? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

What Altared’s done in the past

December 2022 through April 2023

Altared hosted our third year of programming about diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability in the wedding industry, for wedding vendors. This year featured a series of five free, virtual Q&As.

• Wednesday 1/11/23 — Wedding Vendors, Create Work Boundaries That Actually Stick with radical joy coach Jordan Maney (This event was rescheduled from December 2022.)

• Wednesday 1/25/23 — Get Your Wedding Business Legally Set for 2023 with lawyers Leah Weinberg and Kunbi Odubogun

• Wednesday 2/22/23 — Reconsider Your Inclusivity Norms About Wedding Clients and Coworkers with non-binary, queer, Autistic, and disabled wedding photographer Shannon Collins

• Wednesday 3/29/23 — Who Is Your Wedding Business Still Alienating? with professional copywriter Taylor de la Fuente

• Wednesday 4/26/23 — Wedding Instagram: Make Your Account Sustainable and Accessible All Season with social media manager María del Mar Oliva

December 5, 2022: In-person event

For the first time in 1,030 days, Altared hosted an in-person event. The event was hosted in two parts. The first was a ritual from Emily Sterling of Rooted & Wild and Zachary Michaud of Old Ways Ceremonies where we reflected on and held space for our 2022 wedding seasons. The second half was a casual pizza party.

Altared provided on-site childcare with NW Nannies, pizza from Atlas Pizza, and compostable plates from Dtocs. Flowers were donated by Novella Theory Floral Co. and the event was hosted at Friendly House in Portland, Oregon.

Five percent of the event’s ticket proceeds were donated to the First Nations Development Institute as part of our ongoing work to acknowledge and honor the contributions of Indigenous communities.

August 17, 2022: Wedding vendors, let’s celebrate your wins!

On August 17, 2022, Altared co-hosted free, virtual, and short 45-minute gathering in partnership with Emily Sterling of Rooted & Wild. The goal of the gathering was to give wedding vendors dedicated time in the thick of wedding season to pause and let gratitude sink in.

January-May 2022: Wedding vendor support sessions

From January through May 2022, Altared hosted a series of wedding vendor support sessions. Each 60-minute virtual session was led by certified trauma support specialist Michelle Jalali and was open to seven wedding vendors.

These sessions have passed:

• The January 25, 2022, session was for any wedding vendor.

• The February 22, 2022, session was for wedding vendors who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

• The March 29, 2022, session was for wedding vendors who are balancing more than one job.

• The April 26, 2022, session was for wedding vendors who are raising a child or children.

• The May 24, 2022, session was for any wedding vendor.

January-May 2022: Annual class season

From January through May 2022, Altared hosted a series of virtual classes. Each class was a paid partnership with an established educator on the topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the wedding industry for wedding vendors.

As part of Altared’s ongoing commitment to better serve others, Altared donated 5 percent of Altared’s portion of the proceeds from each class to the First Nations Development Institute as part of our ongoing work to acknowledge and honor the contributions of Indigenous communities.

These classes have passed:

• January 18, 2022 — “The Secret to a Better Wedding Season: Rest” with radical joy coach Jordan Maney

• February 15, 2022 — "Your Role in Creating an Inclusive Wedding Business" with inclusive branding consultant Crystal Whiteaker

• March 15, 2022 — “Attract the Couples You Want With a Values-Based About Page” with professional copywriter Taylor de la Fuente

• April 19, 2022 — “Your Ableism Is Showing, and How It's Hurting Your Wedding Business” with deafblind entrepreneur, disabled rights activist, and accessibility educator Erin Perkins

• May 17, 2022 — “How to Build + Maintain a Social Presence While Staying True to Your Values” with brand and marketing strategist Jen Siomacco

How Altared started

Altared started as a completely different event.

The Marriage Expo was hosted in April 2019 by Emily Sterling of Rooted & Wild: Spirited Ceremonies, Arielle “Ellio” Zamora of Small Yard Flowers, and wedding planner Elisabeth Kramer.

The goal was to take the “traditional” wedding show and refocus the conversation on what really matters on a wedding day: the marriage.

The event was successful — eight couples showed up — but it was clear that the most dynamic conversations weren’t happening between couples.

They were happening between wedding vendors.

And thus, Altared was born.

The very first Altared was hosted in Portland, Oregon, on February 9, 2020. It featured three speakers: Kheoshi Owens of Empress Rules Equity Consulting, Jamie Thrower of Studio XIII Photography, and Arielle “Ellio” Zamora of Small Yard Flowers.

The event sold out.

At Altared, we try to adapt to what wedding vendors need. This means that, since February 2020, we’ve done a lot of different things:

• On December 12, 2020, we hosted a virtual event to make wedding vendors less sad. Sixty-four vendors attended from nine states and two countries.

• From February through June 2021, we hosted a series of virtual classes featuring the talent of 2021 Altared Educators, Simone McNish, Taylor de la Fuente, Crystal Whiteaker, Erin Perkins, Jen Siomacco, and Jordan Maney.

• In December 2021, we created a care package for wedding vendors. Fifty physical versions of the care package were sent to wedding vendors in 15 states and two countries.

  We also made nearly all of the elements available for free below. The only elements not included are the candle from Vance Family Soy Candles and the stickers from Sticker Ninja.

  • Access the Altared 2021 zine including a ritual for creating a joy altar (any candle can be used for the ritual)

  • Listen to and/or read the guided meditation (any candle can be used for the meditation)

Who hosts Altared?

Altared is a collaboration between wedding vendors. Past and present Altared Board Members include the vendors listed below.