Hidden Gems: Meet Katherine Dupree of Dupree Weddings, Gatherings & Rituals

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Dupree.

Hi Katherine, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was always interested in matters of the heart. As a child, one of my favorite things to do was to put all of my toys – barbies, dolls, stuffed animals, you name it – in the middle of my room and then close my eyes and randomly assign them into family groups. Then I’d just sit and imagine what the dynamics were like in their home and how all the different personalities got along. (I never understood why my friends didn’t want to play this super fun game with me… LOL)

When my college years came around and it became time to pick a career, I was lost. All I cared to think about were relationships and spirituality and what makes us humans tick, but I didn’t think I could emotionally handle being a therapist. So instead, I got my MBA and found my way into a marketing career (ew). I sat at a desk (puke) and continued the daydreaming of my childhood.

Somewhere along the way I stumbled across the storytelling event organization, The Monti (themonti.org), and started working with them as a Producer. (Still a big fan by the way and still helping to produce the event series.)

I’d had a spiritually rocky past up to that point and The Monti community was a haven. It was (and is) a contained space where people gather to share true stories about their lives and together we revel in all the beautiful, messy, silly, difficult, or even crass parts of being a human. It was fun but also spiritual in a way I needed at the time. As I began to tell my own stories and help coach storytellers in the art of authentic storytelling, I also began to see the ways I could bring my own passion for storytelling and relationships into my own career.

I can’t even remember the exact moment I considered making a career out of ceremony and ritual, but when I did, it was as if I finally remembered what I had forgotten somewhere along the way. It combined all my passions and talents in an incredibly synchronistic way – my love of writing, relationship-building, public speaking, spirituality. Plus as a queer, fairly young, a non-religious person (with a highly religious upbringing), I knew there were many folks like me facing major life changes and rites of passage that had very few places to go to find a facilitator or officiant they could truly relax and feel seen with.

I began my business working with couples in one of the few widely-celebrated rites of passage in our culture, marriage. The vast majority of what I do is officiate weddings and I’m in love with the entire process and the guidance I get to provide in helping them create something authentic. However, not many people know that I also design and facilitate ceremony and ritual experiences of all kinds. The use of ceremony and rites of passage are almost as old as humankind itself. Their use is not exclusive to religious or spiritual groups. It’s a fundamental belief of mine that ceremony and ritual are the methods we as humans crave in our bones to help us cultivate and honor transitions.

I will always do weddings (I mean I f***ing adore my couples and everything that comes with being in the wedding space. But I’ve begun to specialize in helping folks in the gray area between religiosity and spirituality find and make meaning in their lives. A big fan of both the profound and the profane, I believe there are as many ways to create rites of passage as there are people. My ceremonies are non-culturally appropriative, often simple, but impactful. I see myself as helping meet the needs of those looking for meaning but afraid of anything too “woo-woo,” There are so many transitions we go through both internally and externally, so much life that deserves to celebrate. To name a few:

– Breakups or Divorce
– Grieving the loss of a loved one
– Graduations
– Leaving or starting a new job
– Birthdays and Personal Milestones
– Relationship milestones
– Pregnancy and Parenthood
– Menarche or other bodily milestones
– Simply a desire for a shift

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve fallen fairly seamlessly into the wedding space. I quit my day job months after launching my business. Was that the most financially sound decision? Probably not. But here we are and it’s been okay;) Was it scary and did I have heaps of imposter syndrome? Oh heavens, yes. Now the biggest challenge is releasing myself from the fear of being viewed as weird and hopefully, helping others do the same.

The challenge I come up against over and over now is – how do I let people who are craving something more knowledge about what I offer without them making assumptions about what it will look like or feel like. When it comes to the realm of offering anything even remotely spiritual (although, I believe you can be entirely secularly minded and still take a great deal of meaning out of ritual), people have very specific ideas about what that looks like.

It’s a lot easier to appeal to those who already consider themselves spiritual and who aren’t afraid of looking a little foolish in order to get some spiritual nourishment – you know who I mean – the yogis, the meditaters, the spiritual shapeshifters, the churchgoers and god fearers, the trip sitters, witches, and shamans. But who I really want to reach is the average Joes, Janes and Jeans out there. The ones who are curious but afraid that they won’t fit in or won’t like what they encounter.

My ceremonies are customized for a reason. I love working with anyone, no matter what their spiritual background is, but it can be difficult to reach those who may need it most.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I offer all kinds of services, but as I mentioned – mostly weddings. You can read more about my services (amongst other fun things, like my queer journey and whatnot) on my website at katherinedupree.com.

I tend to specialize in working with couples who are a little less traditional – either they’re queer or non-religious like me or combining religious backgrounds or just want something a little different or less stiff. I incorporate a lot of storytelling principles into my ceremonies, which gives them a much more human and conversational feel than others you may have witnessed.

I pride myself in asking the right questions to get a flavor for who people are and what they want to feel on their big day and what they want their guests to feel and then making it happen. I’ve given silly ceremonies, tearjerkers, and all the ones in between. The common thread is a sense of unity. There is truly no feeling like creating a container in which people feel safe and present, in moving a crowd through a shared journey of emotions and facilitating a memorable, shared experience for everyone involved. And it is such an honor to be trusted to do that work.

To date, I have not received a negative review or less than five stars (knock on wood) and I’m exceptionally honored and proud of that. I often get told that it seems as if I have known the couple their whole lives and I’m exceptionally proud of that. Another thing I’ve somehow become known for – matching the couples’ aesthetic with my plethora of thrifted outfits is one

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
It seems to come up a lot these days, but I was raised a very strict Mormon in small-town Idaho. That’s one of the reasons I can help couples walk the line between pleasing religious family members and celebrating in a way that also feels authentic to them.

It’s also one of the reasons I’m comfortable public speaking (they start you at an early age, those Mormons), why I’m a bit obsessed with helping folks of all backgrounds find and create meaning in their lives and why I have a unique love for swear words. They’re so fun to say and I held my tongue for most of my life.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: katherinedupree.com
• Instagram: @marrymekath
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reverenddupree
• Other: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/reverend-katherine-dupree/cb64c41d61c16d38.html

Image Credits
The Anchor Studio, Ellie McKinney Photography, Fancy This Photography, Aileen Aurora Photography, Michi Vera Photography, and Jeff Polish