This beautiful and smart duo was so fun to work with during their time as a full-service client of McKenzie Phillips Events! We really hit it off, and in spending so much time with Kelsey and Joel, I had the pleasure of witnessing the true love they have for one another. (I’m sure you can see it radiate through the photos shared below!)

Fast forward to their beautiful fall wedding day at 2016 Main Event Space in Kansas City, and I couldn’t have been more excited to see it all come together. I arrived at the venue so much earlier than I originally planned because I was so eager for it to begin! For so long, we’d been planning their special day, and I wanted it to be absolutely P-E-R-F-E-C-T for the two of them.

And it ended up being exactly that. From the sun shining down on the wedding party and guests to the floral arrangements beautifully designed by Wild Hill Flowers, everyone busting out glowsticks on the dance floor, singing “Happy Birthday” to Kelsey’s dad, and the new bride and groom enjoying a private dance at the end of the night, this celebration was one to be remembered forever.

“Hiring McKenzie means hiring a wealth of industry knowledge. She has the vendor relationships needed to hire the best team, she understands every minuscule detail needed on the day-of, and her wedding planning packages include more services than most other planners in the KC market. — Kelsey, The Bride

So, without further ado, I’m excited for you to read this recap from the bride herself as we reminisce on this romantic day filled with dusty blue hues. A big thank you to Jodi Vander Woude for being incredibly talented and sharing some picture-perfect moments with us!

How did you two meet? Tell us your love story!

During our sophomore year at KU, Joel and I were both working at the campus Rec Center. Realizing we had a statistics class together, Joel used it as the perfect excuse to introduce himself. He approached me while I was working at the check-in counter and said we should get together to "study" for our final.

After agreeing to study with Joel, he left the Rec Center without asking for my number. Five minutes later, I see Joel entering the Rec Center once again. He walked straight towards me and said that he was so mad at himself for not having the nerve to ask for my phone number that he made a u-turn in the middle of the road to come back and get it.

Our first date was April 12, 2013. Joel took me to get sushi (a meal I never had before). Scared to death to try the cold, raw fish lying before me, Joel made the waiter hover over me until I ate a piece. Safe to say, the rest is history. Sushi is now one of our favorite date nights, and we both aced our statistics test!

Describe your wedding vibe in one sentence:

Romantic yet modern.

How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding?

154

Share a few things that helped you along the way with planning a wedding.

Obviously, McKenzie was an invaluable resource. My sister got married a year before we did, so I also referenced her wedding planning documents with my own to see what was customary and if I forgot anything.

What was totally worth it?

Deciding on a photo booth at the last minute. It's such a great way to entertain your guests while creating physical copies of lasting memories.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them.

I walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of "Runaway." It was the trailer for a show Joel and I love to watch together, Westworld. So we instantly fell in love with it.

Our wedding party walked out to "Good Life.” I guess you can say Kanye West made frequent appearances throughout our day. Other than that, we requested the DJ to play classic 90s and 2000s pop songs that would get our friends on the dance floor!

Did you have something borrowed, something blue, something old, and something new? If so, do tell!

Just something blue - my shoes! Oops, I guess I failed at this tradition. :)

Share your best practical advice to a soon-to-be bride.

If you hire a wedding planner, trust him or her. The whole idea behind a planner is to make things easier/less stressful on yourself, and if you're constantly supervising every little detail, it defeats the whole purpose.

Also, instead of renting suits for the men, we purchased suits from Macy's. The cost per person ended up being cheaper than rentals, and now the guys have a brand new suit they get to keep!

What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together?

We went on a three-week-long honeymoon across Europe. We both started new jobs in November, and look forward to getting back into a routine - this time, as a couple.

Let us know one thing that WOWed you while working with McKenzie Phillips.

Only one thing?! That's tough considering there are countless things that WOWed me about her. I guess I would choose her day-of timeline creation. I was stunned and so impressed by her attention to detail. She had every minute of the day planned out, which for a type-A person like me, was so reassuring to see.

Her industry knowledge also shined through during the creation because she had great suggestions on when the best time to cut the cake was, do first dances, etc. I knew I didn't have to worry about a thing that day because she knew what was supposed to be happening better than myself.

Kelsey & Joel’s Romantic, Dusty Blue Wedding at 2016 Main Event Space