Kelsey & Troy’s Laid-Back Celebration at 1890 Event Space
Back in the summer of 2018, Kelsey got to see my team in action as she’s the sister of an MPE groom, and was a bridesmaid at the wedding! So when she got engaged to Troy, I was honored and excited when I learned she desired for us to be a part of their special day.
And what a special summer wedding day it was. Some of the most memorable moments included Troy surprising Kelsey by bringing their dog Jackson to be a part of the party, the church bells ringing as the newlyweds exited their ceremony, the amazing Fizzolino truck with prosecco on tap, and the dance floor that stayed packed throughout the evening!
But, as they say, no matter how much you plan and prepare, sometimes, unexpected and unwelcome situations arise. And Kelsey gave me permission to share this funny-now-not-so-funny-at-the-time moment with you to prove that statement to be true:
My groom and I, our awesome photographer Emma, videographer Mat, and my MOH Natalie all went to go take sunset photos. The location we went to ended up having a metal moose statue. Now, my husband's family nickname is Moose, so of course he had to get a photo with it. It somehow ended up tipping over, smashing his hand in between a rock and the antlers. There was a lot of blood, and being a nurse I knew immediately he needed stitches. So, we packed up into Troy's truck, and our photographer Emma drove us (at what felt like 1,000 mph, haha!) to the nearest ER and in we went, wedding dress, suit and all! He got an x-ray and ended up having a couple of fractures, and got 8 stitches. Emma ended up taking some photos of us in the ER with the staff … ! We got back to the reception around 10, and my bridesmaids were ready and waiting with a strong vodka drink, bless them! … another fun fact, the girl who caught my bouquet ended up fracturing her wrist that night - two broken bones in one wedding!
So, while I’ve revealed a lot of what you can tell to be an absolutely unforgettable day, read on for the full recap from the sweet bride herself on this laid-back celebration. A huge thanks to Emma of The Bold Americana for being amazing and sharing these moments with us!
How did you two meet? And, how did he pop the question? Tell us your love story!
We knew of each other through mutual friends who are now married, too; Chad attended medical school with Troy, and I had attended nursing school with Laura. I think they could tell we wanted to get to know each other better, and they invited us both out to Piano Bar one night, where we ended up bonding over tequila shots and ended the night with nachos! We had our first date over omelets the next morning, and as they say the rest is history!
Troy surprised me in the sweetest way with the proposal. I thought I was going to his apartment to pick him up to go to the bar to watch March Madness basketball. He had me come up to his apartment for "a beer,” but when I arrived, there were rose petals, a sweet wooden handmade "Marry Me" sign, and every photo we'd ever taken together hung up around the room! It was so sweet and intimate. Then, we went to the bar where we were greeted by so many of our friends and family, and celebrated the night away!
Describe your wedding vibe in one sentence:
Fun-filled, laid-back, all-day party!
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding?
240
Share a few things that helped you along the way with planning a wedding.
I relied heavily on The Knot when planning for reviews and suggestions. McKenzie was also awesome in giving us tips, and tricks, and recommending vendors she'd worked with before!
Where did you allocate the most funds?
Definitely food and alcohol. We elected to have an open bar for 7 full hours, which certainly increased our alcohol cost, and feeding 240 people isn't cheap either!
And, the least?
I would have to say bridal accessories, or our cake. My veil was $40 off of Etsy, and I bought my shoes off Poshmark! Our friend, who is a talented baker, made our gorgeous 3-tiered wedding cake for us, and only charged us for supplies! So our cake ended up only costing $80 and was SO. GOOD. It's better when it's made with love.
What was totally worth it?
The 7-hour open bar time! Our ceremony began at 2, and we ended up starting cocktail hour directly afterward at 3, and ended the reception at 11. Not having a break in between the ceremony and the reception was the best decision. It allowed us extra time to see everybody, and turned the day into one big day-to-night party!
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them.
We changed our first dance song two days before our wedding. We originally chose “Diamonds and Twine” by Ryan Hurd and even had a whole dance planned out and practiced! In the end though, while we loved that song, we both decided we had a bigger emotional reaction to “Can't Help Falling in Love” by Elvis, and thought that song was more timeless. It worked out though, because we got to use “Diamonds and Twine” for our LAST dance song! My dad and I had a choreographed dance to “My Girl” by The Temptations, and Troy and his mom danced to “Humble And Kind” by Tim McGraw.
Did you have something borrowed, something blue, something old, and something new? If so, do tell!
To be honest, this was one wedding tradition I didn't really follow! I did have borrowed jewelry from my sweet Aunt Diane, which I suppose some pieces could be considered old. My shoes were new, but I did not have anything blue.
Share your best practical advice to a soon-to-be bride.
Get a wedding planner!! Honestly that is my best advice. Many people think that wedding planners are expensive, but they don't have to be! We booked McKenzie for day-of services, but felt like we got SO. MUCH. MORE than just day-of coordination. She really kept me on track throughout the whole planning process, and would ask me questions about logistics and make me think of things that I hadn't even considered! Having her on our side really made me feel confident that all the little details and logistics of our big day were taken care of.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together?
We honeymooned in St. Lucia for a week, where we went scuba diving, went on an awesome boat ride to the Pitons, and just relaxed! We love to travel, and are looking forward to another awesome two-week trip to New Zealand with my family over Christmastime.
Let us know one thing that WOWed you while working with McKenzie Phillips.
McKenzie was such an integral part of organizing our day! We had a lot of logistics; between bussing people from downtown up north 35 minutes to the ceremony, reception and back again, using two wedding hotels, and starting cocktail hour directly after our ceremony, I was starting to get nervous about making it all come together! McKenzie made sure all our vendors were on the same page, and really advocated for us in order to allow us to make our day what we wanted. She is so experienced in this business; like I said earlier she was thinking of things I hadn't even considered, which if they hadn't been taken care of, could've been real road bumps on the day! She and her team also handled the situation with having to go to the ER so well. They were able to delay our garter and bouquet toss, and keep the party going as if nothing was wrong until we got back!
Photographer: The Bold Americana | Venue: Ceremony - Twelve Apostles Catholic Church, Reception - 1890 Event Space | Catering: KC Pretzel Boy’s for Cocktail Snacks, Plaza Catering | Desserts: Plaza Catering | Cake: Friend | Florist: Couture Wedding Flowers by Shelley Rundberg | Hair & Makeup: Paradise Hair & Makeup | DJ: ICON Event Group | Videographer: Matt Szu - Elevation Studios | Prosecco Truck: Fizzolino | Transportation: Durham School Services and KC Double Decker Tours | Bride’s Gown: Made With Love Bridal from BrideKC | Bridesmaids Dresses: Shona Joy | Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse