Kelsey Stewart

It was still a chance to get dolled up — while sticking to a theme, of course — but it let us socialize in a safer setting.

It's uncomfortable to tell people what gifts you want. I started to think back to being a guest at wedding showers. 

I expected a simple shower with some chicken salad, a few decorations and  gifts from our registry. But my shower hostesses — aunts, cousins and bridesmaids — went above and beyond.

As much as I've tried to see myself out of planning the bridal shower, I've been a little pesky.

My wedding can still go on this August with some restrictions, so my second dress fitting sent me on a planning spree.

The coronavirus pandemic sped up our plans to move in together, and if we can weather sheltering in place together, I think our marriage will be off to a solid start.

My stomach dropped when I saw that I had been assigned to write a news story about how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting weddings.

When I set my wedding date about 14 months ago, I never imagined I would experience the hurdle of a pandemic during planning crunch time.

The last time I remember the whole gang gathered for nuptials was a decade ago.

My say-yes-to-the-dress moment was exciting. My bridesmaids said yes to their dresses. My mom said yes to her dress. But the best "say yes" moment came from my flower girl, Jillian.

I browsed popular wedding invite sites. I liked a few designs, but pricing became overwhelming. Oh, and how many RSVP cards would I need? Did I need to add a card for reception information? Wait I have to pick the paper and envelopes, too?

Whenever I crack open a wedding invite, I'm already drooling over a slice of cake.

But nothing felt cooler than getting to go to your older cousins’ weddings. Being the youngest of many, many cousins means I’ve been to a lot.

Featuring Motown and funk music, a backyard reception, and a serious sweet tooth.

At my mom's razzing, I tried it. And given that my mom's wedding dress is pretty, uh, 1980s, it wasn't terrible.

I haven’t looked back since I bought my wedding binder. And I'm sorry to my fiancé, family and friends for constantly talking about it. I just love being organized. 

Bride blogger Kelsey seldom peruses Pinterest, but the inspiration website did come through with a bridesmaid-ask idea: enamel pins!

Bride blogger Kelsey was sure which caterer would feed her wedding guests. She even chose her wedding date around the vendor's availability.

Kelsey and fiance David met at a costume party. After a January proposal, they're now planning an August 2020 wedding. Follow along!