kelsey + will

Some love stories feel destined from the start, and for Will and Kelsey Steineke, it began long before the wedding planning ever started. They met as teenagers and officially began dating in 2014. Ten years later, Will proposed in Nashville on the morning of Kelsey’s 26th birthday, marking the perfect start to their next chapter together. Their wedding was a vibrant mix of modern style, vintage charm, and heartfelt creativity, a celebration ten years in the making filled with love, laughter, and perfectly retro flair.

Kelsey envisioned a modern-retro celebration filled with bold personality and sentimental touches. “I wanted a vintage green and black-and-white checker theme with fun, organic details,” she shared. Her favorite project was hand-painting the wavy checkerboard pillars her dad built, a creative detail that became the centerpiece of their decor.

Their venue, Monick Yards, was still under construction when they began planning, but fate stepped in when they won a social media giveaway. Once they toured, they instantly fell in love with the mix of organic elements, wood rafters, retro accents, and bubble lights that paired perfectly with their disco ball and baby’s breath clouds.

Green, Kelsey’s lifelong favorite color, set the tone for the day. She selected a rich, vintage shade that popped against crisp black and white. Vintage green satin bridesmaid dresses, single-stem white roses, black dinnerware, and green glassware completed the look, perfectly matched to the thank-you cards she designed herself.

Her wedding gown was another full-circle moment. She had saved a photo of it two years earlier, tracked down the designer, and found it at Rhylan Lang in Omaha. “I fell in love with the custom low V-back,” she said. Stitches by Ardis later added bubble sleeves and buttons down the back to complete the retro vibe.

A graphic designer by trade, the bride poured her heart into creating nearly every detail: hand-painting decor, designing invitations and programs, crafting bouquets, and styling accessories like green velvet heels, a long ruffle veil, and her mother’s vintage pearl earrings.

Her favorite part of planning was designing and shopping for decor. “Creating every detail was a dream,” she said. The biggest challenge? Finding the perfect green heels. “I returned so many pairs before finally finding them a month before the wedding!”

The most memorable moments came during the ceremony. Seeing her groom tear up during their first look and vows is something she’ll never forget. Their ceremony also reflected a piece of their history, they sealed love letters in a Buzz Lightyear time capsule engraved with their favorite saying, “I love you to infinity and beyond,” and she walked down the aisle to the same song they danced to at homecoming.

Her advice to other brides is simple: trust your instincts. “Don’t let other people’s opinions outweigh your own, and ask for help. Your friends and family want to see your vision come to life.”

Some love stories feel destined from the start, and for Will and Kelsey Steineke, it began long before the wedding planning ever started. They met as teenagers and officially began dating in 2014. Ten years later, Will proposed in Nashville on the morning of Kelsey’s 26th birthday, marking the perfect start to their next chapter together. Their wedding was a vibrant mix of modern style, vintage charm, and heartfelt creativity, a celebration ten years in the making filled with love, laughter, and perfectly retro flair.

Kelsey envisioned a modern-retro celebration filled with bold personality and sentimental touches. “I wanted a vintage green and black-and-white checker theme with fun, organic details,” she shared. Her favorite project was hand-painting the wavy checkerboard pillars her dad built, a creative detail that became the centerpiece of their decor.

Their venue, Monick Yards, was still under construction when they began planning, but fate stepped in when they won a social media giveaway. Once they toured, they instantly fell in love with the mix of organic elements, wood rafters, retro accents, and bubble lights that paired perfectly with their disco ball and baby’s breath clouds.

Green, Kelsey’s lifelong favorite color, set the tone for the day. She selected a rich, vintage shade that popped against crisp black and white. Vintage green satin bridesmaid dresses, single-stem white roses, black dinnerware, and green glassware completed the look, perfectly matched to the thank-you cards she designed herself.

Her wedding gown was another full-circle moment. She had saved a photo of it two years earlier, tracked down the designer, and found it at Rhylan Lang in Omaha. “I fell in love with the custom low V-back,” she said. Stitches by Ardis later added bubble sleeves and buttons down the back to complete the retro vibe.

A graphic designer by trade, the bride poured her heart into creating nearly every detail: hand-painting decor, designing invitations and programs, crafting bouquets, and styling accessories like green velvet heels, a long ruffle veil, and her mother’s vintage pearl earrings.

Her favorite part of planning was designing and shopping for decor. “Creating every detail was a dream,” she said. The biggest challenge? Finding the perfect green heels. “I returned so many pairs before finally finding them a month before the wedding!”

The most memorable moments came during the ceremony. Seeing her groom tear up during their first look and vows is something she’ll never forget. Their ceremony also reflected a piece of their history, they sealed love letters in a Buzz Lightyear time capsule engraved with their favorite saying, “I love you to infinity and beyond,” and she walked down the aisle to the same song they danced to at homecoming.

Her advice to other brides is simple: trust your instincts. “Don’t let other people’s opinions outweigh your own, and ask for help. Your friends and family want to see your vision come to life.”