Letter From the Editor
This winter, I’ll be walking into a moment I can’t rehearse my own wedding day. That’s a change of pace, considering I sp e nt weeks practicing the proposal. I’d drop to one knee in my bedroom, rehearse my words, and fine-tune my posture (the practice paid off, by the way). But when it comes to a wedding itself, there’s no mirror big enough to rehearse something that complex. That’s where planning comes in. Thankfully, that’s something Nebraska couples do really, really well.
Working on this issue has reminded me just how much intention goes into shaping a wedding day. Some of it comes from the big decisions, like hiring a DJ who doesn’t just press play, or choosing a videographer who captures the life of the wedding. Those decisions can define how the day feels, both while you’re living it and years down the road.
But even more often, it’s the smaller choices that give the day something extra. That could be a surprise reception dress that no one sees coming, a custom logo woven throughout your special day, or even private vows whispered between the two of you.
Of course, some of the best lessons come from the couples themselves. In this issue’s Soulmate Spotlights, you’ll meet newlyweds who turned their own ideas into unforgettable days, both through careful planning and embracing the unexpected. You can see that the details mattered, but also the joy that came from being surrounded by the people they love.
As for me, I know our own day this winter will bring its share of surprises. But the choices we’re making now are what will shape the memories that last. If I’ve learned anything about Nebraska weddings from this issue, it’s that the pieces you plan matter, but they aren’t the whole story. The moments that you’ll talk about for years are the ones you couldn’t script if you tried.
Whether you’re just starting your planning or putting the finishing touches on the details, I hope this issue sparks a little excitement, and maybe a few ideas you hadn’t considered. I can’t wait to see all the little pieces come together on our day, and I hope this issue helps you do the same for yours.
isaac Nielsen Managing Editor
isaac@omahapublications.com
Editorial
MANAGING EDITOR
ISAAC NIELSEN
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
NATALIE VELOSO
EDITORIAL INTERN
LUCY MASON
Creative
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
RACHEL BIRDSALL
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER
RENEÉ LUDWICK
GRAPHIC DESIGNER II
NICKIE ROBINSON
GRAPHIC DESIGNER I
JOEY WINTON
Sales
TOP LEVEL REVENUE GENERATOR
MICHELLE SCHRAGE
BRANDING SPECIALISTS
GIL COHEN DAWN DENNIS · GEORGE IDELMAN
CONTRIBUTING BRANDING SPECIALISTS
GREG BRUNS · TIM MCCORMACK
PUBLISHER’S ASSISTANT
SANDY MATSON
SENIOR SALES COORDINATOR
ALICIA HOLLINS
SALES COORDINATOR
SANDI MCCORMACK
BUSINESS MANAGER
KYLE FISHER
AD TRAFFIC MANAGER DAVID TROUBA
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
KRUSE
LEMKE
The Secret M Cue the Moment
of Your Wedding Night
When most people think of a wedding DJ, they think of someone standing behind a table, pressing play on a pre-made playlist, and occasionally mumbling into a mic between hits from this week’s Top 40. But talk to experienced professionals like Jesse Stevens and Tay Westberry, and you’ll realize that image is more fiction than fact and it’s a serious disservice to the experts tasked with making your wedding night unforgettable.
Stevens and Westberry both agreed that wedding DJs don’t just play music. They run the night. Think of the reception as a live event with dozens of moving parts (from introductions to bouquet tosses and everything in between), all with no rehearsal.
“One of the DJ’s biggest responsibilities is to be the wedding coordinator at the reception,” said Stevens, who runs DJ X-Press out of McCook, Nebraska. “How people arrive, what order they come in, making sure that the wedding party enters properly, having all the names said properly, making sure that things happen in a timely manner and things aren’t dragging on, I feel like that’s the DJ’s responsibility. He’s the one with the mic, he’s the one that is commanding the audience.”
Westberry, who performs under the name Mr. West, said that his main responsibility is to keep the night moving in the right direction.
“Your DJ is more than just a DJ,” he said. “A DJ is the one who’s going to be in charge of making sure everything flows throughout the evening, that people are in the right place to make things happen, and coordinating with your vendors.”
That includes the timeline, as well as how the energy shifts throughout the night. For Westberry, it starts early. He arrives about two hours before guests, sets up quickly, then starts mingling with family members and checking in with the couple.
“You say hello to the bride and groom, make friends with the family, and just be present, be seen, so that people know that I’m not just a DJ,” he said. “I want to laugh with people, have a good time, and make it personal.” Stevens takes a similar approach. “It’s important to develop a rapport with the guests early on as people are coming in,” he said.
“Being present” also means knowing how to read a room in real time. A perfect example is the art of the slow song. While an amateur DJ might limit themselves to one slower tune at a time, Stevens said that decision should be based on feel, which is why he’s always paying attention.
“I can come into a slow song, and then I’ll hit a second slow song if the crowd is just starting to enter the dance floor,” he said. “You’re watching people to see, are they done with that, or do they want more? The slow song is one thing that a lot of DJs get wrong, because there’s a lot of people where that’s the only song they’ll dance to… the slow song can either make or break the night.”
STORY BY Isaac Nielsen PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Erin Schauble & Brett Brooner design BY
Nickie Robinson
DJ JESSE STEVENS BY ERIN SCHAUBLE
Both DJs agreed that one of the trickiest parts of the night is pleasing everyone in the room. A wedding brings together all ages, from flower girls to great-grandparents, and no single playlist fits everyone’s tastes. “One of our biggest challenges is that you take all age groups and put them into one room, and then you have to play music everyone likes,” Stevens said.
Prep work helps with that. Westberry digs into musical preferences by asking not just what the couple likes, but what their parents liked in high school. That gives him a framework for crafting a playlist that spans generations while still feeling personal.
“I’ll ask them how old their parents are, and how many family members will be there in that age range,” he said. “What were their mom and dad listening to in high school? That kind of gives me a look into what you enjoy.”
Westberry isn’t new to this kind of preparation he’s been working a DJ booth since he was 10 years old, including 15 years as a professional. That depth of experience means he can offer couples advice for how the night can unfold. “I’m as handson as they’ll let me be,” he said. “You’re hopefully only going to get married one time in your life, and I’ve done 76 weddings a year for the last 15 years of my life, so if you have any questions or ideas, just ask me. I’m an asset as far as having a behind-the-scenes look at what a wedding event could be.”
DJs are also responsible for keeping the pace of the night moving. “I try to make sure I know the things that have to happen that night, like when people are going to eat, how the bride and groom and their wedding party get their food, cutting the cake, special dances, tossing the bouquet those are all pieces that I have to fit within entertainment,” Stevens said. “If you just have somebody hooking up their Spotify playlist, they don’t think about any of those things. I have 35-plus years of experience knowing how people react to different things.”
That blend of coordination and performance is why both Stevens and Westberry resist the idea of a DJ being just a background figure. “I don’t really even like calling it a DJ,” Westberry said. “If you really do it right, then you’re an entertainer.”
But that entertainment has to be well-balanced. Stevens is quick to point out that a great wedding DJ knows when to talk and when to get out of the way. “Great wedding DJs are entertainers, but not ones that you wish would shut up,” he said.
“I don’t really even like calling it a DJ. If you really do it right, then you’re an entertainer.”
Tay Westberry
The job also demands technical skill especially when it comes to transitions and sound quality. “A great wedding DJ is skilled in mixing,” Westberry said. “It’s 2025. You should know how to mix your music, blend, and transition.” And while portable speakers might seem sufficient, Stevens noted that gear quality matters more than people think. “That doesn’t mean that it’s proper for a 300-person wedding,” he said. “Having the right equipment goes a long way.”
Of course, every couple has favorite songs, and sometimes, they come with massive request lists. But DJs have to make decisions in the moment, balancing what’s requested with what works. “Your standard dance is going to play about 60 songs,” Stevens said. “Sometimes, you’ll have people give you like a 250 or 300-song list, and then they get mad when you don’t play all their songs.”
While anyone can hit play on a Spotify playlist to trim their wedding budget, a playlist won’t notice when the energy is dipping, or worse when a song sneaks into the queue that doesn’t fit the audience. “Everybody thinks they’re a DJ until you have a song that comes on, and you look over at grandma, and she’s packing up and going home because it’s inappropriate,” Stevens said.
That real-time adaptability is the biggest difference between a DJ and a DIY setup, and one of the biggest reasons couples regret skipping the pro. Spotify doesn’t coordinate with the photographer before a big moment. Spotify doesn’t sense when it’s time to pivot. Spotify doesn’t warn you that the four-minute version of your first dance has an awkward bridge.
The gig can also be exhausting. DJs often face timelines on a wedding day that extend well past midnight. “A lot of times, we’re setting up in the early afternoon, and, depending on the night, we may not shut down the dance until 11, 12, or 1,” Stevens said. “Then we’ve still got at least 40 minutes to an hour for teardown, and you may have an hour or two to drive home. It can easily be a 12 to 14-hour day.”
Yet, for those who do it right, it’s not just another gig. “A wedding is a special night,” Westberry said. “You want to do everything you can to make the event special to [the couple].”
For top-tier wedding DJs, it’s not just about playing music it’s about protecting the couple’s experience. They take ownership of the night so the newlyweds don’t have to, managing the flow, fixing hiccups, and making sure the spotlight stays exactly where it belongs.
“A great wedding DJ will not tell you they’re a great wedding DJ they’ll show you,” Westberry said. “It’s not the me show, it’s the you show.”
FilmingForever
STORY BY Isaac Nielsen
PHOTOS PROVIDED DESIGN BY Nickie Robinson
hen couples reflect on their wedding day, the memories are often vivid, yet fleeting: the sparkle of rings, the laughter echoing across the reception hall, and a few memorable dance moves. Photos can capture the smiles and poses, but they can’t quite seem to bottle the heartbeat of the day. That’s where wedding videography comes in. It’s a way to preserve not just images, but the story of a wedding. In Omaha, a new generation of videographers is transforming how couples remember the most important day of their lives.
Why more couples are choosing Videography
Tess Sousek, owner of Heart & Light Company, remembers her own hesitation when a client first asked her to film a wedding. She had a background in broadcast production, a stint in corporate work, and a creative itch she wanted to scratch. The first wedding she filmed did just that. “I really fell in love with it, especially because people are just so interesting,” Sousek said. “I love seeing that come through in their wedding days and in the stories they tell about each other.”
For couples like Luke and Katie Siedhoff, who were customers of Sousek’s last year, that storytelling is priceless. Katie said she hadn’t planned to hire a videographer, imagining a friend filming the ceremony from the back. After talking with Sousek, though, she and her husband realized what they were missing. “We realized that it was something that, on our anniversary, we’d be able to physically see all of our family and friends moving and talking,” she said. “Our speeches were in there to have in one place, and just the sentiment of being able to have my dad speaking on camera, or grandparents, versus just having photos, that was worth everything to us.”
The appeal of videography has grown dramatically, especially after COVID. “People started understanding how important it is, especially when all of their friends and family couldn’t be there at their wedding,” Sousek said. “They understood that they could show photos to those people, but having a video of it is so much different…it lets us capture special things like grandparents, people who aren’t going to be here forever, and hear their voices, hear them talking and laughing, and see them dancing with each other.”
TESS SOUSEK
Sousek said that the wedding industry has shifted dramatically over the past decade. “People are much more focused on the documentary style,” she said. “They don’t really want the cheesy, posed videos with fast transitions. Now, it’s very documentary-based, where they want those candid, in-between moments. They want the emotions captured, and much more focus on the people in their stories. That’s what I really love about it, too, is getting to know the couples and their families, and capturing those little moments along the way.”
To match the changing preferences of her customers, Sousek said she approaches capturing a wedding day by splitting her goals up before weaving them together. “For me, it’s two parts. Number one, definitely making sure I get those big key moments, like the ceremony, the first look, the toast, the first dances, those I approach with a multicamera, multi-audio angle. I’m making sure that I have several different cameras running, always two people, maybe more. Second is throughout the wedding day, making sure we’re watching for those in-between moments, like between family members or at a bridal party. The best shots I get are when the photographer is not directing people, because they’re more relaxed and more candid.”
This evolution isn’t only occurring in production style. Joel and Kate Rudloff, the duo behind A Final Take Films, have been filming weddings for 15 years. Kate attended film school in Florida and originally dreamed of working on movie sets, but found herself drawn to weddings instead. She and her husband started their own DJ/video business, and over time realized the videography side offered far more satisfaction and income. “We watched wedding videography evolve from a nice-to-have thing into one of the most essential parts of a couple’s wedding day,” Kate said. “Couples are realizing that their day goes by in a blur, and video captures the sound, emotion, movement, and energy in a way that nothing else can.”
For Bianca and Jack Larsen, who tied the knot in July, choosing a videographer was a way to preserve the full emotional texture of their day. They wanted to hear their vows again, see the way they looked at each other, and relive the emotions all over. “Alongside our photos, the video will help us remember not just how everything looked, but how it felt,” Bianca said. “It is something we can return to and share for the rest of our lives, which is very important to Jack and me!”
Rudloff agreed that the most rewarding part of the job is helping couples reconnect with their feelings from that day years later. “I really want people to look back and put themselves in that place to feel the emotions again. I hope it becomes a legacy piece, not only for them, but for their loved ones and future children. You have to look at it as if their wedding video will outlast them.”
If you ask Jonathan Schanbacher of Jonathan Joel Productions, this sort of videography “golden age” can be attributed to a recent technology boom in videographers’ equipment, which can be traced back to the days of camcorders. “Up to 2010 or 2012, you didn’t really see wedding videos, because the only way to do that was to use a camcorder. There was decent editing software, but you couldn’t get what’s called a
shallow depth of field. Camcorders generally didn’t have interchangeable lenses, and if you wanted to have a high-end camera that would allow you to do video with an interchangeable lens, you were looking at $50,000 to $100,000 at the time,” Schanbacher said. “The Canon 5D Mark II…was a game changer in the independent film industry. Suddenly, the production value just skyrocketed.”
Schanbacher recalled a story of a couple watching their old wedding video (shot with the previous generation of camcorders) on their 10th anniversary. “It was boring, and after 15 minutes, they said, ‘Let’s go do something else,’” Schanbacher said.
To avoid that, Schanbacher said, he captures a wide range of footage on the wedding day. His process includes getting establishing shots of locations; plenty of audio from speeches, interviews, letters, vows, and toasts; drone footage; and detail shots like rings and clothes. He runs three or four cameras during the ceremony to blend the most emotional moments of the day together into a cohesive product. “A lot of couples now want something that encompasses the whole day,” Schanbacher said. “It’s more than just a 30-minute video on one camera; they expect it to be highly edited.”
Despite all the advances, videography is still one of the first items left out to make room in wedding budgets. “Video is one of the first things that is usually cut, and it’s also one of the first regrets people have,” Schanbacher said. “Later on, they’re like, ‘Oh, I wish I’d done that.’”
Today, trends continue to emerge alongside new technology. Sousek mentioned same-day edits and Super 8 film as increasingly popular. Rudloff said many couples are drawn to 35mm film for its nostalgic feel. Both note that more couples are hiring wedding coordinators, which helps the day run smoothly and allows the videographer to focus on capturing authentic moments.
And while today’s technology undoubtedly makes the process much easier, editing is the labor of love that turns raw footage into a story. “The time it takes to actually edit things together…to weave it into a story that makes sense, has high points and low points, and everything is cohesive, takes a long time,” Sousek said.
But the payoff, according to all three videographers, lasts forever. Couples often watch their films years later and are transported back to their wedding day, to the emotions, the
people, the laughter. Sousek has heard stories of couples who say seeing their video reignites their love for each other. Rudloff said she hopes her work becomes a legacy for future generations.
While wedding budgets can sometimes be tricky, the message is clear: don’t skip the video. “It’s so much better to have it than to regret not having it,” Sousek said. “People often regret not having a video, but I’ve never met anybody who regrets having a video. You can’t go back and redo those things.” Schanbacher agreed: “It’s extremely hard for a photographer to really capture emotions in a single frame.” While photography is as crucial as ever, it’s videography that tells the full story.
Wedding videography isn’t just about recording a day. It’s about laughter and tears, voices and music. It’s a way for couples to step back into their day, to remember why they got married, and to share that moment with future generations. And in a world where memories are made to fade, video ensures that some moments will never be lost.
JONATHAN SCHANBACHER
JONATHAN SCHANBACHER
Savannah & Jacob Loew
Story by Savannah Loew
Photos Provided Design by Nickie Robinson
SOULMATE SPOTLIGHT
Jacob and I met in Omaha at a Catholic sand volleyball group a few summers ago. It's a very casual, pick-up league, so the teams change every week. We were on the same team the first week of that summer and there was definitely a mutual, immediate attraction but we didn't get on the same team again for another two months.
SAVANNAH AND JACOB LOEW
Wedding Date
June 6, 2025
Photographer
Darcy Marie Photography
R5 Photography
Rehearsal Dinner
Mangia Italiana
Ceremony
St. Bridget's Catholic Church
Reception
Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch
Bridal Gown
Morilee from Satin Hanger
Groom’s Attire
Men's Wearhouse
Bridesmaid Dresses
Azazie
Groomsmen Attire
Men's Wearhouse Rings
Engagement: Bacon Jewelers (in Boone, IA)
Wedding Bands: Helzberg's Cake
Angie Weitl (bride’s mom)
Catering/Food
Bellevue Berry Farm Music
Dunning Music & Entertainment
Stationery Canva
Honeymoon Destination
Marquette, MI
My brother helps organize ArchO young adult sand volleyball, so he also met Jacob that summer. My brother talked to Jacob and learned that his parents are from a town not too far from where my parents grew up in Iowa. When I heard this, and was finally on his team again at the end of the summer, I acted as if my brother had not told me everything, and asked Jacob about where he grew up, etc. Then, we joked around the rest of the evening, learning that our senses of humor and love for athletics matched well with each other.
Then, a non-sports related church event came around, and I could only make it to part of it because I had work. I wasn't sure if he was really into his faith or if he just liked sports, so on the way there, I prayed that if Jacob was there, I wouldn't take it as the sign but a (good) sign. He was there, and we got to talking and discovered just how much we had in common. The next day he asked me on a date over text
a medium which he emphasized was not ideal, but I had to go back to college in a week, so since “time was of the essence,” he thought he might as well go for it. We went on four dates that week because we just loved spending time together and getting to know each other. On my last day before going back to school, we went on a date to the zoo, and then I was going to bring him back to my parents’ house so he could meet our new dog my parents had just adopted. My family was not going to be home, which is why I was going to bring him there because, well, that's a little quick to have him meet the parents and everything. But, to my surprise, my family was there, or showed up eventually, and invited Jacob to stay for dinner. Later that night, we had a serious talk, since I was going back to school a few hours away and he was staying in Omaha. We expressed that we were both very interested in each other and had no intentions of pursing other people, so he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes.
I was able to see him on my breaks from school, and we FaceTimed a lot while I was at school, so we continued to grow closer and soon fell in love. We knew very early on this could be a “forever” type of thing. Then, after a little over a year of dating, he asked me to marry him and I was overjoyed to say yes to him. I feel beyond blessed to have met my soulmate this early in my life!
Matt & Katie Holland
STORY BY KATIE HOLLAND
PHOTOS PROVIDED
DESIGN BY NICKIE ROBINSON
met at a bar in our college town back in 2018, immediately hit it off, and had our first date soon after. We met up to play pool, and we had such a great time that we went out again two days later (Matt needed a rematch because he lost!). We made our relationship official while making s’mores underneath a big oak tree.
The next few years were filled with coffee dates, nights out, and walks around campus. We dated all throughout college and moved to Omaha together after graduation. We continued to fall deeper in love and developed a love of travel, taking annual fall trips to the beach and going on various weekend trips to see friends and new places.
MATT AND KATIE HOLLAND
Photographer
Anna Brace Coordinator
Kimmy Ann Events Florist
Lavish Flower Design
Rehearsal Dinner
Little Ricky’s Rooftop Bar catered by Pitch Pizzeria Ceremony
Cottonwood Hotel, Schimmel Ballroom Reception
Cottonwood Hotel Schimmel Ballroom Bridal Gown
Kelly Faetanini (bought at Rhylan Lang) Alterations
Livi’s Designs
Groom’s Attire
Men’s Wearhouse
Bridesmaid Dresses
Birdy Grey
Makeup artist
Hannah Kuhary Hair
Joey with Salon for Women
Groomsmen Attire
Men’s Wearhouse Rings
Martin Jewelry Cake
Dave’s Cakes
Catering/Food
Cottonwood Hotel Music
Xavier with Image Entertainment Stationery
Nicole Reher for signage, Zola for invitations
Chair Rentals
AAA Rents & Event Services
Honeymoon Destination Curaçao
SOULMATE SPOTLIGHT
Our favorite vacation was our twoweek trip to Europe back in May 2024. We went to Slovenia, Austria, Germany, and Denmark. On the first day of the trip, right after we got to the hotel in Bled, Matt suggested we go on a hike. We had been traveling for 24 hours and hadn’t slept, but headed out to go see the lake. After about an hour of walking, Matt proposed! He had virtually picked out the exact spot on the trail months earlier. We put a lock with our initials onto the railing of the dock, had a traditional Slovenian dinner, and called basically everyone we know. We were so excited to get married that we started planning the wedding during train rides from city to city.
We had such an amazing wedding day thanks to all our family, friends, and fantastic vendors! It was special to celebrate with all of our loved ones. To carry on our yearly tradition, we went to the beach in Curacao for our honeymoon. We saw wild flamingos, did a lot of snorkeling, cooked lionfish, and relaxed on the beach. It was a perfect wedding and a perfect trip.
“A majority of the time, if they’re changing dresses, it’s a surprise. So we need to fit it into the timeline so they can sneak off and change and it doesn’t look suspicious.”
Kimmylea Konsel-Taylor
Fit For
Every Moment
Why Brides Are Saying Yes to Several
nce regarded as a unique and singular item for a wedding, the wedding dress has now turned into the start of a series of dresses for the bride to deck themselves out with on their special day. In 2025, the thought of just one dress has been renegaded as outdated the modern way is to have a selection of dresses. It’s no new concept for women to have one dress for the ceremony, and another for the reception, but now, some women are adding a third and fourth to the mix.
The main reason this trend has emerged recently is for comfort, with brides wanting more loose-fitting and shorter dresses for their reception. With wedding dresses becoming more and more expensive, brides don’t want to ruin the dresses they plan to store and cherish for the rest of their lives. As Kimmylea Konsel-Taylor, designer and owner of LimeLight Expressions, said, “Usually, they want a more romantic dress for their wedding, and then they switch into something a little more comfortable for the reception.”
According to Joy.com, the average cost of a wedding is around $36,000 in 2025, compared to (according to WeddingBeeBoards) 1980, when the average cost of a wedding was $2,000. Adjusting for inflation, the cost of a wedding in the 1980s is about $17,000 in today’s money, showing that the industry has grown significantly over the years, with people investing more time and effort, and not only spending more on their weddings, but adding more unique elements to one of the biggest days of their lives as well.
For the bride, the decision of whether to add another dress or not generally comes down to cost. "We do get some dress changes, but honestly, it depends on people’s budgets,” Konsel-Taylor said. She said the majority of the times a person decides to prioritize adding a third dress to their wedding day plans, they are doing so for a special moment. “A majority of the time, if they’re changing dresses, it’s a surprise,” Konsel-Taylor said. “So we need to fit it into the timeline so they can sneak off and change and it doesn’t look suspicious.”
There are few things more important to a bride than being unique on her wedding day, and with the wedding industry bigger than ever, there are so many avenues a bride can choose from in order to make her special day her own. Though traditionally, one wedding dress was all someone needed, to spark up the day and make things a little more fun, brides are deciding to add a second or third to the mix. “I feel like people want to do things that are unusual and unique on their wedding day, not the standard traditional things,” Konsel-Taylor said. “They want some traditional things, but they want it really unique.”
JASON AND GRACE HOWARD
STORY BY Lucy Mason
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Carrie Patterson Photography
DESIGN BY
Nickie Robinson
BRANDED for the Big Day TRENDS
Nebraska Couples Are Saying “I Do” to Custom Wedding Logos
STORY BY Natalie Veloso | PHOTOGRAPHY BY Molly Sheppard Photography | DESIGN BY Nickie Robinson
PLANNING, DESIGN & STATIONERY BY LimeLight Expressions
lorals wilt and favors get tossed, but a signature detail can leave a lasting mark. A personalized wedding logo gives your wedding something the napkins never could longevity.
Today’s couples often consider custom design as essential as the dress or venue. With help from local graphic designers who specialize in wedding logos and cohesive creative direction, more Nebraska brides and grooms are treating their big day like a fully branded celebwration.
“A wedding should be as unique and personal as the couple at the heart of it,” said Kimmylea Konsel-Taylor of LimeLight Expressions, an Omaha-based design and event production firm. “From the moment guests receive a save-the-date to the final farewell, we design every detail intentionally.”
That cohesive look begins with a signature mark typically an elegant monogram or a hand-drawn crest. “We begin with that custom wedding logo,” Konsel-Taylor said. “As additional pieces come into play, we thoughtfully incorporate complementary elements that bring cohesion and elegance to the full wedding experience.” Those elements guide the design for invitations, signage, day-of stationery, cocktail napkins, and more.
Dana Osborne, founder of Dana Osborne Design, specializes in creating full wedding packages that incorporate the fonts, colors, and designs of a couple’s choice. “When guests open up the invitation for the first time, they are seeing the entire look of the wedding itself,” she said. “From there, that original design is incorporated into when they walk into the church or the ceremony, and all the way through the reception.”
For both designers, creating the perfect cohesive design for every couple means plenty of research. “I like to chat with my couples on the phone and just hear their words and learn who they are as people,” Osborne said. “Then, we develop the monogram to their liking and an overall cohesive look for the rest of the customized elements.”
At LimeLight Expressions, Konsel-Taylor walks couples through a discovery process. “We ask for descriptive words, favorite colors, inspirations, and anything they genuinely love,” she said. “From there, we create several custom options that reflect the couple’s unique story and preferences. It’s a collaborative process.”
Once that look is locked in, it becomes the foundation for everything else.
Osborne recalled one couple she worked with who branded nearly every detail of their special day. “One of the most unique things I did was a sock wrap for the bride’s dad. It read: ‘Wear these when you walk me down the aisle.’ It matched the rest of their wedding design perfectly,” she said. “I also created custom golf balls for the groomsmen’s outing the day before. Their monogram was so versatile it tied everything together.”
For Konsel-Taylor, a recent standout project was a romantic, Tuscan-inspired wedding for a couple who had fallen in love with four distinctive styles. “Rather than ask her to choose just one, we custom-designed a suite that thought-
fully incorporated all her favorite elements, culminating in a completely unique wedding logo and cohesive aesthetic that felt truly theirs,” she recalled.
After the big day, the bride shared with Konsel-Taylor: “[Limelight Expressions] truly brought our vision to life we couldn’t be happier with how things turned out. My dad said his favorite part was all the amazing details!”
“It’s feedback like this that reminds us why we do what we do,” Konsel-Taylor said. “We’re so honored to help bring love stories to life one intentional, custom-designed detail at a time.”
The impact of a wedding logo doesn’t necessarily end after the last dance, either. “I’ve had couples continue to use their logo designs after the wedding especially for their thank-you notes,” Osborne said. “One bride still prints her monogram on invitations and napkins for entertaining at home the couple likes to host. It makes me smile when I see it pop up in a photo years later.”
Though some consider custom logos a fleeting trend, both designers believe they’re here to stay. “For us, wedding logos have already been a staple for over 10 years,” Konsel-Taylor said. “It’s not just a trend it’s an integral part of our detail suite that truly sets us apart.”
Osborne agreed. “This trend won’t be a question anymore it’s simply the way weddings are going to be from now on,” she said. “Custom logos? It’s just what you do.”
STORY - Isaac Nielsen
PHOTOGRAPHY - Borchardt: Photography by Jordan Stumbo
Siedhoff: Photography by Mel Watson Photography DESIGN - Nickie Robinson TRENDS
A Private Promise
COUPLES TURN TO PRIVATE VOWS TO CONNECT AWAY FROM THE CROWD
or several centuries, wedding vows have been arguably the most public and highly anticipated part of a ceremony. They represent a moment when couples speak their promises to each other aloud in front of family and friends. But lately, a growing number of newlyweds are adding something extra: a set of private vows or letters exchanged away from the crowd. It’s a practice that blends the tradition of public vows with the intimacy of personal messages, giving couples the best of both worlds.
Your wedding day is so jampacked, so it’s a good time to have alone time and talk to each other. You can say what your heart feels without having anyone else listen.
-Olivia Borchardt
KATIE AND LUKE SIEDHOFF
KATIE AND LUKE SIEDHOFF
When Katie and Luke Siedhoff married in April 2024, they knew they wanted to keep the classic, sacred vows in front of their loved ones. But after hearing about other couples who had written private letters to each other, they decided to incorporate the idea into their own day.
“We just loved the tradition and the sacredness of saying your more traditional vows in front of your family and friends,” Katie said, “but also wanted the space to be able to have some real depth and intimacy during the day. We loved having the opportunity to write down our deepest promises to each other, and to be able to do that just the two of us.”
The couple exchanged their letters about an hour before the ceremony, in a small chapel beside the main church, during their first look.
“It’s a really moving, emotionally overwhelming moment,” Katie said. “We got to see each other for the first time that day, and then speak about all these things that we love about each other and that we promised each other. It helped ease our fears and start the day with a beautiful moment.”
For Olivia and Logan Borchardt, who married in June 2024 in a traditional Catholic ceremony, the private exchange came after the formal vows, since they didn’t want to see each other beforehand. Their personal promises were written with years of memories in mind.
“For me, it was just more meaningful, because it really resonates with one another,” Logan said. “I touched on how she came into my life, every milestone that she made important, and I was able to really show her how I feel, better than the traditional vows. Those are very general statements, while this one I was going into more detail to make it more personal.”
Logan had been preparing for some time, jotting down moments in his phone’s notes app birthdays, special dates, even funny moments from an ordinary Thursday night out. When the day came, he could draw from multiple years of collected memories.
Olivia valued the space those vows created in their whirlwind day. “Having that one-on-one talk that day is so valuable,” she said. “Your wedding day is so jam-packed, so it’s a good time to have alone time and talk to each other. You can say what your heart feels without having anyone else listen.”
Katie agreed that the private exchange added a layer of calm. “It gave both of us so much relief and peace, remembering what the whole day is about,” she said. “It takes a lot of the pressure off of it when you know that it’s just going to be the two of you.”
Whether before or after the ceremony, both couples recommend carving out that private moment. “You build your own wedding day,” Olivia said. “There’s really no better way to spend that alone time than saying your vows and reflecting on the meaning behind the day.”
For couples seeking the perfect balance of tradition and intimacy, private vows may be the trend worth keeping.
OLIVIA AND LOGAN BORCHARDT
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