elcome to nearlywed! Creating the debut issue of this magazine has been a true labor of love, and what started as a dream — a vision of creating a magazine that would inspire and delight couples planning their perfect Michigan wedding — is now a reality. Our hearts and souls are in every page of this magazine, and we’re honored to be part of your wedding planning journey.

Wherever you are in the planning process — from just starting to look at engagement rings to selecting your vendor team to finalizing the details of your walk down the aisle — in our pages you’ll find a wealth of ideas and inspiration to help you tell your unique love story. To start, we bring you Something New, where we share what’s happening now and next in the wedding world, including a professional dog trainer who will help your pup be part of your wedding day, a bridal shop with a powerful mission, and ideas for adding cannabis to your wedding bar service. Next, we help you plan all the details of your day with stories on everything from creative menu cards and out-of-this world florals to honeymoon-ready rental cabins curated by blogger Gina Valente of Moody Cabin Girl.

Turn to our features and the inspiration goes into overdrive. For “Garden of Delights” we worked with some of the state’s most talented cake artists and Abby Rosenbaum of Abby Rose Photo and StudioStudio to create a floating flora, confectionary dreamscape. If you’re on the fence about wearing a veil for your wedding day, don’t miss “La Voilette”. If fashion photographer Michelle Cuppy’s stunning images don’t convince you to say yes to a veil, we don’t know if anything will. Finally, for our cover story, “Lavender Haze”, we sweep you away to Lavender Hill Farm in Northern Michigan for a look at some truly exquisite wedding gowns. Photographed by award-winning photographer Lians Jadan, the Provençal vibes are undeniably romantic.

Speaking of romance, this issue features some insanely gorgeous real weddings. From our featured couple, Pia and Matt’s, vibrant, family-focused celebration to more than 40 pages of wedding galleries, these Michigan weddings all have one thing in common — they are beautiful celebrations of each couple’s individual love story.

After all, celebrating love stories — theirs and YOURS — is why we created nearlywed. Thank you for joining us on this journey.