lease let me be the first to say hello and welcome to our inaugural issue of nearlywed! Words cannot express how thrilled and excited I am to be writing this letter! Launching nearlywed has personally and professionally been one of my most challenging and rewarding achievements.

When I decided 18 months ago to expand from covering West Michigan as Grand Rapids Bride to covering the entire state, I certainly didn’t have any idea what a journey it would be. Let’s just say I’ve felt every emotion possible — ending with complete joy that you are finally holding this issue!

The past 18 months have taken us from a team of one (it’s me, I was the one) to a team of six amazing professionals. The dedication of this group of people has been the greatest part of the journey. And to each of them I owe all my gratitude:

Rebecca Voigt, our Editor, took an idea and turned it into the most elevated and elegant vision that exceeded anything I could have dreamed up. I will forever be grateful to her for constantly making us a better version of ourselves.

Haley Bieniewicz, our Social Media Manager, has curated an audience of loyal followers who show up consistently to be a part of our story. Her ability to create content that makes people love us is unparalleled and we are so grateful for her creativity and insights.

Shalee Super, our Digital Director, makes the complicated stuff look easy. Her knowledge of all things digital has given us the ability to give our readers, visitors, and followers so much valuable content in the formats and platforms on which our audience lives.

Jim Nissen, our Design Director, has taken his 30 years of magazine design experience and created the ultimate combination of high fashion editorial meets sourcebook — all while making it look easy. Jim’s enthusiasm is contagious and his dedication to “do whatever it takes” is rare.

Jake Stroburg, our Director of Business Development (and, more importantly, my husband), has provided the guidance, support, and invaluable insight over the past 23 years that have given me the confidence to get here. Thank you love.

As you flip through the pages of our first issue, please know that we have continually had YOU in mind when creating this brand. We want you to always feel inspired, find excitement, become more educated, and mostly find connection with the perfect vendors for your perfect day.

We are so grateful to have you here and hope we exceed your expectations with what we have created!

Kelly Stroburg
Publisher