When it came to planning their wedding, Kelsey and Ryer chose quality over quantity, opting to have a small backyard wedding with just their immediately family in attendance. While the bride briefly worried she might regret not having a bigger wedding, the couple couldn't have been happier with the stress-free planning, and the personal and memorable nature of their intimate nuptials.

Wanting to share their joy and the memories of the big day with their extended family and friends that couldn't be there, the couple hired Jillian Bowes to capture every last moment in gorgeous detail.

Kelsey, 27 & Ryer, 36 Ada, Michigan (Grand Rapids)

Wedding Date: September 7, 2014

Number of Guests: 30

Wedding Cost: $7,500 (not including attire or rings)

Wedding Ceremony Location: Groom's Mother's Home

Wedding Reception Location: Groom's Mother's Home

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We've always been quality over quantity kind of people. Neither of us ever envisioned a large wedding; a small wedding made more sense for us as a couple, and people really seemed to understand that. We wanted to enjoy all of our guests and each other instead of running from table to table all night trying to make sure we didn't miss someone.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

My parents were unhappy with the decision at first and did their best to try to convince us otherwise. Understandably, they wanted their families to be a part of the day. I also struggled with leaving our extended families and friends out, but knew that we could not have the wedding we wanted with 150+ guests.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

We decided on immediate family only, so that made things pretty easy.

Did you have any 'issues' with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

Luckily there were no issues; our friends and family were very supportive and understanding!

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

We didn't plan on writing our own vows, but the morning of our wedding we felt like it would be a huge mistake not to. We wrote them together that day, and I am so glad we did. It made our ceremony extra special. I tried to kiss Ryer after he read his, and that really lightened things up!