Kristjana and Kurt Hillberg Wedding Story
Wedding Theme
Romantic
The Day We Said Yes
Saturday, July 8th, 2017
Our Love Story
Everything about our relationship has been untraditional and wonderful, so why shouldn’t our wedding day be exactly that??
We woke up at 5:45, had a cup of coffee together and then separated to get ready. Our venue was Wickiup Cabins so he walked about 6 yards to another cabin and I stayed in ours. My sister-in-law started on my hair and I was surrounded by my daughter, mother, and best friend. At 7:30 we did first look on the bridge behind Cheyanne Crossing and then set off for a mile and a half hike with our photographer. I didn’t break my shoes in, so halfway through the hike I took them off and finished barefoot. The morning weather was absolutely perfect with no sweating in the dress and a light chill in the air. Kurt and I had such a wonderful time hiking and laughing and cuddling for pictures. When we returned to Wickiup, we only had about an hour to get ready for the ceremony and it flew by. At 10:30am our family and loved ones gathered by the creek, some standing and some sitting on beautifully crafted log benches, dress was casual; we wanted everyone to be comfortable. We chose a mutual friend who had known us from the very beginning of our friendship to marry us and her speech couldn’t have been any more special. Immediately following the ceremony, we popped champagne and sparkling juice and poured each person a glass. My best friend gave a toast and then we walked up to the shelter where we had coffee, mimosas, scones, sweet bread and Cheyanne’s Crossing catered a yummy breakfast. We took pictures and ate and visited with those who had made the trip to celebrate our special day with us. Neither of us really have any recollection of what we talked about or said; time flew so fast and it was incredible. Our closest friends and some family stayed for another night or two and we continued to celebrate.
How We Met
Kurt and I had several mutual friends, so it was inevitable that we would meet at SOME POINT. We immediately knew that we enjoyed each others company and had a lot in common. At the time Kurt was preparing to join the military in May of 2016. He left and life went on. We both thought about each other often and in November of that year we rekindled and when Kurt came home for the holidays we spent several days together and decided that we were in love. We both had experienced life and knew exactly what we wanted, so the decision wasn’t hard at all! We just knew!
Planning Our Day
We are both pretty laid back “go with the flow” type of people. We started talking about marriage early on and decided that we didn’t want to wait. The Black Hills was a perfect meeting spot for all involved. Kurt is now stationed at Ellsworth and family surrounds the area, besides Kris’ family who is from AZ so they would’ve had to travel anywhere we decided to have the wedding. We wanted a morning wedding with a yummy brunch, done by 12 so we could relax and enjoy the day with our friends and family afterwards. Most decisions we agreed on, especially where, when, and what. I knew immediately when I found my dress and Kurt was the same with his suit…he needed a little help with his tie and shoes. 😊. We ordered our invites and still needed to find a venue. We knew we wanted it to be at a cabin(s) so when we came across Wickiup we immediately knew it was the spot. Cheyanne Crossing would cater and all guests could book a cabin if they’d like.
Wedding Hint
Everything works out. There were a few hiccups along the way and looking back they were so minor. Stressing about things that you’re not in control of is a waste of energy. Delegate responsibilities to ones you trust and give them your vision.
