kiersten + kyle

from Area Woman Magazine Feb/Mar '20

by Lake & Home Magazine | Area Woman Magazine

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JULY 27, 2019

A year and a half of planning all came together on a hot, humid day in July when high school sweethearts Kiersten and Kyle tied the knot exactly eight years after they began dating — to the day! Their elegant wedding took place at The Woods in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Kiersten planned the wedding to fit their budget, searching all over the state for the vendors that would work best financially. The Woods was a convenient location for family and included the ceremony and reception sites as well as onsite accommodations for the guests and the wedding party. To save money, Kiersten DIYed a lot of the decor with the help of her parents, from the flowers, to the signs, to embroidered handkerchiefs made by her mother as keepsakes for the guests. “The biggest project was a flower chandelier I made to hang above us at the ceremony. It look me almost a year to complete and a ton of trips to the store to get more and more and even more flowers, but I was highly complemented on it so I think it was worth it!” says Kiersten.

Kiersten also lucked out on her wedding dress. She says, “I saw it at David’s Bridal about a year before I was even engaged while dress shopping with a friend for her wedding. When it came time for me to shop for my wedding dress, I described the one I had seen previously to see if they had anything similar and they had the exact dress in store on clearance in my size. Score!”

The ceremony took place outside under the venue’s rustic wooden gazebo decorated with the floral chandelier Kierstan spent all that time making. “We were surrounded by all of our favorite people and loved ones as we promised our love to each other. I had so much fun, whenever I think back I wish we could do it again because it truly was the best day ever,” says Kiersten.

The guests then headed indoors to cool off and celebrate. “My favorite part was having all my groomsmen with me throughout the day, hanging out and keeping me calm as I was about to marry the love of my life. Then having everyone with us as we got to celebrate after the ceremony,” says Kyle.

The couple jetted off to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, following the wedding for a sweet honeymoon. Kiersten offers up a bit of advice to future brides. “Enjoy every minute of it because it goes so fast!” She says, “I loved the process of planning our wedding. It was so much fun to pick out every detail and see it all come together.”