I HAVE FOUND THE ONE WHOM MY SOUL LOVES.
- SONG OF SOLOMON 3:4
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
Wedding Guide
TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN
{
2019 Bridal Directory
} Unveiled! Harmony Foods Preston Foods Rushford Foods
The Rustic Rose
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Floral arrangements for your special day!
}
{
Spring Valley, MN 507-346-7440 rusticrose-mn.com
Shannon Meier Photography
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Five Wynds
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The Creamery Pizza & Ice Cream
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Kegs, Wine, Champagne, Liquor
Harmony, MN 507-886-1234 www.estelleseatery.com
{
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Looking for a new home? Call us today!
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Winneshiek Wildberry Winery Wedding ceremonies, bridal showers and rehearsal dinners
Everything from food preparation to full service
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Custom floral arrangments that are perfect for your big day!
Torgerson Ostby Floor Coverings
Outback Ranch
The best dance floor in southeastern Minnesota!
Lanesboro, MN 507-467-3722
{
New home? We can help you with all your needs
} {
{
Wide Assortment of Wines, Beers & Spirits
Preston, MN 507-765-2565
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Lodging and Camping Large outdoor Spaces
}
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Fountain Community Center We host over 20 weddings per year! Schedule your wedding today!
Harmony, MN 507-886-4257 507-273-8644
Houston, MN 507-896-5550
www.outbackranch.net
Fountain, MN 507-268-4923 www.fountainmn.org
Cedar Valley Resorts
Country Trails Inn & Suites
Decorah Rental
Great place to stay for guests or a wedding party
Lanesboro, MN 507-467-9000
}
Preston Floral
River Port Inn
Lanesboro Community Center
}
Find us for all of your Banking needs!
Preston Liquor, LLC
Spring Valley, MN 507-346-2579 www.odyscountrymeats.com
Preston, MN 507-765-2214 www.prestonfloralgift.com
Winona, MN 507-452-0606 riverporteventcenter@gmail.com
{
}
Decorah, IA 563-735-5809 www.wwwinery.com
}
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Chatfield, MN 507-867-4120 www.rrsbchatfield.com
Harmony, MN Office: 507-886-4221 Cell: 507-458-6110 www.SEMNrealestate.com
Call us about your event space!
{
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Preston, MN 507-722-0048 www.campcreekfarmllc.com
Remax Roxanne Johnson
Spring Valley, MN 507-346-2494 www.goodearthvillage.org
Ody’s Country Meats & Catering
Weddings, Corporate Events Reunions, Birthdays
}
Celebrate your speical day at Good Earth Village!
Chatfield, MN 507- 867-1640 52bottleshop.com
Camp Creek Farm
}{
} {
Root River State Bank
Wine, Champagne, Liquor
Spring Valley, MN 507-346-1979 Like us on Facebook!
Estelle’s Great for rehersal dinners and special events!
Let us help with your special day!
} {
}
Good Earth Village
52 Bottle Shop
{
The perfect spot for your wedding venue!
Preston, MN 507-251-1760 www.serenityhillspavilion.com
Spring Valley, MN ~ 507-346-2804 Chatfield, MN ~ 507-867-4272 Dodge Center, MN ~ 507-374-6440 www.sunshinefoodstores.com
Email: kfive.management@gmail.com
Rushford, MN 507-864-7214 www.the-creamery.com
{
} {
TJ’s Liquor
}
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Sunshine Foods
Spring Valley, MN 507-259-3557
Rushford, MN 507-272-7351
Great for Rehearsal Dinners Seats up to 100
{
Come and talk to us abour our rental space!
We tailor to your order
Serenity Hills
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Let us take care of your guests.
Preston, MN 507-765-2533 www.countrytrailsinn.com
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Party success is just a rental away
Decorah, IA 563-382-2351 Like us on Facebook!
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Call the FCJ at 507-765-2151 to advertise or offer news tips!
Wedding
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
Guide
TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN
A love story that was meant to be
This photo of Sarah and Braden Hahn was taken at a special place on the Hahn family farm. Not only was the timing of the sunset perfect, but the views were amazing. It was another thing about their wedding day that was just meant to be. It was their favorite part of the day because while they loved being with all their family and friends, it was incredible to share a moment with just the two of them surrounded in so much beauty. Photo by Andera Photography By Annie Lewis Sarah Reicks and Braden Hahn grew up in Fillmore County and went to school together at Fillmore Central. They knew of each other for a long time, but according to Sarah, they really didn’t pay much attention to one another. “We were always friends,”
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Monday, January 21, 2019
Sarah said. “Braden asked me out a couple of times. I turned him down because I didn’t want to lose him as a friend if things didn’t work out. Then, when I was a sophomore and he was junior, he asked me yet again. This time I decided to give it a chance and that was the best decision ever!”
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407 S. Mill Street, Rushford, MN 507.864.7214 www.the creamery.com
Braden says it was love right away, however it took Sarah a couple months before she realized she couldn’t picture her life with anyone else. After only a short time of dating, they both knew it was meant to be. Sarah said, “It seemed crazy that two teenagers already knew that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but we felt we were meant for each other.” The two dated throughout high school and college. On August 11, 2017, Braden proposed. He planned a picnic along the creek near their house. Sarah said that the entire summer had been crazy busy because they were working on getting the house ready to move into before Sarah started her senior year at Viterbo University in La Crosse. “We hadn’t taken any time the whole summer to do anything relaxing, just the two of us, so I was extremely excited to go on this picnic,” Sarah said. “My excitement quickly faded as we were driving to our spot and I noticed my parents’ vehicle there. Long story short, he had obviously told them he was going to propose. The fact that he asked them to be there made it all the more special.” The couple were married this past year on September 8 at Greenfield Lutheran Church in Harmony. “One thing I think we will all remember was that the weather was absolutely perfect,” Braden said. “We couldn’t ask for a better day to get married. All our family and friends said it was meant to be!” About 275 attended the reception at Serenity Hills Pavilion outside of Preston with U2-BBQ doing the catering. Keeley Todd, a good friend of theirs from high school, did the cake and cupcakes. Karaoke/ DJ Joe did the music and they had Andera Photography and Ryan Pitts Videography cover the entire day. Sarah said they didn’t have a wedding planner because she loves event planning. “We had so much help from both our families, especially our moms for planning and the dads for setting up and tearing down the reception. We had two host and hostess couples who were a huge help on the day of the wedding, so that our parents (Jim and Renee Reicks and Chris Hahn and Melanie Kruegel Hahn) could relax and enjoy the day.” The wedding party included maid of honor Sarah Casterton, bridesmaids Lindsey Weiss, Sydnie Huffman, Maggie Dempewolf, Courtney Frie, Courtney Schroeder, and Ashley Miller; personal attendants Laura Gudgeon and Marissa Massoth, flower girls Lilianna Dempewolf, Ruby Bergeland, Julia Benson, and Lydia Benson; ring bearer Brooks Bergeland, best man Mitch Ristau, grooms-
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Page 3
I HAVE FOUND THE ONE WHOM MY SOUL LOVES.
- SONG OF SOLOMON 3:4
men Bronson Hahn, Brogan Hahn, Andrew Reicks, Brady McCabe, Justin McIntosh, and Cody Carolan; ushers Ryan Halverson, Cody Erickson, Travis Hahn and Nicholas Hahn. Following the wedding, Sarah and Braden took a 10-day trip to Ireland where they rented a car and did a self-guided tour along the coast. Both agreed it was incredible and would go back in a heartbeat if given the chance. Braden earned an Associate of Applied Science in Farm Diesel Technician from Iowa Lakes Community College and is
currently an AMS specialist for Preston Equipment. Sarah has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Viterbo and is employed as a registered nurse in Internal Medicine at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester. Braden and Sarah Hahn live outside of Preston near Braden’s grandpa’s beef cattle operation. Braden keeps busy with that and is also involved with spring and fall fieldwork. He rents land himself as well as helps out his family. While they don’t own a farm yet, both can see spending the rest of their lives living the farm life…happily ever after!
The truck was bought brand new many years ago by Keith Krogstad, a family member who has since passed away. Sarah said, “Braden always admired the truck and had asked Keith if we could take it to prom, but Keith was too worried something bad would happen since we were just kids! Once Braden was out of high school, Keith sold the truck to Braden and we like to use it as our ‘special occasion’ vehicle. We knew it had to be in our wedding!” Photo by Andera Photography
The wedding took place on a glorious September day. The guys’ attire was from Amundson’s in Decorah, bridesmaids’ dresses were from Azazie and the bride’s dress was from White Rose Bridal in St. Charles. Pictured, left to right, are Cody Carolan, Sydnie Huffman, Brogan Hahn, Sarah and Braden Hahn, Lindsey Weiss, Bronson Hahn and Travis Hahn. Photo by Andera Photography
Sarah Reicks and Braden Hahn were married at Greenfield Lutheran Church in Harmony. Pictured, left to right, are bridesmaids Sydnie Huffman, Lindsey Weiss, Maggie Dempewolf, Sarah Hahn, Sarah Casterton (maid of honor), Courtney Frie, Courtney Schroeder and Ashley Miller. About 275 attended their special day. The reception was held at Serenity Hills Pavilion outside of Preston. Photo by Andera Photography
Page 4
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Wedding
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
I HAVE FOUND THE ONE WHOM MY SOUL LOVES.
- SONG OF SOLOMON 3:4
-UNKNOWN
TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN
The Official Legal Newspaper for Fillmore County
LOVE GIVES US A FAIRY TALE.”
“ONCE IN AWHILE, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ORDINARY LIFE,
Many more can be found online or on www.marthastewartweddings.com
USE THESE PLANNERS AS A GUIDE TO YOUR PERFECT WEDDING
Guide
Budget & Guest-List Planner
Monday, January 21, 2019
Courtesy of www.marthastewartweddings.com
To find someone who will love you for no reason, and to shower that person with reasons,
THAT IS THE ULTIMATE HAPPINESS.
- Robert Brault
WEDDING PLANNING TIMELINE COUNTDOWN TO THE AISLE
A SUPER HELPFUL CHECKLIST AND STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO PLAN YOUR BIG DAY
Share your thoughts at www.fillmorecountyjournal.com TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Wedding Guide
TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN
Blind date leads to 60-year marriage
David and Carol Knutson on their wedding day, David and Carol Knutson in their home in October 18, 1958. Preston, nearly 61 years after saying, “I do.” Photo submitted Photo by Hannah Wingert
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Page 5
I HAVE FOUND THE ONE WHOM MY SOUL LOVES.
- SONG OF SOLOMON 3:4
By Hannah Wingert They may have gotten off to an interesting start, but David and Carol Knutson have certainly made it work out well. The couple from Preston has been married for almost 61 years, celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on October 18, 2018. They first met on a blind date that Carol’s friend and David’s brother had set up while David was home visiting from the Air Force. He had been stationed in North Africa and was back for Christmas before being sent to the England Air Force Base in Alexandria, La. While he was in North Africa, he had received a Dear John letter, and so his friends decided to use his time home to set him up on blind dates. Unfortunately, he somehow or other ended up with two blind dates planning to meet him for coffee at the same time and the same place. “They came in the door right behind each other, so I picked the first one,” he said. The first one just happened to be Carol, and 60 years later, it seems to have been the right choice for David. “The other one never talked to me again,” David laughed. “It was either lucky or unlucky depending on
how you look at it,” Carol joked about how she felt about being the first one through the door. David and Carol both grew up in Farmington, Minn., he in town and she on a farm outside of town. David was three years ahead of Carol in school so she knew who he was before that fateful blind date. After having coffee with each other for the first time that December, their relationship took off despite David being stationed in Louisiana. It wasn’t often, but whenever he was able to come home for a visit, they spent time together and in August of the following year, he proposed during one of those visits. When asked how long they dated before becoming engaged, David winked. “Not long enough.” Carol partly attributes the short courtship with their marriage. “We’re so different that if we’d known each other better, we would probably never gotten married,” she laughed. “It lasted for some reason!” Taking a cue from their eight month dating relationship, they set the date for their wedding on October 18, 1958, which just happened to be Carol’s parents’ See KNUTSON Page 6 ➤
Page 6
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Monday, January 21, 2019
The FCJ reaches over 12,000 household each week.
Wedding
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
Guide
KNUTSON
Continued from Page 5
20th anniversary. As the day drew closer, they realized that that may not have been the best Saturday to get married as it was also opening day for pheasant hunting. “All the guys that I asked to be in my wedding, they were all pheasant hunters,”
I HAVE FOUND THE ONE WHOM MY SOUL LOVES.
TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN
David said. To their credit, neither of them backed out. David thanked them for showing up by gifting each one with a box of shells. David’s best man was his older brother and before the wedding, he pulled David aside. “He handed me some money, a pint of whiskey, and the keys to his new car and said, ‘This is your
Schedule your wedding today at the
Fountain Community Center! We host over 20 weddings per year, so dates are claimed early!
r ng fo le Seati p o e 350 p up to
Contact City of Fountain at 507-268-4923 Monday - Thursday 8:30am-4:00pm or visit www.fountainmn.org
- SONG OF SOLOMON 3:4
last chance to back out.’” Obviously, David didn’t take it. Carol’s home church, Trinity Lutheran in Farmington, had recently constructed a new church building and their wedding was the first to be held there. It was so new that the carpeting hadn’t even been installed yet, meaning that the steps the couple knelt on during the ceremony still had the metal edging exposed. To top it off, the minister kept accidentally calling David “Donald,” leading to jokes later that Carol and David weren’t really married. Thankfully, the marriage certificate had the correct name. The wedding was fairly small with only two attendants apiece for the bride and groom. Carol had managed to find her wedding dress and veil at a shop that was going out of business and later, her cousin borrowed the dress to wear at her wedding as well. The day after the wedding, Carol packed their U-Haul trailer while David went hunting one last time before heading back to the Air Force base. Their honeymoon consisted of driving across the country to Louisiana. “We took my car since Dave didn’t have one,”
Carol noted. The running joke between them after that was that David married Carol for her car, a 1950 Plymouth. However, she says she married him for his height so he could reach tall shelves for her. The car is long gone, but David is still taller than Carol so she feels she got the better end of that deal. Once they arrived in Louisiana, they lived off-base as onbase housing was only available for officers. They couldn’t afford a telephone so Carol kept in touch with her mother by writing letters once a week. Carol was due with their first child the following September, but since there were only three beds on the maternity ward and 33 women due around that time, they decided it would be best for
her to move back to Minnesota in July to live with her parents until David was discharged from the Air Force in December and could join his family. David and Carol moved to Blair, Nebr., in 1964 with their two preschool aged children so David could attend Dana College. From there, they moved to Cambridge, Minn., and finally to Preston in 1974, where they still reside. They have two grown children, Gwen who lives in Bloomington, Minn., with her long-time partner Russ, and Troy who lives in Collierville, Tenn., with his family. When asked what they attribute their long marriage to, David said, “We bit the bullet and paid the price. And it was worth it.”
235 St. Paul Street • Preston, MN 55965 Bring in your vision and we will start creating your custom wedding flowers!
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Did you know that engagement & wedding ANNOUNCEMENTS are free! Place it in a happy ad for a small fee! See prices below.
YOU CAN SURPRISE SOMEONE OR SIMPLY CELEBRATE YOUR ANNIVERSARY IN THE SOCIAL SCENES SECTION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
We believe Page 16
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Monday, May 15, 2017
The FCJ reaches over 13,000 households each week.
socialscenes
Journal Writing Project:
College should not be free
Engagement
that employers request if everyone went to college for free. If you are serious about attending college, then you will find a way to pay for it. You should start by picking a university or program that is realistic for you and one you will be able to pay for when you graduate. There are so many resources available to seniors and college students to help fund colMarzolf ~ Olson lege. The resources are not hard to Allan and Diane Marzolf of find and if money is an issue, you will have no trouble finding them. Preston, Minn., would like to Those who don’t wish to seek out announce the engagement and the assistance will just have bigger upcoming marriage of their daughter Jordyn to Brent Olson, debt when they graduate. An awesome place to look for son of Michael and Toni Olson of financial assistance is at local and Birnamwood, Wis. Jordyn is a 2009 graduate of big business; many places offer numerous scholarships for college Fillmore Central High School. students to help them pay for col- Jordyn earned her bachelor’s lege. There are also many memo- degree in Elementary Education rial scholarships available to apply from Minnesota State University, for. Many organizations also offer Mankato. She is employed a generous scholarships to college a 4K teacher at the Woodson students. There are also grants, YMCA, Wausau School District which don’t need to be payed Community Site. Brent is a 2001 graduate from back, that can be awarded to colWittenberg-Birnamwood High lege students. When you apply to a college, School. Brent earned his bachyou will also apply for financial elor’s degree in Criminal Justice aid. Financial aid will allow you from University of Wisconsin to take out loans and not make Oshkosh and his master’s degree in a payment until you graduate. Management in Criminal Justice These loans also have a very low from Globe University. Brent is interest rate. Financial aid also employed through the City of gives out grants to students who Wausau, as a police officer. Joydyn and Brent will be married they feel need that extra bit of June 24, 2017, in Wausau, Wis. help. Attending college should not be free. College could never be free as someone will always be paying. Free college would feel too much like high school all over Our 1st “Mom’s Day” again. If you do wish to attend college, there are many resources without you. A large will help you pay for it. There come-and-go gathering that are many scholarships available will not be. Really to students that are offered by numerous business and organizamissed by all. Thanks When you apply to college, again to all that had kind tions. you will have the ability to take words and also loved out student loans to help cover the “Arlene.” It’s so hard but cost until you can afford it. Kendyl Bennett is a student at shes just fine now, Fillmore Central High School. She Quanrud ~ DeSilvey with dad. is one of eight area students parMatt and Karen Quanrud of in the Journal Writing Preston are pleased to announce - Arlene Rain Family ticipating Project, now in its eighteenth year. the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Rose Quanrud to Jordan Ryan DeSilvey, son of Jim and Beth DeSilvey of Perry, Iowa. Maternal grandparents are Jerome Hansen and the late Helen Hansen of Mankato, Minn., (formerly of Delavan, Minn.). Jennifer is a 2011 graduate of Fillmore Central and a 2015 graduate of Drake Mike Walsh graduated from Winona State University University in Des Moines, Iowa. with honors in Athletic Training. Next, he will be She currently is a third grade pursuing graduate school to obtain a teacher in Perry, Iowa. Jordan is a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. graduate of Penn Foster Education and is currently employed as a cyclist mechanic at the Blue Ridge Cyclery in Charlottesville, Va. They will be making their home in Charlottesville, Va. Their wedding will take place in Perry, Iowa, at La Post on Saturday, June 17, 2017.
By Kendyl Bennett College should not be free. College will never be free because someone will have to pay for it. Our government does not have enough money to fund college for everyone. If college was free to students, it would be a repeat of high school. There are plenty of resources for students who wish to attend college. Many business, Kendyl Bennett organizations, and people offer generous scholarships. Students have the ability to take out loans that can be payed off after college when they are more financially stable. The thought of free college is almost unrealistic. There is no way college can be free because someone will have to pay the teachers and cover other expenses. The federal and state governments are already in enough debt, and adding college on top of that would not make sense. They would never get out of debt and get ahead. Making college free would be too similar to high school. People would not take it as serious as they would if they were paying the price. People would go because their friends did and the value of college degrees would lower. Students would lack the qualifications
Engagement
Our Mom
ions
Congratulat
Mike
Love, Your Family
Weddings | Engagements Birthdays | Anniversaries Birth Announcements Special Occasions!
A little of this, A little of that. By Kathy Little
I am not a “Jill of all trades.” Machines sense my fear and love intimidating me or worse yet break down when I touch them! My husband thinks it is all my fault. He scoffs when I explain that machines hate me. Sometimes he even insinuates I am making excuses to avoid work He showed me how to start the lawn mower and explained the RIGHT WAY (his way) to mow the lawn. After mowing just one row of grass, the left front wheel fell off. “Kathy, never touch this lawn mower again,” he yelled at me. What is a sane woman to do? I decided to help around the house by hanging pictures. I even bought myself a cute tool kit complete with tiny hammer and screwdriver and a wrench thing. Somehow I purchased defective nails. Not one of them would hammer in straight. I didn’t give up even when some of the plaster fell off the wall. One of the hints from Heloise
explained those holes could be filled with toothpaste. They didn’t look too bad afterwards and gave the walls a nice, minty smell. My husband, Jim thinks Heloise is an idiot and some other words not fit for a family orientated newspaper. So I bought new nails and practiced pounding them into a board in the garage. My aim improved tremendously. Jim did appear impressed. Maybe simple tools hate me, too. The next time I was ready to hang a picture, I could not find my tool kit. I looked everywhere. Someone had obviously stolen it. When I complained to Jim, he remained calm. Then he told me not to worry about it or to buy another tiny, cute tool kit. If anything needed to be nailed on or screwed in, he was my man. What a guy! Jim is the master of all trades. However, I did bring some skills to the marriage. I know how to make ice cubes and cook.
Tuesday, May 16
• 11am-1:30pm at the Preston Servicemen's
Household Sale Saturday, May 20th 7:30am - 12:30pm 305 Preston St. NW
Reasonably priced and free items
ARE WORTH CELEBRATING! HAPPY AD SIZES
1X3 BLACK AND WHITE.....$17.50 1X3 FULL COLOR...............$20.50
Giant Cakie
(Cross between a cake and a giant cookie) 1 cake mix, any flavor 1 stick of butter 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray a pizza pan; set aside. With an electric mixer, combine cake mix, eggs and butter and vanilla. At first, this looks like it will never be any kind of batter, but it will come together like cookie dough. Stir in chips by hand. Press dough in pan; bake 25 minutes. This can be frosted or served plain.
• Victorian wooden glider rocker • Hall Tree • Mission style buffet • China Cabinet • Pots, pans, dishes, kitchen utensils • Embroidered table cloths, dresser scarves, doilies • Tupperware • Canning jars, flower pots • Silvertone chord organ, bench and music • 1960 singer sewing machine with cabinet • 1884 singer treadle sewing machine • 1930 composite baby doll • Vintage clothing, jewelry and toys • Collectible tins • Silver plated silverware • Library table • Beds, bookcase, plant stands • 1930 Valentines, old books, magazines • Pick-up tool box • Fishing poles, tools
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1x3
Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary to this special couple! Love from your family!
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Love, Your Family
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Monday, January 21, 2019
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Wedding
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
Guide
I HAVE FOUND THE ONE WHOM MY SOUL LOVES.
TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN
- SONG OF SOLOMON 3:4
Things to consider when choosing a wedding party Making the important decision to get married can fill couples with joy and excitement as
they imagine spending the rest of their lives together. Naturally, brides- and grooms-to-be
809 Highway 52 North Preston, Minnesota 55965 (507) 765-2533 TEL (507) 765-4450 FAX
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are anxious to share the good news with others and include family and friends in the festivities. One way couples exemplify inclusion is by asking their closest acquaintances to be part of their wedding parties. Being asked to serve as a bridesmaid or groomsman is an honor. Some couples may be tempted to ask every friend, sibling or cousin they have to be in their wedding parties, and some do. In fact, ancient Roman law required 10 witnesses to be part of the wedding ceremony. However, the larger the wedding party, the more people couples have to coordinate and the more personalities they must manage. While large wedding parties are in style, there isn’t any onesize-fits-all formula to decide which size party is right for a particular situation. Trends vary based on geography and culture. These tips can help couples decide on the size of their wedding parties. Wedding planners may use a standard ratio for a proportion of guests to wedding party members. That ratio is one pair of wedding attendants for every 50 guests. This creates a balanced feel where the more people in attendance, the larger the wedding party and vice versa.
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Wedding party members may be asked to spend considerable amounts of money to be in the wedding, but the couple will have certain expenses tied to the wedding party as well. These can include limousines to ferry people between the ceremony and reception, photography costs to arrange and photograph large wedding parties, the cost of boutonnieres and bouquets, attendants’ gifts, as well as extra mouths to feed at the rehearsal dinner. Small wedding parties can be easier on couples’ budgets. they expect from their wedding parties. Do couples want their loved ones to be very hands-on
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Page 7
or waiting in the wings? For those who want a lot of input from their wedding parties, asking distant friends or family to be included may be impractical. people. Wedding party mem-
bers should be people couples can rely on, and it only helps if wedding party members are not a wedding party that can be trusted and people with whom you get along. Wedding party sizes are up to the couple, but bigger isn’t always better.
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“The Best Dance Floor in Southeastern Minnesota”
LANESBORO COMMUNITY MEMORIAL CENTER
For your Wedding Reception & Dance Lanesboro’s Modern Community Center is an unusually attractive location for weddings, receptions and dances. It houses a ~4,300 square foot Auditorium/Gymnasium ~1,500 square foot Community Room & Kitchen ~850 square foot meeting room ~ fully furnished, handicapped accessible and air conditioned throughout. ~ Equipped with wet bar, tables & chairs. The Gazebo in the Park is also available for weddings.
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Page 8
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
Monday, January 21, 2019
The FCJ reaches over 12,000 household each week.
Wedding Guide
I HAVE FOUND THE ONE WHOM MY SOUL LOVES.
TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN
Caring runs in the family
Amy and AJ Smith celebrate after their wedding ceremony in St. Augustine, Fla. Photo by Bluff Country Photography
- SONG OF SOLOMON 3:4
By Barb Jeffers You never know when and where love will find you. You could be going about your daily life and somehow the right person comes into your life at the moment they were meant to. Amy (Briggman) Stehr was working as a certified nursing assistant at Chosen Valley Care Center in Chatfield, Minn., in the fall of 2014 when Andrew John (AJ) Smith took a position there. AJ, who grew up in Georgia, was staying with fellow co-worker and Amy’s sister, Erin, and her family until he could find a place of his own. As AJ’s family lives in the south, and he was unable to travel there for the holidays, Amy’s mom, Sherri, insisted that he come to their home for Thanksgiving. When Christmas came Sherri once again insisted that AJ spend the day with them. While AJ spent time with Amy’s family for the holidays, it gave he and Amy a chance to get to know each other better and it didn’t take long for them to realize there was an undeniable spark between them. Their first kiss happened on
January 24 as the two were at Amy’s parents house preparing to go on a group ski trip to Mount Kato, as they were sitting in a loveseat and the moment seemed right. AJ included this unforgettable kiss in his wedding vows, saying it was the moment that he knew he loved Amy. When AJ wanted to propose to Amy in the spring of 2017, he wanted to surprise her, and he wanted both of their families to be included. His original plan was to propose at a cookout at Amy’s parents
house, but when the weather was not cooperating, he had to make a quick change of plans. AJ contacted everyone involved to let them know to meet at Fat Willy’s in Rochester, Minn., instead. Amy’s sister, who did not realize the proposal was going to happen, was not planning on meeting them, so her mom hinted to her she did not want to miss out on being there. Amy accepted AJ’s proposal in front of the people they care See SMITH Page 9 ➤
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Monday, January 21, 2019
Wedding
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
Guide
SMITH
Continued from Page 8
about most in the world, and the group celebrated together that evening. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were wed on June 7, 2018, at 5 p.m. in St. Augustine, Fla. Amy describes the ceremony as a very casual beach wedding. The wedding colors were smoky blue/coral/cream/tan with gold as a accent. The bridesmaids wore smoky blue dresses in different styles that they chose for themselves. The flower girls wore cream color dresses and the attendant wore pale coral. The groom and groomsmen wore khaki linen pants and white button-up shirts. Parents of the couple are Bill and Sherri Briggman of Chatfield and Mike and Ann
TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN
Smith of St. Augustine. The wedding party included co-maid of honor Helena Stehr (daughter of bride), maid of honor Erin Amdahl (sister of bride), bridesmaids Sherri Briggman (mother of bride) and Alexis Jorgensen (niece of bride), and personal attendant Amanda Amdahl (niece of bride). On AJ’s side were co-best man Hayden Stehr (son of bride), best men Josh Hicks (friend of groom), Pete Lantto (friend of groom), Matt Brooks (friend of groom), and Michael Smith (brother of groom); and honorary groomsman Ryan Pilgrim (friend of groom since childhood that passed away in 2005). Flower girls were Ansley Smith (daughter of bride and groom) and Olivia Smith (niece of groom).
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When asked for favorite memories or moments that stick in their mind from their wedding day, Amy said, “Florida is notorious for mid-day rain, every day. We watched the weather closely all week leading up to the day of the ceremony and the forecast kept calling for 80% chance of rain....but luckily it didn’t rain,” and the storm threat actually worked to the couple’s advantage. “There were dark clouds and rain off in the distance, but it didn’t interrupt the ceremony. In fact, it brought a nice breeze and kept the direct sunshine at bay so that everyone was comfortable. It also made for some amazing picture backdrops,” notes Amy. Amy explains another memory that will always be remembered, saying, “We were working with a wedding planner based out of St. Augustine, so there were a lot of emails back and forth to work out details. After the ceremony, the officiate asked to have our license to sign. There was a misunderstanding, as we thought they were taking care of that on their end and we would be taking it into the county office the day after the ceremony to file it. That was not the case, however. We were supposed to have brought it to the ceremony. “Needless to say, we got married on June 7, but our marriage license shows we were married on June 8,” states Amy. Amy says three of AJ’s best characteristics are “his patience, his sense of humor and his passion for the things he loves,” while AJ explains Amy’s three best characteristics as “the patience she has with me, her amazing smile and the fact that she picks up and goes where I like whether it be fishing, hunting, the softball fields, or just outside in general,” he says. Amy grew up in Lanesboro, Minn., graduated from Lanesboro High School, and received a degree in Business Administration. AJ grew up in Snellville, Ga. and graduated from South Gwinnett High School. He spent two semesters in college before joining the U.S. Army. Today, Amy continues to work on-call as a CNA at Chosen Valley Care Center and is a full-time student in her last semester in the Dental Hygiene program at RCTC in Rochester. AJ works with Full Throttle Remodeling, general contractors of Rochester. The couple currently resides in Chatfield but say they hope to eventually find a place out in the country with a few acres, and have a hobby farm where they could hunt and fish on their own property.
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Page 9
I HAVE FOUND THE ONE WHOM MY SOUL LOVES.
- SONG OF SOLOMON 3:4
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FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Monday, January 21, 2019
Wedding
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
Guide
TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN
Five Wynds created with families in mind
Five Wynds is located on Highways 16/63 on the north side of Spring Valley, and is ready for your event! Photo by Mary Whalen By Mary Whalen An area family introduces a new option in Southeastern Minnesota as a venue for wedding
receptions as well as other occasions where family and friends wish to gather to celebrate or honor life’s cherished moments.
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kfive.management@gmail.com Find us on Facebook
Five Wynds became a reality when a family working as a team created a place on Spring Valley’s northern side near The Rack, where special events can be celebrated. The Kolling household — Matt, Cheyanne with their three children Mason age 14, Caisa age 10, and Callie age 8, renovated George Grubb’s restaurant supply business building into an event center which can comfortably welcome any size gathering small to big any special occasion. The name Five Wynds naturally emerged as the owners Matt and Cheyanne of K5 Properties LLC — both Kingsland Alumni — sought to retain the name they grow up knowing Four Winds with a fresh connection with their family. Cheyanne explains, “With five people in our family, we try to use ‘5’ in our projects. It has become kind of our ‘tag’. We just adjusted the number and spelling to make this enterprise our own.” Owning Valley Home Improvement in Spring Valley, the Kolling Family are very vested in the Spring Valley community, and in seeing new business opportunities coming into town. When “Matt purchased the building one day at lunch, sort of on a whim” Cheyanne’s reaction was, “What in the world are we going to do with that building?” He replied that he didn’t know, but thought it was a great old building. That was when the brainstorming began. “We tossed around lots of ideas.” mentions Cheyanne, “Our kids were really pulling for an arcade. We saw a potential need in the community for another place to hold events and gatherings which would complement the downtown community center’s availability thus allowing for more reunions, showers, group meetings, banquets, school dances, and even dance practices to be held in Spring Valley.” With Matt’s extensive experience with building and remodeling knowledge, he brings the logic and practicality to any possible plans. “I tend to do the ‘Do you think we could do xyz with this space?’ and he is able to tell me if it’s possible or if we need to hit the drawing board. We have access to many different building materials and options, plus, we know and trust many local contractors and businesses to help with the building transformation.” remarks Cheyanne, then continues, “Actually, we ended up doing a lot of the work ourselves especially with help from the kids. It became almost a nightly family date night including: cleaning up the space, hanging stone on the wall, and even prepping and staining the concrete.”
The FCJ reaches over 12,000 household each week.
I HAVE FOUND THE ONE WHOM MY SOUL LOVES.
- SONG OF SOLOMON 3:4
Five Wynds, which opened in the summer of 2018, is preparing to host their first wedding reception in early February and other couples have been booking for 2019. “We are very excited for the upcoming wedding reception. It was one of the main events we hoped to be able to offer, and it’s about to happen. With it all decorated up, it will look great!” There is a prep kitchen area where food to be served can be organized at Five Wynds, yet no food may be made onsite. Many people set up a buffet style right outside of the kitchen and serve right from there. “We provide all the needed tables and chairs, a full bar area, stage with audio and video equipment, a private stamped concrete patio.” says Cheyanne.
As far as pricing is concerned, Cheyanne states, “Our prices are very competitive and reasonable. Our typical offerings are a sixhour rental period or the complete ‘I Do’ package that allows access to the entire venue from Friday-Sunday of the wedding.” “Interested parties can contact us for current pricing or with any questions in a variety of ways. We use the message option on Facebook, answer those who drop us a line at e-mail (kfive. management@gmail.com) or people are welcome to call us at (507) 259-3557.” Cheyanne concludes, “It is always fun to see the different events come together and as a family owned business, we are looking forward to assisting families by offering Five Wynds as a venue for their gathering.”
The owners of Five Wynds, Matt and Cheyanne Kolling, are looking forward to the first wedding event at their new venue, planned for Feburary 2019. Photo submitted
Working together, the Kolling family renovated a building which became Five Wynds in Spring Valley. Photo by Photography by Kari
Five Wynds is located on Highways 16/63 on the north side of Spring Valley, and is ready for your event! Photo by Mary Whalen
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Monday, January 21, 2019
Make proposals special and successful A wedding proposal is a special moment in couples' lives together. It can be made even more special by following some guidelines. A marriage proposal is a couple's first official step toward the altar. Tradition dictates that men pop the question, with their surprised - and hopefully soon-to-be-fiancées - ultimately deciding if wedding bells will be on the horizon. Proposing marriage can be nervewracking. However, if the time seems right and love is in the air, popping the question can be exciting. Regardless of who is proposing marriage, the following strategies can help make proposals memorable and
successful. Turn the tides An old Irish tradition known as "The Lady's Privilege" was established in the fifth century by a nun named St. Brigid. She decided to create an opportunity for women to propose marriage. This day fell on every leap year, February 29. Centuries later, women can still use this tradition as the impetus to take the marriage reigns into their own hands. But women need not wait for the next leap year to propose. Many women view proposing as an empowering action that is tied to the evolving view of independent women. Couples are negotiating more
in the marriage process, and the dissolution of commonly held practices is occurring more often. Choose a sentimental location Couples will remember the proposal for the rest of their lives. So choose a proposal location that has sentimental connections. Think about where the first "I love you" was uttered or where a first date occurred. These can be prime locations to pop the question.
Come to estelle’s for your
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Page 11
"permission" to wed their daughters. However, asking your partner's family for their blessing is a sign of respect and can add a romantic and heartfelt touch to the proposal. Capture the moment Though we live in an age when every moment of people's lives is documented with videos and photographs posted to social media, proposals still stand out as extra special moments. Hire a professional photographer to discreetly capture the proposal and your partner's reaction so it can be cherished for years to come.
Note her style Engagement rings play a big role in many couples' proposals. One person's style is not necessarily what his partner will like. Bigger isn't always better. Rather, choose a ring that reflects your partner's preferences and personality. Take your partner jewelry shopping and see which types of jewelry he or she is most drawn to. Certain preferences can serve as a jumping off point for ring designs. Ask for the family's blessing Men no longer need to ask their girlfriends' fathers for
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