Ricki & Bill | A Fall Wedding Rooted in Family, Faith, and Adventure
The morning of Ricki and Bill’s wedding couldn’t have been more perfect. The sunrise stretched across a crisp fall sky as hot air balloons drifted in the distance — a fitting backdrop for a day that was equal parts fun-loving and deeply meaningful.
Inside the bridal trailer, Ricki was surrounded by two of her closest college friends. She smoothed out the final reception details with her brother-in-law Andy, making sure everything was in place. Every last touch carried her fingerprint — from the origami sailboats she folded by hand for each centerpiece, to the carefully matched paper for the name cards, helping guests find their tables by design and the hand painted wooden florals. It was art and intention woven together.
She slipped into a robe sewn by her mom from the fabric of her mother’s own wedding dress — a reminder that love and legacy were present in every detail. Bill carried his own symbol of family close to his heart: small photographs of Ricki with her dad, tucked into his suit pocket. Later that evening, when they swayed through their first dance, Ricki would rest her head against his chest and feel as if she could have a Father-Daughter Dance, too.
Their fathers were remembered in a corner of the reception filled with photos and keepsakes — not as absence, but as presence. This theme wove throughout the day: family, both given and chosen, held a sacred place. Their circle of “FED uP,” a group name created from the initials of Ricky’s family and extended family members, embodied the gift of friendship that grows into family through love and marriage.
In his toast, Bill mentioned that his son Guy has always been his best man. Watching them get ready together, I could see it in action. The bond they have is truly something special to behold.
Bill & Ricki’s first look was at Hitchcock Nature Center 20 minutes from the ceremony venue. Hitchcock was where they first really got to know each other beyond dates, but they were serving together in ski patrol. So early in their relationship, when Bill told his son Guy that Guy would get to meet a friend of his from ski patrol, Guy was expecting to meet some burly lumberjack, but he actually met the beautiful Ricki Meyer. It was perfectly fitting that Guy came with his dad for the First Look, and especially helpful for Ricki to get over that chain trying to keep us from The Boardwalk…
Their ceremony was personal, reverent, and woven with meaning. Christ was the center of it all, represented in a knot-tying ceremony. Each of Bill’s children — who adore Ricki as much as she adores them — draped cords of white, pink, and blue across the couple’s hands: for the Lord, for Ricki, and for Bill. Then Ricki surprised everyone by quietly offering vows to her new stepchildren, words just for them. There wasn’t a dry eye in sight.
The reception was filled with toasts, laughter, and tears — including one from Guy, who graciously gave even the photographer a shoutout. Bill’s children’s kindness, warmth, and thoughtfulness stood as living testimony to his faithful fatherhood. And as the evening came to a close, one thing was abundantly clear: Ricki may be Bill’s first mate, but together they are charting a course strong enough to withstand any storm.
Their honeymoon adventure is taking them to Yellowstone and the Tetons — fitting for two people whose love of the outdoors first brought them together. Surrounded by the beauty of creation, they’ll continue writing the next chapter of their story — not just as husband and wife, but as a family bound by faith, honor, and a love that endures.
Ricki + Bill – I am truly honored that you would trust me with your day as you start this new season of your lives together. Thank you for welcoming me into the festivities, for your authenticity, and for allowing me to shed some tears along the way as well. Adversity hasn’t changed who you both are at your core – it’s only made you both a brighter light of Christ’s love to those around you. Thank you for helping everyone around you be the best version of themselves possible.
The Krupke Family loves you both so, SO much,
Carrie
The day’s vendors:
Bridal Dress – Rhylan Lang
Cake – Sweet Magnolia Bake Shop
