A Traditional Wedding With Polish Influence at Black Hills Receptions in Rapid City, South Dakota

Kari Gould (23 and in chemical sales) and Tom Pekalski (26 and a software engineer) met on a group date with common friends, and they've been inseparable ever since. For his proposal, Tom orchestrated a romantic twilight canoe ride at Kari’s grandmother’s lake house, popping the question with an LED-lit ring box once the sun went down. The couple envisioned a classic, formal wedding in South Dakota (Kari’s home state) with subtle details to let the beauty of Black Hills Receptions in Rapid City speak for itself. The centerpieces were only candles, instead of floral arrangements, while delicate metal and crystal trees lit with tealights made the reception tent sparkle. Kari and Tom chose a timeless palette of black, white, champagne and blush. “We had the wedding in the Black Hills, because I was born and raised in South Dakota, and I couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else,” Kari says. “We opted for a traditional church wedding at the Cathedral of Perpetual Help. Tom is from Poland, so to honor his family we had two priests and a bilingual ceremony in English and Polish.” Other tributes to Tom’s roots included a spread of his mother’s incredible homemade Polish sweets, as well as 30 bottles of his father’s homemade Polish vodka (only five bottles remained at the end of the night!). —Maggie Seaver