Blackberry Ridge Golf Club

WEDDING DAY

Ceremony

Reception

Our Wedding

“I fell in love like you would fall asleep: slowly and then all at once.”― John Green Our paths were intertwined early, and remain so today. We both think of St. Augusta as where we put down roots and missed being on each other's radar until high school. Kelly and Erik’s sister (Krissy) were in marching band together and we briefly shared working at Cashwise. Over a decade ago, our friend group started to overlap and we became good friends over weekly happy hours and weekend BBQs. As the years went on, we continued to grow closer and have been best friends for a long time. We still remained close despite our lives pulling us farther from each other, starting with Kelly moving to Nebraska and Wisconsin for her internship and fellowship. Once Kelly was on the way home, Erik was on the way out. We shared just a few months in-person before Erik moved to Arizona for a work opportunity. No matter how far apart we were, it was clear to us how important we are to each other. At different stages we were both interested in a relationship with each other, but we never lined up as our lives continued to shift.&nbsp;&nbsp; Kelly was the one to say maybe “what started out as friendship has grown stronger.” For both of us, moving out of state gave us new perspectives on life and the people who are most important to us. We went to a concert on New Years Eve in 2022 which sparked renewed conversations about being together. After the holidays ended and Erik returned to Arizona, we had several long conversations about how we were both interested in a relationship, but doing this long-distance would be “stupid.”&nbsp;This lasted about two weeks before Kelly asked Erik, “Do you want to be stupid together?” Clearly, Erik said yes, and here we are! Far from a stupid idea; it may have been the brightest idea we’ve ever had. Once the lightbulb turned on for us we have made each other’s lives brighter. Since then we have loved every minute together, especially after Erik moved back to Minnesota last July. Our busy summer wrapped up, and in October Erik proposed during a long weekend in La Crosse. Clearly, Kelly said yes, and here we are! We are elated to get married and celebrate with our loved ones, hope to see you there! *We are going to SPAIN :) in 2026 for our honeymoon. In lieu of gifts, please consider contributing to our honeymoon fund. You can find it under the Registry Page, labeled as a Cash Fund hosted by The Knot. “Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day.” ― A.A. Milne

How We Kept Missing Each Other

Our Story

Wedding Timeline

Use the link (Website Button Below) to Book. Guests can also call the hotel directly at 320-640-0200&nbsp;and request Blackberry Ridge&nbsp;to receive the same discounted rooms!

Residence Inn St. Cloud

Use the link (Website Button Below) to Book. Guests can also call the hotel directly at and request Blackberry Ridge&nbsp;3392709 to receive the same discounted rooms!

Hilton Garden Inn St. Cloud

Transportation will be provided by St. Cloud Party Bus to and from the two hotels listed above. Transportation will be starting at 9pm; each trip can accommodate around 16+ people.

St. Cloud Party Bus LLC

It is recommended by the venue, that you book your ride in advance if you choose to Lyft or Uber.

Lyft & Uber

Accomodations & Transport

Sister of the Bride (I mean technically cousin, but anyone who knows us, will tell you sister is much more appropriate). She keeps me sane, well tries to... She is an amazing woman who will, and has, moved heaven and earth for me and those she loves! I would not be the person I am without her. I know I can always count on her and she is my first and oldest friend. I would say she is my best friend, but she is more than that, she is my sister :) - Kelly

Rachael Kneip

Friend of the Couple. AKA "Blondie." Meet here in MN and has been a steadfast and supportive friend for over a decade. This dear friend has also helped me move, put together furniture, and visited me across all the states and cities I have lived. She gets me in a way others don't and I have never felt judged by her. We often have lapses in talking/seeing each other due to busyness and ADHD, but never lapses in how much we care for one another! She is always there when I need her; I can always count on her to show up.  - Kelly

Andria Luberda

Sister of the Groom. Could not ask for a better sister-in-law!!! She is a kind, compassionate, and caring soul that can always brighten the room. She has been referred to by more people than I can count as "the nicest person I know." Lesser known fact, Krissy marched with Rachael and I during our time in St. Cloud All City Marching Band. -Kelly ___ Echoing everything Kelly said. Krissy has been a constant source of love and support, and is the best sibling I could ever hope for. -Erik


Krissy Cronin

Friend of the Couple. Andrea has been a wonderful friend since this she was brought into the fold by Dan... I mean Vice Dan... I mean Buck... well actually Derek; long story :) Even though we have been separated by distance (her in AZ and now OR; myself in NE, WI, and then back to MN) her wit, vitality, and sense of adventure have remained an invaluable asst to my life. Thank you for making the trip to be a part of our day, I cannot imagine getting married without you! - Kelly

Andrea Frederick

Friend of the Couple. I met Alli in WI on fellowship. I can't think of a better way to describe our first outing than "Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one!'" - C.S. Lewis. From day one her weird matched my weird and I knew she would be in my life forever. I remember calling my parents on my way back from the Lumberyard to tell them how excited I was to find Alli. Later Alli told me she did the same thing :) The character limit prevents me from coming close to listing everything she has done to make my life better. Thank you for enriching my life and being the Turtleneck to my Blazer!  -Kelly

Alli Dunne

Our eldest niece. I loved Izzy from the day she was born. From her first giggles, to her waking me up by crawling into my room saying “Hi! Hi! Hi!” at 6:00 in the morning, to seeing her graduate middle school this year.  A few years ago, she first met Kelly and they made a restaurant with Play Doh while I cooked Thanksgiving dinner by myself (rude). Every year is marked with special memories together and she continues to surprise us with how wonderful she is. She’s smart, kind, artistic, and endlessly funny. We’re lucky to be her Uncle and Auntie, and so happy to have her be a part of our wedding! -Erik

Izzy Meyer

Our Youngest Niece (Rachael & Kevin's daughter). Emma is a ball of kindness, cuddles, kitties, sass, and personality! She has always loved Auntie, but I am definitely taking a back seat to Erik. Recently after a sleepover, she hugged me and said "bye Auntie I love you" and then turned to Erik hugged him and said "I love it when you sleep over." She was is excited to have someone else to play with and show all her treasures to while Aidan and I play Legos or Switch.  Emma you are such a joy and your smile and laughter fill the room. Erik and I are so incredibly lucky to have you as a niece! -Kelly

Emma Kneip

Daughter of our dear friends Ben & Ana. Rory is an adorable little lady full of silliness and smiles! We are so excited to see her continue to grow. She is definitely developing her independence and personality and it is a joy to watch you develop into such an amazing little human! Thank you for helping to make our day special Rory! - Kelly & Erik

Rory Zieglmeier

Friend of Couple. Erik and Ana have known each other for 16 years! Ana was one of the first people to welcome me into the fold of the friend group where Erik and I met. There was this immediate "you, I like you, come next week" vibe that was felt and stated when I showed up that first Tuesday. Since then she has continued to be a friend to Erik and I and brings so much to our life. -Kelly

Ana Zieglmeier

Friend of the Couple. There is no better person to officiate our wedding than Dan. He has been an important part of our lives for years (in my case, decades) and is the reason why Kelly and I’s friend groups overlapped, bringing us close together again. He’s been the best travel companion as we’ve traveled across half the country together and there was never a dull moment. I don’t have enough characters to talk about how supportive he has been, but I wouldn’t be the person I am without Dan in my life. -Erik

Dan Weidner

Friend of the Couple. What haven’t we done together? School, jobs, traveling, camping, and tons of other days filled with shenanigans. Ben has been incredibly important in my life through happy times and hard times, and was one of the first people to show me that you don’t need to be related to be part of someone’s family. -Erik

Ben Zieglmeier

Friend of the Couple. It’s been a long time since we were in a first grade play together as a pair of gnomes, and our nonstop giggles have aged into nonstop cackles, but Andrew has always been an amazing friend to have by my side. He started a “Therapist Memes” chat with Kelly and I which has led to some of the biggest laughs and interesting conversations I’ve had in years. This guy gives great advice and even better hugs. -Erik

Andrew Luberda

Brother of the Bride. The bond between an older sister and younger brother is a special one, mostly because of the harassment. Poor Kelly and Kris never stood a chance, especially when Ryan and I had time together during the holidays. Kelly always says Ryan and I “think we’re so funny” and we both know it’s true. -Erik ___ Love you so much Bud, you are such an amazing brother and I am so luck to have you!!! - Kelly (sorry just had to say something)

Ryan Spanier

Friend of the Couple. One of the funniest people I’ve ever met, this man has brought so much joy and laughter to us and our friends with his wit. Always clever, never boring, and a dedicated friend. We’ve been through a lot together, and despite the physical distance and opposite schedules, our bond never fades. -Erik

Alex Weber

"Brother-in-Law" (Rachael's Husband). Quote from Kevin to Kelly: "You are the sister I never wanted;" don't worry she finds this to be a lovely sentiment. Thanks to several stories from Kelly, I had a great impression of Kevin before we met. I expected us to immediately bond over nerd stuff, but what I didn’t expect was us to immediately feel like friends and quickly feel like family.  He’s the brother-in-law I never wanted. -Erik  

Kevin Kneip

Friend of the Couple. It’s odd how simple the start of a friendship can be. When Grant moved to MN in fifth grade, multiple people said he looked like Andrew. Of course I had to see for myself and it was definitely true at the time. Somehow that led to a lifelong friendship. Grant has some of the strongest family bonds of anyone I know, which makes me feel special that we call each other family. -Erik

Grant Gossman

Nephew (Kevin and Rachael's son). Aidan has always held such a special place in my heart! He is such a smart, caring, literal, independent, and energetic life force. He broke my heart when at 4-years-old, when I was leaving after Christmas vacation, he wrapped his arms around my legs and with tears streaming said "Auntie, don't go back to Braska!!" From that day on I have been steadily working my way with each move closer to my little man. As Emma once said "Aidan loves Auntie!" Aidan you were the first person to make me an Auntie and I could not have imagined the joy that role would come with! We knew between all the kids in our life, he might be the hardest to win over, but Erik did :) Aidan we love you so much, thank you for being a part of our day!

Aidan Kneip

Godson of the Couple (Son of our friends Ben and Ana). We have been Morgan’s Godparents for longer than we have been in a relationship. This little guy has brought us joy with his excitement for anything with an engine in it and I'm pretty sure he knew how to say “front end loader” before he could pronounce my name. We love it when we walk in the door and he says “Hi auntie Kelly, hi uncle Erik, are you here to play with me?” and we know the next hour will be spent playing something goofy. -Erik

Morgan Zieglmeier

Friend of the Couple. Dan, you have been one of my best friends for so long. I could not have gotten through my grad school, my internship, and fellowship without him! Throughout the years he has been there for numerous long talks, good cries, bad jokes, and caring support! I have been so lucky to have him as a friend! Erik and Dan have gotten to become friends through our virtual DnD nights. It is was so important to me that you two got to truly get to know each other :) Love you and thank you for being a part of our day! - Kelly

Dan O'Connor

Friend of the Couple. Buck and I have been friends since his cousin Dan introduced him to the group. We immediately bonded in our nerd culture. As 2 people with true ADHD enthusiasm we have had many long conversations about our shared passions and interests. He is always up for adventure, and is also always willing to be a supportive ear. It broke my heart when Buck, Andrea, and their amazing family moved to AZ and then OR. Yet I am so happy for their wonderful journey and that they have kept me a part of their life. Every time I see you Buck, it is like no time has passed! I am so excited to have you as part of our big day. -Kelly

Derek (Buck) Frederick

Stepbrother of the Groom. Christian is an active member of the Navy and unfortunately was unable to get leave for the wedding. He will be missed. Holidays and BBQs are always fun with Christian, he’s great to joke with while the family groans in the background. Our family had a wonderful time getting to visit him in Seattle and San Diego while he serves in the Navy, and for me it was especially impactful getting to see how he’s grown. He's been a great sibling to us, and I’m so lucky and happy that he is my brother. -Erik

K&E