Portola Inn

Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Spring

Our Wedding

While the world seemed to be falling apart in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, Kristina &amp; Hunter's relationship began to blossom. The two of them met during the summer of 2020 while working together at Miner's Ace Hardware. Kristina was tending to the plants in the Lawn &amp; Garden department while Hunter was out in the Lumber Yard slinging concrete bags. Although they worked in different parts of the store, their paths crossed frequently as they navigated the aisles and in the infamous break room. Unknowingly, Kristina was catching Hunter's eye with her "man-spreading" and through her natural charm. Over time, they began talking more and discovered shared interests in hiking and a love for country music. During lunch breaks, they would often sit together, exchanging stories and laughter. Eventually, their manager gave them the exact same schedule &amp; from that point forward Kristina and Hunter were inseparable! In the early stages of their relationship, Kristina and Hunter enjoyed spending time riding quads, hiking, and hanging out with the horses. They also dedicated time to studying together, supporting each other through their college degrees and the beginnings of their careers. Their commitment to each other remained steadfast as they tackled various challenges and milestones, standing by each other's side every step of the way. As their relationship continued to deepen and evolve, Kristina and Hunter recently made the joyful decision to take the next step in their journey together. During a hike on April 20, 2024, Hunter got down on one knee. Before he could ask the question, Kristina, with joyful anticipation, exclaimed, "You finally did it!" and eagerly said yes. With hearts full of love and excitement from this unforgettable moment, they are now planning their wedding, eager to celebrate their commitment to each other surrounded by friends and family.

Our Story

Photos

Alice and Kristina first crossed paths in college while working together at the Cal Poly Equine Unit. What began as casual conversations during feeding shifts and shoveling horse poop quickly blossomed into a close friendship. The two bonded over their shared love for horses, line dancing, and mac'n'cheese bites! Who knew that this was the recipe to make an inseparable friendship?! Alice now lives in Anderson, CA with her husband, Logan, and her baby, Clyde.

Alice Johnston

Kristina and Adrieanna met through, Hunter (thanks, Hunter!). After just a few hangouts, they hit it off and quickly became close friends. From double dates to trying out new restaurants, they’ve shared plenty of memorable moments together. Whether they’re enjoying good food or unwinding with their favorite drinks, these two know how to make the best of every get-together.

Adrieanna lives in Atascadero, CA, with her husband, Grey, and their dog, Goose. Kristina and Adrieanna love to plan puppy playdates where their dogs can run around while they relax and catch up over drinks, making even the simplest moments something special.

Adrieanna Stevens

Kristina and Kalena first met in 3rd grade at Washington Charter Elementary School, where they quickly discovered their shared love for all things fun and goofy. From there, their friendship blossomed, with countless hours spent riding Kristina’s horses, Cowboy and Hayden. Over the years, they bonded over their mutual love of food—most memorably during a trip to Nashville, TN, where they still rave about a legendary cobbler they tried over a decade ago. Kalena now lives in Davis, CA, where she’s pursuing her veterinary medicine degree at UC Davis. She shares her home with her two dogs, Meiko and Mila, and her boyfriend, David.

Kalena Gottwald

Kristina and Trini first met in 1st grade at Washington Charter Elementary School through a mutual friend, and they hit it off right away. Their friendship grew stronger over time, and they’ve stayed close ever since—through middle school, high school, and long after graduation. Some of Kristina’s happiest memories with Trini are from their yearly trips to the Stagecoach country music festival, a tradition they’ve cherished since childhood. Trini also helped spark Kristina’s love for Spam, a fun and quirky part of their friendship that always brings a smile. Now, Trini lives in Oahu, Hawaii, with her husband, Jake, and their adorable baby, JP, enjoying life in paradise!

Trini Bateman

Doug and Hunter's friendship is story full of adventures, embarrassing photos, and most importantly, great memories. Their friendship began back in Junior Highschool, when they noticed each other riding their bikes the same way home. Since their first bike ride together over 11 years ago, Doug and Hunter have been inseparable. Through high school, college, some of the best memories, and some of life's most difficult endeavors, Doug has always been there by Hunter's side. In his free time (outside of spending time with his best friend Hunter), Doug gives back to his community and serves as a firefighter for Cal Fire. He recently was hired as a full time Engineer (congrats Doug!)

Doug Dengate

Logan and Hunter kicked off their friendship when they both ended up on the same closing shift at Miner's Ace Hardware back in 2020. When the whole world was losing its mind, Hunter and Logan bonded over similar interests and hobbies. Soon, they became religious homework buddies, skiing buddies, "hey buddy, I need a hand" buddies, and everything in between. Logan is currently attending Cal Poly SLO and finishing his degree in Political Science.

Logan Knuckles

These two first met back in High School when, oddly enough, Hunter was actually good friends with his younger brother...and they would bum rides to lunch from Grey in his old beat-up Ford truck. Over time, these two became two peas-in-a-pod. Grey and Hunter have always bonded over the simple things in life, and seem to lose 5 years of maturity every time they're together. Grey is a top-notch salesman for Hunter Engineering (yes...that's Hunter's company). 

Grey Stevens

Where-oh-where do we start with Jace... He and Hunter's friendship kicked off strong many years ago when they met in High School. When these two got their driver's licenses, it was game over. These two would drive for hours together in his old F250 (Hunter still misses that truck). Through thick and thin, Jace was always there for Hunter. Hunter truly appreciates Jace's dedication to their friendship and knows Jace would do anything he could to help a friend in need. 

Jace Donati

Jacob is Hunter's little brother, and has been there to support Hunter since the beginning. Through life's changes, these two have managed to stick together and bring each other up. After years of butting heads and brotherly fights, Jake has never failed to love his big brother Hunter. These two will be there for each other for the rest of their lives. 

Jacob Walden

Kristina and Finley's bond began in the summer of 2020 when Kristina responded to a babysitting job posted online. Little did she know, she wasn’t just taking on a job, but also gaining a "mini-me" in the process! From the start, Finley and Kristina spent endless hours singing silly songs, riding horses, and playing magical games of unicorns and fairies. Over the next two years, Finley became the little sister Kristina had always dreamed of. So, when it came time to choose the flower girl for their wedding, Kristina and Hunter knew there was no one more perfect than this flower-loving, free-spirited little girl!

Finley Hansen

Callie and Spot will be our ring bearers on the big day, and we couldn’t imagine it any other way. Callie has been our main girl for 4 ½ years, and we just welcomed Spot into our family this January. Our pups are our pride and joy, and we’re so excited to have them by our side as we celebrate this special moment together!

Callie & Spot

Wedding Party

Q + A

There's a wide variety of places to stay in SLO County, but we would suggest staying in either Atascadero or Paso Robles to stay as close to our venue as possible! San Luis Obispo is another amazing place to stay during the weekend &amp; has a lot of fun activities to do while you wait for the wedding to start. Below are just a couple of hotels that we recommend. Additionally, for those of you flying in, the closest airport is the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport.

This hotel is a short 7 minute drive to our venue! They have a nice outdoor lounge area, pool, and a complimentary breakfast. Kristina has stayed here during a work event and she really enjoyed her stay!

SpringHill Suites Paso Robles Atascadero

This is another hotel in Atascadero that's a short 7 minute drive to our venue! They also have a pool and offer continental breakfast.

Home2 Suites by Hilton Atascadero

This cozy hotel is located 18 minutes away from our venue! Although it's further from our venue, it's a mile down the road from Downtown San Luis Obispo, which has fun shopping and several amazing restaurants.

Peach Tree Inn

The Madonna Inn is a famous landmark here in San Luis Obispo and we would be doing you all a disservice if we didn't include it on this list! They have amazing themed rooms and each one of them is incredibly unique. This hotel has several amenities on site, including a bakery, cocktail lounge, spa, tennis/pickleball courts, hiking trails, restaurants, &amp; Kristina's personal favorite: horseback trail rides! It's 21 minutes away from the venue, but it's well worth the drive!

Madonna Inn

Travel

Listed below are our recommendations for things to do before the wedding on Sunday and the Monday after. In addition to the recommendations below, there are several amazing hikes in San Luis Obispo! We highly recommend Bishop's Peak, Serenity Swing, Architecture Graveyard, Felsman's Loop, and Irish Hills. The All Trails app has more information about the length and difficulty of each hike.

This is an hour long trail ride that takes you on a scenic loop trail up Madonna Mountain. This ride shows views of beautiful Laguna Lake and almost an entire panoramic view of San Luis Obispo. Kristina works here on occasion and she cannot recommend it enough! If you book a ride, be sure to tell them that Kristina referred you!

Madonna Inn Trail Rides

This is one of Kristina and Hunter's favorite breweries in SLO county! They have a wide variety of beers and a fun outdoor setting with picnic tables, cornhole, a food truck, and oftentimes live music. Right next door is Tin City Cider and Negranti Creamery, which has some amazing freshly made ice cream!

BarrelHouse Brewing Co. - Brewery and Beer Gardens

We highly recommend enjoying some San Luis Obispo County wine while you are visiting! There's countless vineyards nearby, but this is one of Hunter and Kristina's favorites. It's smaller and usually less crowded. Some other fun wineries are Tooth &amp; Nail and Opolo.

Venteux Vineyards

This is one of Kristina and Hunter's favorite spots to grab a bite to eat! This is located in Downtown Paso Robles, which includes a movie theater and fun shopping.

TASTE! craft eatery

Margarita Adventures offers a wide variety of experiences including ziplining, an escape room, bike rentals, and nature tours! Santa Margarita is a cute little town located about 10 minutes south of Atascadero.

Kristina & Hunter

Kristina & Hunter

Registry