A Lord of the Rings Inspired Wedding at A Creekside Affair in Idaho

Kaloni and Justin’s Lord of the Rings wedding was beautiful as well as inspiring! It was a day that almost didn’t happen, so we’ll let Kaloni share in her own words their amazing story of courage and true love…

“December of 2021, I almost lost my life. I was involved in a terrible car accident the Monday after Christmas when we had just finished celebrating my engagement dinner. As I traveled home with my parents, a distracted driver ran a stop sign T-boning my parent’s car where I was a backseat passenger. The force of the hit pushed us into oncoming traffic for a direct head on collision. I was extracted from the car in critical condition only twelve weeks before my wedding.

Substantial injuries, internal and otherwise, made me at risk of not surviving the night. My beloved finance (now husband) was brought to the emergency room so we could say our goodbyes before I was taken away for an immediate surgery to try to save me. My esophagus had ripped off, my lung had collapsed, and I had injuries to my head, neck, and rest of my body. So began my journey through the pain and darkness of my recovery.

I woke up in intensive care without the ability to walk, to breathe on my own, and I had tubes from my nose to my hips. Tears streamed down my face as my beloved, Justin, leaned over to gently kiss my forehead. In the days that followed, I was asked many times if I was going to cancel or postpone my wedding. No! I almost lost the hopes and dreams I’d been building with the love of my life, I didn’t want to wait another minute to be his.

Saying our goodbyes was one of the most tender, heartbreaking, yet inspiring moments of our relationship. It puts things into perspective. The big white wedding didn’t matter as much as celebrating our marriage. We reduced our budget, simplified drastically, and set the course of our wedding planning to reflect how prized and precious our unique relationship was.

While in the hospital, I pushed through pain to learn to stand. In my recovery, I moved from a wheelchair to a walker, to a cane, and eventually could walk with the assistance of my father. I could barely walk on my own two weeks before my big walk up the aisle, but I made the walk. Coming into that room, a last minute storm outside moving us indoors, I couldn’t have been more happy and hopeful. I was getting married to my best friend!

I’d had a collapsed lung and permanent damage to my diaphragm, so breathing was extremely difficult and painful on my wedding day. During the ceremony sermon, “Marriage is standing together, facing the world, no matter what trials come. It’s giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow as individuals, yet also having an atmosphere where you grow together. Marriage is speaking words of appreciation, and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.“ I happily cried so hard that I felt like I was going to pass out, but the steady arm of my fiancé and the patience of our loved ones in attendance afforded me a moment to catch my breath before proceeding to our vows.

Being a wedding planner by profession, personalized vows have always been a sacred and tender aspect of all weddings I plan. But I’d never felt as I did that day. My vows were inspired by the experience of saying our goodbyes in the hospital. I was given a few short moments to say goodbye to the one I love most. There are no words in our language to accurately describe the feelings of that moment. All I could say was I loved him, over and over again. If those were my last words, I wanted him to know that he was my everything. That experience shaped the vows I wrote for him.

On our wedding day, I started my vows with “…You are the absolute love of my life! When they brought you into that emergency room so we could say goodbye, I feared I’d never have the chance to make vows to you. I realized that night that a few short minutes wasn’t nearly enough to tell you how much I love you. And The time we have today still isn’t enough…” There wasn’t a dry eye in sight as I poured my heart out to this incredible man, ending with “…I hope to spend the rest of forever telling you and showing you that you’re in my heart. I never want to know the pain of losing you. I will be with you through thick and thin. I promise to laugh with you, to cry with you, to hope with you, and dream with you…”

Nearly dying puts a lot of things in perspective. I didn’t get the lavish big white wedding I’d always envisioned for myself. But I did have everything I needed to be happy. I had an amazing wedding team of vendors. I have a loving husband, dear family and friends who support us all the way, and I have a lifetime to share with them all.”

Vendors // Venue – A Creekside Affair / Photography – Yelena Tsioma Photography / Wedding Planner – Cherry Creek Events / Day of Coordinator – Finishing Touches / Cake – Oh For Heaven Cakes / Cake Toppers – Willow Tree and GiftEve / Florals – Cherry Creek Events / Gown – Modest Couture Bridal / Bridesmaid Dresses – Amazon / Men’s Attire – Boise Tuxedo Shop / Rings – Morgan Jewelers / Wooden Tables – Seven Springs Ranch / Invitations – Minted / Rentals – Finishing Touches and Cherry Creek Events / Officiant – Bishop Field / DJ – Memories of Muzic / Refreshments – Albertsons / Beauty – Idaho Stylists