Brittni + Kenny | Natural Escape Photography | Black Hills Wedding Photographer

Apr 20

Brittni & Kenny DiRubio | K Bar S Lodge | Keystone, SD

April 3, 2021

If you’re looking for one of the best “Black Hills-esque” wedding venues, K Bar S Lodge is it. This beautiful little lodge is nestled just beyond downtown Keystone, South Dakota. Despite easy access from town, it feels like you are deep in the beautiful Black Hills once you get to the venue. The 1880 train tracks are just below the hillside where ceremonies take place, and you can even see Mt. Rushmore from the hotel. It’s tough to beat such an amazing venue – so we were thrilled to find out Brittni & Kenny chose this spot for their wedding. Many of their guests were traveling from out of state so it was nice to show them what the hills have to offer. South Dakota weather can definitely be unpredictable, especially in April, but we missed the snow by a few days and we had 70 degrees and sunshine – perfect weather for an outdoor ceremony. I’m not always a big fan of traditional looks because sometimes we feel extra rushed for photos before the reception, but Kenny’s face lit up when he saw his bride walking down the aisle. Brittni looked flawless in her dress and then we were able to complete most of the bridal portraits during golden hour.

Right before dinner, Brittni & Kenny treated their guests to a “soju toast” – a Korean drink that these two discovered at the beginning of their relationship. And as a nod to their unique wedding date, DJ Marek had the crowd chant “4,3,2,1… DiRUBIO!” during their entrance. I don’t think the dance floor was empty all night long – we’re a little biased because we get to work with him quite often, but Marek is definitely one of the very best and he knows how to rock a reception. Many thanks to the wonderfully talented vendors that helped make Brittni & Kenny’s day magical, and a huge thank you to my husband Tom for all his work – it’s no easy task to do photography AND videography, but he got so much amazing footage.