Girl plans quick wedding to fulfill mother's last wish. Then a surprise guest stops her in her tracks
Butler was walked down the aisle by her father, while her mother watched her from a large window in a bedroom.
Planning a wedding at short notice is a tough call, but for Kristen Butler and her partner, Tyler, her mother's admission to hospice drove them to finally plan for their big day. Kristen's mother was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2023, which shattered her daughter's world. Despite the support from her partner of 13 years, along with her two kids, Kristen has been walking on eggshells since her mother’s diagnosis. Speaking about the challenging times to PEOPLE on September 7, Kristen heaped praise on her mother's unwavering strength despite complications. Kristen said, "My mother was doing phenomenal and kept pushing for us. But ultimately, after the last round of radiation, complications arose and everything changed in an instant."
Following a difficult battle, her mother was admitted to hospice care in July 2025, as her anticipated progress shifted from an expected survival of two years to less than two weeks. Here, when she shared her final wish to see her daughter in a white gown, walking down the aisle, Kristen did not think twice before pulling up her wedding to the earliest date. Despite wanting to fulfill her mother’s last wish, deep down, Butler hoped that her best friend of 20 years, Stephanie Zimmerer, would be able to attend her big day. But unbeknownst to Kristen, Zimmer had already set aside everything to travel more than 1500 miles from Nebraska to be at her best friend's big day.
@stephaniezimmerer she really thought she could get married without me #surprise #friendship ♬ These Memories - Hollow Coves
In a TikTok video shared by Zimmerer, the two waste no time in embracing each other, while breaking down in tears as they give us a glimpse of a friendship that could make anyone jealous.
The caption from her video read, "My best friend's mom went to hospice, so she and her longtime boyfriend planned a wedding in 3 days. She lives 1500 miles away, so she asked if I wanted to FaceTime in for the ceremony... I showed up to surprise her in person!" Zimmerer, who never wanted to miss the opportunity to be at her best friend’s wedding, said, "I just wanted to bring any bit of joy I could to a somber time. I know she is always there for me, so I wanted to show up for her on her special day, especially under the circumstances." Zimmerer's visit was not just to attend the wedding of her best friend, but also to help her arrange and organize, run last-minute errands, and ensure that her best friend does not worry about missing any detail. In a sweet and heartwarming gesture, Zimmerer was also the flower girl at Butler's big day.
Kristen and Tyler's wedding venue was nothing short of an intimate affair at Butler's mother and stepfather's backyard; however, the last-minute wedding did not forego adding memorable details. Kristen wore her mother-in-law's 22-year-old custom white gown, while her pearls were a family heirloom. Interestingly, Butler wore the same wedding band her parents wore nearly 40 years ago. Tyler's sister baked their wedding velvet cake while Butler's close friend did her hair and makeup for the wedding day.
From the photos captured at the wedding, Butler was walked down the aisle by her father, while her mother watched her from a large window in a bedroom. Calling it 'the best and worst day of her life', Butler's mother was overwhelmed with many emotions. To fulfill her mother's last dream was everything Kristen wanted. For her, knowing that her mother 'bawled in happiness' is what she chooses to hold on to.
A study notes how end-of-life patients crave meaningful family interactions. David Kuhl et al. write, "Hope is not limited to escaping death. Hope for many may be in savouring final moments with the people they love and who love them." For the New York Times, Marie Tae McDermott
writes about her own experience when her partner wanted a fully 'planned' wedding that could take months. She reminded him of her terminally ill mother, saying, "Time is not on our side,” while frantically craving a quick courthouse arrangement with their immediate families. While it is fairly common for children to move their milestones for parents in end-of-life care, few are able to see it through. Thankfully, in Butler's case, they made it just in time.
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