By Kathleen Swift • Photos by AH Photography

Sometimes the simplest things are the very best. Josh and Karna Richards intentionally planned a simple, elegant evening on the banks of Elk River for their wedding.

“We met three years ago,” said Josh, “through mutual friends. We talked about a simple wedding from the start. We picked out the ring together, and Karna knew I would ask her to marry me. We had so much going on in our lives at that time. We had both lost our fathers, and it was an emotional time for us. We were at home when I proposed. The proposal was important to us, but it wasn’t fancy.”

Karna recalled she and Josh were looking for a simple setting for their wedding. 

“We are both outdoorsy people, so we wanted to be married in nature or in a natural setting. We looked at several venues, but we loved River Ranch Resort the first time we saw it. It was a place where we could get married outside, have the reception in the Rendezvous Room and have all the time we needed to set up and celebrate after the wedding.”

The couple was also able to rent two large adjoining cabins so their families could stay and celebrate. 

“It might be different during float season,” said Josh, “but for us getting married in October, it was perfect. They catered the meal, and the food was amazing. They even let us set up the night before. They were so nice to work with.”

The couple intended to be married under the beautiful trees at the River Ranch Resort, but rain the night before forced a change of plans. 

“The ground was a bit soft, but instead of getting married inside, we used the boat landing. I think we were the first couple to get married on the landing, but it was great,” said Josh.

With the river as a background, Karna came down the aisle in an all-lace gown with a short train. Josh wore a dark navy-blue tux. The handsome couple were attended by her sister and his brother as they took their vows in the natural setting they both love.

Karna and Josh incorporated unique and personally meaningful features in their wedding. Guests entered the landing through an arch constructed by Josh made of old doors. As their four nieces came down the aisle in pairs, one carried a lantern and the other of the pair carried a photo of Josh and Karna’s fathers. Karna’s brother walked her down the aisle, and in his right hand he carried a ball glove that Karna’s father used when he played ball with her. 

“It was a way to have him with us for the wedding,” said Karna.

Another unique feature the couple included was a braided rope cross. A rope from each end of the cross was braided into the center with the verse from Ecclesiastes 4:12, which reads, “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” For Josh and Karna, this represents their faith and the commitment they made to each other.

“Josh is a kind and caring man, and he is willing to help anyone. He also makes me laugh,” said Karna.

“We laugh together every day,” said Josh. “We are perfect for each other.”