Nearly two years ago, Kristen Butler’s world changed when her mother was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.

Since then, the 37-year-old from Florida has walked a difficult path, supported by her partner of 13 years, Tyler, and their two children.

“[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,” Butler tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“We thought we had at least another year or two of being loved by her, then at the drop of a dime, two years turned into less than two weeks.”

In July 2025, as her mother entered hospice care, she shared a final wish — for her daughter to finally marry the love of her life.

Moved by her mother’s words, the couple got engaged on July 23, 2025, and decided to plan their wedding immediately.

“I knew it would be hard to plan even a small ceremony in just three days, but I was going to do anything in my power to make it work,” she shares.

In the midst of this emotional whirlwind, Butler called her best friend of over 20 years, Stephanie Zimmerer, to share the news and invite her to FaceTime during the ceremony, thinking it was likely too last-minute for her to attend.

Butler never imagined Zimmerer – a typically non-spontaneous person – would drop everything to book a flight and travel more than 1,500 miles from Nebraska to be there.

“She is my longest friend, so I was immediately sad about not being there, but I understood the need to make it happen quickly,” Zimmerer, 37, says. “I told my husband about it and we started brainstorming whether or not it would be possible to go, and 24 hours later, I had plane tickets booked.”

The only person who was informed of the last-minute plan was Butler’s sister, who strategically pulled up to the airport with Zimmerer in the backseat.

As soon as the two locked eyes with each other, they both broke into tears. Her surprise arrival was a powerful reminder of the enduring strength of friendship, even in life’s hardest moments.

“I just wanted to bring any bit of joy I could to a somber time,” Zimmerer says. “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 did whatever she could to ease the stress on Butler during the wedding preparations.

She helped decorate, ran last-minute errands, guided guests down the aisle in the right order and ensured her best friend had everything she needed – even down to essentials like deodorant and brushing her teeth.

In a joyful and unexpected twist, Zimmerer even had the honor of being the flower girl. “Having Stephanie by my side made my world start spinning again…I needed her,” Butler admits.

“I needed her clear head to think for my own. I needed her encouraging words. I needed her hugs. I needed her to tell me stories to remind me of good times. I needed her to tell my mother goodbye. I just needed her soul there with mine,” she adds. “She will never ever know how much her being here meant to me and my family.”

The ceremony and dinner took place in Butler’s mother and stepfather’s backyard. With just a few chairs, a handful of tables and a simple tent, the setting was intimate but filled with love and intention.

“At first, I had no idea where to start – this is where my mom would be my life saver – but thankfully, I do also have a wonderful support system,” Butler admits. “Our friends and family rallied together in an instant.”

The first thing her soon-to-be husband did was fly to North Carolina to bring their youngest daughter home from camp, determined to have the entire family together for the special day.

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Nearly every part of the couple’s wedding was borrowed or gifted with love. The decor came from past family events, and Butler wore pearls passed down from generations of women in her family.

Her dress, originally custom-made for her mother-in-law 22 years ago, fit perfectly without alterations. Butler’s sister-in-law baked a beautiful red velvet cake and a close friend handled music, hair and more.

Most meaningful of all, Butler was married wearing the ring her mother once wore — the same one used by her parents nearly 40 years ago.

During the ceremony, Butler’s mother was set up in the spare bedroom, which has a large window and a perfect view of the backyard. “She was able to hear some, see most and feel all of the love in her backyard,” Butler recalls.

The mother of two described the day as “the best, worst day of my life,” overwhelmed by a wave of conflicting emotions — joy, grief, excitement and guilt all at once.

“How is it even possible to be so devastated but so beyond happy at the same time?” she reflects.

Despite it all, what stayed with her most was knowing, “my mother was bawling out of happiness,” and that, she said, is the feeling she chooses to hold onto.

Butler’s mother died five days after her wedding.

“I would have married [Tyler] in sweatpants and a T-shirt inside my mother’s room just for her to be there,” Butler tells PEOPLE. “Would have moved heaven and earth for her, and we somehow did.”