Photography courtesy of Jessica Janae Photography
Meet Kenady and Jordan, the cover couple for our Fall/Winter 2015 issue! Included here are the images from the story PLUS a few web-exclusive shots.
Their love story began when mutual friends introduced them at a party. At the end of the evening, Jordan announced to the entire group that he would like to take Kenady on a date. She said yes, and they have been together since.
The bride says she has known from the time she was eight years old that she wanted to be married in the Nauvoo temple in Nauvoo, Illinois, which sits on the banks of the Mississippi River. To make her childhood vision a reality, the couple were married there and celebrated with a larger gathering of friends and family the next day at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, in Bentonville.
The groom’s parents had been working as missionaries in Quito, Ecuador, for three years, and the couple set the wedding date for just two weeks after their return.
“I knew I wanted white flowers and a Southern feel,” Kenady says of her floral priorities. The bride and bridesmaids carried arrangements of white roses, anemones, and magnolias, wrapped in gold satin ribbon. At the reception, calla lilies added a touch of glamour to the tables.
Kenady says she trusted Barbara Tillman and the Crystal Bridges culinary team one hundred percent, when it came to the reception menu. In addition to a full carving station, they served catfish cakes, fingerling potatoes with dipping sauces, and a variety of breads and vegetables. “The food was beautiful and tasted outstanding!” Kenady recalls.
Neither Kenady nor Jordan is a big fan of cake, so they let their guests enjoy the chocolate and white, raspberry-filled, three-tiered confection, which was offered in addition to a buffet of their favorite desserts: apple muffins with cream cheese frosting, pecan bars from the Green Bean Café, Krispy Kreme donuts, sugar cookies from the Green Apron, and petits fours from Rick’s Bakery.
Kenady’s mother made a sequined tablecloth for the head table at the reception, the better to showcase the bride’s grandmother’s collection of solid brass candlesticks.
Kenady’s sound advice: “Take your time when dating to really get to know each other and prepare for marriage. It’s great to have a beautiful wedding, but it’s more important to have a beautiful marriage.”
Wedding Day Resources
Favors—monogrammed cookies: Lisa Bundy, The Green Apron, Bella Vista
Flowers: Shirley’s Flowers, Bentonville
Groom’s and groomsmen’s attire: J. Crew, Little Rock
Photography: Jessica Janae Photography, Salt Lake City, Utah
Rentals: Eventures, Fayetteville
Venue—ceremony: Nauvoo Latter Day Saints Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois
Venue—reception: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville