April Walsh of Freckled Fox Photography, along with an expansive list of Arkansas wedding vendors, are hosting a wedding festival that is anything but traditional or been-there, done-that. Read below for a Q&A with the woman behind it all on what you need to know about the event this weekend at Kindred Barn in Northwest Arkansas.
Weddings in AR: In your words, how would you describe Lovesick Wedding Festival?
April Walsh, Freckled Fox Photography: Lovesick is going to be a wedding festival showcasing talented local vendors who focus on fun, modern wedding design. It’ll make finding a creative team convenient for hip, fun couples with none of the traditional big-box wedding show feeling. Every booth and styled seating area will feel interactive and be full of modern design ideas. The space will feel like a fun summer party or festival, with local music, snacks and beverages, and every booth feels almost like a styled shoot. The event will be free to attend.
The space will feel like a fun summer party or festival, with local music, snacks and beverages, and every booth feels almost like a styled shoot. — April Walsh, Freckled Fox Photography
WIA: What gave you the idea to start this event?
April: Northwest Arkansas is a growing destination wedding location but most of the content promoting this region shows more traditional, classic weddings. More and more trendy, bohemian, and tradition-bucking couples are looking to celebrate their wedding days in this region and there are so many talented wedding vendors in this area ready to serve them! Lovesick came out of wanting to give the boho couple a “wedding show” without the big-box feeling and to give local vendors a chance to show off their creative ideas.
WIA: How is this event going to be different from a traditional wedding show?
April: Lovesick will be super experiential! Picture a lawn with an adorable ice cream stand, a ceremony set up, photo areas and lounge seating where you can meet and greet the vendors who put it all together. Inside you’ll find booths full of hair stylists ready to give you a boho braid, mixologists with hand-made cocktail syrups, and wedding planners, photographers, florists, and more ready to share their fully-decked-out booths. Every space will have some of the most modern, fun wedding design ideas on full display.
WIA: What can attendees expect at the event?
April: If you’re planning a wedding or thinking about planning a wedding, you should definitely get this event on your calendar! You’ll be able to meet a curated group of vendors, check out their design sensibilities, and see if you hit it off personally with them before you book. All the folks who are participating love to collaborate with each other, so you might be able to put together most of your vendor team all at once! This is also a perfect chance to check out Kindred Barn, a legendary NWA venue, and their new honeymoon suite. Come, bring your crew, and enjoy a super fun festival-like atmosphere with snacks, drinks, and live music!
WIA: Is it strictly for brides- and grooms-to-be or can anyone attend?
April: We welcome anyone and everyone! Most of the booths with be geared more towards those getting married, but there will be so much to see and do for everyone. We’re going to have live music, adult beverages and insane installations.
Lovesick Wedding Festival is Saturday, August 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kindred Barn. Follow along with the event on their Facebook page.
Participating Vendors:
Freckled Fox Photography, Kindred Barn, Joon Bridal, Samantha’s Garden, Sonnet Weddings, Tesori, Victory & Co Rentals, The Dogwood Collective, Earth and Honey Cakes, Pretty Old Stuff, Jessica Whalen Video, Amoureux Events, Cabin Blue on Beaver, Cara Nicole Event, Ginger Blue Girl Vintage, Lemon & Puf, Pa Xiong Makeup, Dance N Hance, Gala Garage, Pure Joy Ice Cream, Arrowwood Designs, Alpha Lit NWA, Stems by Em, and LAYERS