Weddings In Arkansas
Kailey + Russell
Elm Springs // 6.12.21
Fayetteville natives Kailey Powell and Russell Lowry met in seventh grade at McNair Middle School. More than a decade later, while the couple were living and working in Dallas, Russell popped the question at a rooftop bar overlooking the city’s skyline. Friends in town helped him pull off the proposal and joined in on the celebration after Kailey said yes. “It was such a fun and exciting night to celebrate together and with our friends,” Kailey says.
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Selby + Jamie
Cave Springs // 3.13.21
For Selby Whitbeck and Jamie Boyd, May 2020 was meant to bring a trip to New Orleans’ famed Jazz & Heritage Fest. In particular, the couple were excited to hear artist John Prine sing their song, “In Spite of Ourselves.” However, when the pandemic began, everything changed. Jamie, who had planned to propose at the festival, still wanted to pop the question that weekend. Rather than in New Orleans, the couple spent the day together in Little Rock on the golf course. He got down on one knee at the 18th hole with their beloved song playing in the background as Selby said yes….
Chantel + Jeremy
Mulberry // 9.12.20
A good cause first brought Chantel Shuler and Jeremy Neville together. “I was hosting a bar crawl to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on Dickson Street in Fayetteville,” Chantel recalls. Jeremy came to the event and the two were introduced by a mutual friend. …
Megan + Hayden
Bentonville // 9.26.20
Fort Smith native Megan Cowne met her now-husband, Hayden Cherry, who is from Midland, Texas, while the two were students at Texas Christian University. After graduation, they moved to Dallas and purchased a home there, which later became the site of their engagement.
“Hayden wanted to make sure the proposal was special. With the help of friends, he pulled off a complete surprise,” Megan says. Hayden told Megan he was headed out of town for the weekend, and Megan planned to grab dinner with friends. On the way to dinner, one of her friends asked if they could run by Megan’s house to get something she’d left there. While the girls were inside, Hayden rang the doorbell and got down on one knee. A photographer captured the entire scene, and the two then celebrated with loved ones at their favorite rooftop restaurant. “It was worth the w8—pun intended!” Megan says of the surprise after eight years dating.
After deciding on Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art as their venue, the couple opted for a fall wedding where they could take advantage of the beautiful grounds. “We love Crystal Bridges and thought it would be the perfect setting for a sophisticated yet classic affair,” Megan says. “We wanted our guests to be able to enjoy this great corner of the Natural State.”
The pair also wanted a “rocking band, open bar, and good food” to celebrate the occasion. Guests at the seated dinner enjoyed a delightful trio of appetizers followed by a meal of beef tenderloin and, finally, their choice of flavors from the five-tier cake which included vanilla, chocolate, hummingbird, and butter almond with strawberry mousse layers. Now at home in Texas, the Cherrys are planning a delayed safari honeymoon to Kenya and Tanzania later this year.
All in the Details
Megan drew inspiration for the floral design from her love of chinoiserie, accenting white blooms with blue-and-white accessories. The bride’s bouquet was filled with cascading orchids, her favorite flowers. Hayden proposed with Megan’s late grandmother’s engagement ring, and for the ceremony she wore the pearl earrings he had given her on her college graduation.
Modern Meets Southern
In an effort to blend the museum’s contemporary architecture with Southern details, the couple chose the Frank Lloyd Wright Bachman-Wilson House lawn for their vows, then moved indoors for the reception. Timeless white and green floral arrangements were a natural choice, allowing the beauty of the setting to be the focus.
Our ceremony was my favorite memory of the day. It felt so special to make a covenant to each other in front of our loved ones. And after that, I loved dancing on stage with the band!” —Megan
Resources
Cake Shelby Lynn’s Cake Shoppe Entertainment (ceremony) Smoothman Music Entertainment (reception) Diamond Empire Band Floral design Silks A Bloom Makeup Beauty By Ballou Paper goods Paper Supply Co. Photographer and videographer Erin Wilson Photography and Films Rentals Eventology and Moonlight and Rust Venue Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Wedding design and coordination Natasha Gates Events
A bright and happy palette accented with citrus makes for a whimsical celebration
“Limon” letterpress wedding invitation and corresponding envelope by Jessica Downs for Bella Figura. Shindig Paperie, Fayetteville, shindigpaperie.com
Mottahedeh “Blue Lace” dinner plate and “Duke of Gloucester” salad plate. Tipton & Hurst, Conway, Little Rock, and Pine Bluff, tiptonhurst.com
Custom letterpress invitation with blueberry-patterned envelope liner. Shindig Paperie, Fayetteville, shindigpaperie.com…
Jo + Matt
Fayetteville // May 4, 2019
It’s not every day a bride delivers her own ring to an engagement. But that’s exactly how Matt Overby and his bride, Jo Johnson, began their journey to the altar. Matt had purchased a ring and had it shipped to a friend in Arkansas, planning to get it when he moved there from St. Louis in the near future. However, he knew he would have to catch Jo off guard to surprise her with the engagement, so at the last minute, he joined in on a trip to Salt Lake City for a shoot with Jo and two friends, all of whom are photographers. Now, all he needed was the ring.
Before she left, one of his friends was able to slip the ring under the driver’s seat of Jo’s car, where it rode with her to meet Matt in St. Louis before their trip. Once in Salt Lake City, he proposed at sunset in the Bonneville Salt Flats. “It took about an hour before anything hit me, which means the surprise was real, and I loved that,” Jo says. …
Caroline + Blake
Tontitown // June 30, 2018
Caroline Franco and Blake Ceola both grew up in Tontitown. Their sisters were close friends, and they even remember playing together on weekends. However, sometimes fate takes its time. “There was just enough of an age gap between Blake and I that we didn’t become friends until our mothers played matchmaker in the spring of 2016,” Caroline says. “We both pocketed this crazy idea for a while since we thought it was super weird, but, to our surprise, it was actually perfect!” …
Creative confections inspired by a bounty of berries, pears, and pomegranates
Two-tier lemon cake with raspberry filling and traditional buttercream icing, garnished with sugar-dusted seasonal berries. Ambrosia Bakery Co., Hot Springs, ambrosiabakeryco.com…