Photography: Laura Powers Photography |
Alisa + Richard
Northwest Arkansas // November 16, 2019
After five years of dating, Richard Horgan couldn’t wait a minute longer to propose to his bride, Alisa May. The couple, who met in Los Angeles while working in the fashion industry, enjoy taking their dogs for a walk every day after work, and Richard had planned to propose during one such walk. However, on this particular day, Alisa was tired from a long day at the office and just wanted to relax. “Needless to say, I was already so nervous and excited…I just couldn’t stop myself from getting down on one knee right in our kitchen to propose,” Richard says.
The couple, who dated for five years, took a year to plan their dream day, which they describe as moody and modern with a hint of rocker. They opted for a smaller, private ceremony at Mildred B. Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista but invited close to 200 friends to celebrate afterward at Fayetteville’s ThreatreSquared. Throughout the process, Alisa and Richard credit their planner, Maddie Ward of Sonnet Weddings, with helping them stay focused on their priorities of creating a memorable and fun day for them and their guests, complete with an open bar, a band, and transportation. They also stayed true to their style, making their wedding a reflection of their personalities. “We aren’t light, bright, and airy type of people, so we had really saturated colors in our flowers and everything else was pretty much black,” Alisa says of the palette. The same personal philosophy was applied to the menu. Alisa is a vegetarian, and working with friends who own local Mexican restaurants, they created a menu with plenty of fresh, flavorful selections. Last but not least, they hired their favorite band, Dial Up, to entertain guests throughout the evening. “We knew we wanted them as our wedding band; it’s always a party!” Alisa says. Now at home in Fayetteville, the pair are planning a delayed honeymoon to continue the celebration.
The couple’s Boston terriers, Harlow and Everley, hung out with the girls while they got ready and even shared in a few special family photos before Alisa and Richard departed for their ceremony.
On their wedding day, Richard gifted Alisa a pair of earrings by her favorite jewelry designer, Jade Trau, while she gave him a Rolex watch.
Beautiful Canvas
Having worked in the apparel industry, Alisa’s gown was a key element of the wedding. “I had no idea what kind of dress I would end up with when I first started looking. I even played around with the idea of designing my own gown. Then I found this dress at Joon, and it felt so great I couldn’t stop thinking about it! It was kind of like a blank canvas for me to accessorize and personalize,” she says.
We just wanted a fun, love-filled day.”
—Alisa
The wedding cake was a three-tiered confection with layers of chocolate, strawberry, and seasonal pumpkin covered in black icing and topped with a feather-and-floral design by Hannah Taylor of Fleurish Floral Studio.
Dance-Floor Ready
For the reception, Alisa opted to change into a dress more suited to dancing. She worked with Ashley Little at Fayetteville’s Material Concepts to design the short, spaghetti-strap gown that features feathers hand-sewn on its hem.
Resources
Bride’s gown (ceremony) Joon Bridal Bride’s dress (reception) Material Concepts Cake The Cake Occasion Catering La Huerta Entertainment (reception) Dial Up 90s Band Floral design Fleurish Floral Studio Groom’s suit Walker Brothers Hair Meghan Foster and Brooke Holt, Blonde Salon Manicures and pedicures Gloss Nail Lounge Photographer Laura Powers Photography Rentals Randal Events and Victory and Co. Rings Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry Venue (ceremony) Mildred B. Cooper Chapel Venue (reception) TheatreSquared Wedding design and coordination Maddie Ward, Sonnet Weddings
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