Story: Stephanie Maxwell Newton | Photography: Erica Payne | Styling: Shayla Copas |
Shayla Copas infuses a wedding-weekend tradition with her signature style
When Shayla Copas started planning this rehearsal dinner, she knew exactly where she wanted to have it: her friends’ recently renovated farmhouse in west Little Rock. “The inspiration was a farm-to-table yet elegant feel,” Copas says. “I wanted it to feel magical yet grounded.” By setting luxe accents against the location’s wooden tables, tall ceilings, and exposed beams, Copas created a polished and inviting atmosphere that complemented the rustic beauty of the venue.
Decadent Details
Gilded wine glasses, vintage china, and monogrammed linens elevated the feel of the early evening farmhouse dinner, while high and low floral arrangements of hydrangeas, tulips, succulents, and roses filled the tables with fresh color.
Feast of Local Fare
Chef Tim Morton with RH Catering prepared a three-course menu stacked with homegrown staples, starting with a salad of Arkansas heirloom tomatoes, fried okra, and fresh Gulf shrimp on a bed of micro greens. The main course featured a smoked prime Stone Creek filet accompanied by smoked Petit Jean bacon-wrapped green beans and Vidalia onions stuffed with lump crabmeat and corn. For dessert, guests enjoyed a pan-fried pound cake.
Thoughtful Keepsake
During a rehearsal dinner slideshow, women opened gifts of embroidered handkerchiefs with an accompanying poem, reading: “May you have tears of joy, tears of laughter, tears of happily ever after!”
Resources
Event design: Shayla Copas, Shayla Copas Interiors, Little Rock
Catering: Chef Tim Morton, RH Catering, Little Rock
Floral design: Tipton & Hurst, locations throughout central Arkansas
Paper goods: By Invitation Only, Little Rock
Photography: Erica Payne
Rentals—chairs and tables: Hank’s Fine Furniture, locations statewide
Venue: Private residence
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