Photography: Kayla Barker Fine Art Photography |
Nealy + Adam
Little Rock // May 20, 2017
Some things are just meant to be. That was the case for the wedding day of Nealy Morton and Adam Wells, who met while tailgating on the War Memorial Golf Course before an Arkansas Razorbacks football game at the neighboring namesake stadium.
Nealy had always dreamt of a wedding in her parents’ Heber Springs backyard with a reception at the Red Apple Inn. However, with her guest list and logistics to consider, she opted to move the wedding to her father’s hangar at the Heber Springs Airport. Unfortunately, this plan, too, had to be scrapped. “Sensing my heartbreak, my dad made a call to the manager of TAC Air at Little Rock airport and expressed our desperation,” Nealy says. “The manager, Kip, agreed to entertain the idea of holding the wedding in TAC’s historic, World War II-era hangar at Adams Field!” With the help of a skilled team, including planner Anne-Claire Allen Owens and floral designers Dale Aldridge and Tammy Copeland of Silks A Bloom, Nealy says they were able to pull together “the dreamiest, most creative wedding I could imagine.”
This “meant to be” big day included a complete transformation of the hangar, which took the design team three days to complete. A custom dance floor, enormous hanging floral chandelier, and a menu of Southern-style fare with signature drinks made the evening an unforgettable experience for the couple’s 400 guests.
Special Accessories
“My mother-in-law gave me a beautiful ring that she, too, wore in her wedding as my ‘something borrowed’ and ‘something old.’ I also had some pretty special David Yurman earrings that were my ‘something blue.’” —Nealy
When the night was over, the couple exited the hangar and climbed the stairs to a private getaway jet, which took them to their honeymoon.
Nealy’s Favorite Memory of the Day
“We met at the Arkansas State Capitol steps for our first look and wedding portraits. As the limo was exiting the Capitol, I was overwhelmed with emotion and nerves. It was completely unexpected but the only moment in the whole day where the gravity of the experience was really real. I was happy to have a moment like that.”
The Dress
“As a professional player of dress-up when I was little, the perfect dress was number one on my want list for the big day. I fell in love with my dress in Monique Lhuillier’s ad campaign for her Fall 2016 collection. I never dreamed it would be ‘the dress,’ but it actually worked out. I cried as soon as I put it on.” —Nealy
The night’s signature cocktails included Yuzu Sours and Pomegranate mojitos.
Nealy and Adam aren’t huge fans of chocolate, so they opted for a strawberry cake. Kelli Marks of Cathead’s Diner designed an ombre pink, seven-layer confection featuring a ruffled-edge bottom tier.
Adam’s Favorite Memory of the Day
“Just after the ceremony but before we entered the reception, we were able to enjoy about five minutes completely alone. It was wonderful being able to have a few moments of quiet, calm reflection in the midst of all the dizzying activity of the big day.”
Resources
Cakes Kelli Marks, Cathead’s Diner Catering Boulevard Bread Company Dance Floor Incredible Dance Floors (Houston, Texas) Entertainment (ceremony) St. Mark’s Gospel Choir Entertainment (reception) The Jam WOWS! (Dallas, Texas) Floral design Silks A Bloom Paper goods Hobart Print Studio Photography Kayla Barker Fine Art Photography (Midland, Texas) Rentals Hank’s Event Rentals, Mahaffey Tent & Event Rentals (Memphis, Tennessee), and Revolution Event Design (Baltimore, Maryland) Venue (ceremony and reception) TAC Air Wedding coordination and design Anne-Claire Allen Owens, Anne-Claire Allen Planning & Design