Weddings In Arkansas
Emily + Matt
Conway // 6.19.21
While they both hail from Mississippi, Emily Guntharp and her groom, Matt Hendrickson, have shared their love around the globe. After meeting at Millsaps College in 2017, Matt proposed two years later on a trip to Venice, Italy. “We were there on vacation with my family and had just been on a gondola ride,” Emily recalls. “When little girls dream of a fairytale proposal, they dream of something like ours. It was an absolutely beautiful place to propose.”…
Alvina + Sam
Omaha // 9.19.20
Sam Struk and his bride, Alvina Vedernikov, met at church. “He caught my eye,” Alvina says, “and he liked me as well but didn’t think he had a chance.” After dating for a year, Sam was ready to pop the question over a picnic of Chipotle. “When we got to the picnic, there was a ‘Will You Marry Me’ sign. I was telling him, ‘Ha! That’s cute,’ and shortly realized it was for me!” Alvina says. …
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….
Jen + Bo
Little Rock // 1.30.21
There was a bit of kismet involved when Jen Spore and her future groom, Bo Brister, first saw one another at Little Rock’s Ciao Baci in the spring of 2018. “We were both out with friends, and after a few not-so-subtle glances, he made his way over to me. We talked the rest of the night and had our first official date a few days later,” Jen recalls….
Rachael + John
North Little Rock // 6.5.21
Rachael Rainey and John Cobb were just 15 years old when they met through a mutual friend in their shared neighborhood. After dating for four and a half years, John knew the time to propose had arrived. He planned a special day, starting with painting pottery and ending at the waterfall overlook at Petit Jean State Park where Rachael said yes to his proposal….
Sydney + Noah
Bentonville // 9.19.20
Sydney Steele thought she was headed to a business dinner with her boyfriend of six years, Noah West, when the couple pulled into Springdale’s Sassafras Springs Vineyard. However, Noah had other plans. Upon entering the property, he drove back to the chapel area. “Before I knew it, he was getting down on one knee,” Sydney says. After she said yes, the couple, who are both from Springdale and met in high school, went back to his family’s home to celebrate and begin planning their dream day….
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. …
Ada + Sean
Springdale // 10.31.20
Distance couldn’t keep Ada Sochanska and Sean Parham apart. The couple, who met while in undergrad at Colorado College, started a relationship knowing Sean would be attending medical school in Little Rock while Ada would stay in Colorado after the pair graduated. After a couple of years long distance, Ada moved to Little Rock to start physician assistant school. “Once living in the same city, we knew without a doubt we would spend the rest of our lives together,” Ada says.
After five years of dating, Sean decided to propose during a Christmas celebration with both of their families. “My parents are originally from Poland, where Christmas Eve is not only a big holiday but also filled with traditions, so I wanted to introduce all of our traditions to Sean’s family,” Ada says. Meanwhile, Sean concocted a plan to get her out on their back deck alone that night while their guests watched from indoors. “I’ll never forget the smiles and hearing the clapping as soon as I nodded my head yes and how happy I was to share that moment with everyone,” Ada says.
Sean is from Fort Smith, while Illinois is home for Ada. Knowing they would have family and friends traveling from several regions for their big day, they looked for a location that would make the trip convenient as well as memorable for guests. Northwest Arkansas checked a number of these boxes, and they booked Sassafras Springs Vineyard & Winery as the venue. The two had initially set the date for an April wedding, but after COVID-19 impacted plans, they rescheduled to Halloween—their favorite holiday. Going for a “playful, tender, and eclectic” vibe, they invited guests to wear costumes, incorporated special Polish traditions into the day, and danced the night away. Ada and Sean currently live in Little Rock and are planning a delayed honeymoon as travel restrictions ease.
We wanted the day to be a big celebration where we could have all of our friends together, thank them for their support of our relationship, and let them know how much they mean to us.” —Ada
Enchanting Venue
Ada and Sean exchanged vows they had written for each other in front of Sassafras Springs’ old world-inspired Chapel Ruins. Both working in the medical field, safety during the pandemic was of prime importance to the couple. Chairs were arranged to allow for socially distant spacing between the ceremony’s 60 guests.
Autumn colors in bouquets and the floral arrangements lining the aisles brought a bright touch to the natural setting.
Masked Affair
Since the pair were to be married on Halloween, they invited guests to wear costumes. The artist who made Ada and Sean’s invitations also painted custom Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, masks for the two to wear as a nod to the holiday the next day.
Standing at the altar, everything was right in the world for about 45 seconds…It was just us two, and it was exactly what I wanted.” —Sean
As favors, guests received small bags containing dried flower petals and Arkansas quartz crystals, which have become a favorite of Ada’s since moving to the Natural State.
Resources
Bride’s gown She Said Yes Bridal Cakes Briar Rose Bakery Catering Catering Unlimited Entertainment (reception) Diamond Empire Band Florals, paper goods, and wedding design and coordination Bartus Taylor, Buzz Events Photographer and videographer Erin Wilson Photography & Films Rentals Eventures Party Rentals and Pretty Old Stuff NWA Venue Sassafras Springs Vineyard & Winery
Kristen + Wesley
Little Rock // 7.11.20
Mardi Gras will always hold a special place in Kristen (Warfield) and Wesley Coleman’s hearts; it was the day of their first date. Mutual friends had been trying to set up the two for a while, but with Kristen living in Jonesboro and Wes in North Little Rock, it proved to be a difficult task. Dinner was lined up for the evening but Wes was unable to attend. Kristen went on with her friends and afterward they decided to head to the train station for a Mardi Gras party. Kristen called Wes and asked if he was coming to meet her or not. “I’m on my way” was his response, and the two hit it off instantly.
After two years of dating, Wes was eager to propose and wanted to catch Kristen off guard. Kristen asked him to join her on a work trip to New York, and he seized the opportunity to plan a surprise during the getaway. On their first day in the city they had dinner at a restaurant under the Brooklyn Bridge. “Afterwards, we decided to get a picture under the bridge. We started to take a selfie and all of a sudden he got down on one knee,” she says. “I was completely shocked and could not say ‘yes’ fast enough.”
Once home, the two began planning for a spring wedding. After touring Goodwin Manor, they knew they had found their ideal location. “I always wanted an outdoor wedding with a beautiful view and perfect weather,” Kristen notes. “The whole place was just a dream.” Originally scheduled for the first weekend of May, the two pushed the big day to July 11 when the pandemic began. “An outdoor wedding in July would not have been our first pick, but we were so anxious to finally get married,” Kristen says.
After the ceremony, dinner, and dancing, guests lined the path where Kristen and Wes made their exit amidst sparklers to a honeymoon in Destin, Florida. Shortly after, they finished building their first home together and now reside in Little Rock.
One of the best things I did was take a look at the entire setup before the ceremony. Once everything starts you don’t really have time to take it all in.” —Kristen
Natural Beauty
Kristen selected a palette of white and pink for the floral design, which was created by Silks A Bloom. “They did an amazing job making my dreams come true,” she says, noting the installation on the tree and a garland of blooms that draped to the floor on the head table were two of her must-haves. During the ceremony, the two also planted a unity tree together that is now at their new home.
The tiered cake featured layers of traditional wedding cake, strawberry, and lemon. The same flowers seen throughout the celebration cascaded down its sides.
On the balcony of Goodwin Manor, overlooking their guests, Kristen and Wes shared their first dance to Ray LaMontagne’s “You Are the Best Thing.”
Resources
Bride’s gown, bridesmaids’ dresses, groom’s and groomsmen’s suits She Said Yes Bridal Cake Michelle Linda Mayer Custom Cakes Catering Crave Catering Entertainment (ceremony) John Jarboe String Quartet Entertainment (reception) Central Arkansas Entertainment Floral design Silks A Bloom Hair Kristina Loesch, The Fix Salon Makeup Carly Westerman, Pout Photographer Meredith Benton Fine Art Photography Rentals A Perfect Bloom Florist & Wedding Rentals Rings Sissy’s Log Cabin Venue Goodwin Manor b MWB Films Wedding coordination Shannon White
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