Weddings In Arkansas
Arhita + Billy
Little Rock // 10.22.22
Both growing up in Little Rock, Arhita Dasgupta and Billy Hupp met at a party Billy’s brother hosted during high school. The two dated for seven years before Billy planned a New Year’s Eve proposal in 2020. “He wanted to propose then because I was graduating from med school and he was graduating from law school; he wanted it to be a big year for us,” Arhita recalls. …
Caroline + David
Pine Bluff // 5.14.22
When Caroline Oudin and David Pollard met at a mutual friend’s wedding reception at the Pine Bluff Country Club, they had no idea it would become the site of their own nuptial celebration. The pair were introduced by a friend who thought they might hit it off, and Caroline admits that after dancing and talking through the night, she “felt butterflies.” The feeling was mutual, and the couple dated for a year and a half before David proposed at his family’s cabin on Petit Jean Mountain. He popped the question at a favorite scenic overlook, and Caroline said “yes.” …
Kelly + JD
Little Rock // 6.25.22
When Kelly Lamb set out to surprise her then-boyfriend, JD Bruning, she had the tables turned on her. “I had been planning a surprise 30th birthday for him with his mom’s help,” Kelly says. Everything seemed to be going as it should, with the birthday boy appearing surprised and family and friends enjoying drinks and dinner. JD got up to thank everyone and asked Kelly to join him—which she thought was a bit odd. His sentiments quickly turned into a proposal. “He knew about the surprise birthday party the entire time and had orchestrated the plan with the help of his mother to make it a surprise engagement,” Kelly recalls. …
Sarah + Kameron
Cave Springs // 5.7.22
The workplace brought Sarah Stoiber and Kameron Keesling together. After several years of friendship through working at Sam’s Club’s corporate headquarters, the two began dating. Kameron proposed the day before Sarah’s birthday, which she planned to celebrate with a barbecue at her house. Kameron had her open a couple of gifts and then gave her a large, heavy present. She opened it to see a tiny ring box surrounded by bricks. “I immediately said ‘yes,’ and our friends arrived shortly after to celebrate with us,” Sarah recalls….
Yaya + Rene
Little Rock // 10.2.22
Love evolved naturally for Victorine “Yaya” Ciswondo and her groom, René Leonard. After meeting at the University of Central Arkansas’s recreation center in the fall of 2018, Yaya asked him out. “We went on a sweet and awkward first date, and that was it,” she recalls. However, during winter break they began to message each other, and their connection became more romantic….
Kayleigh + Paul
Roland // 10.1.22
Southern hospitality brought Kayleigh Kiser and her groom, Paul Propst, together. The two met while working at Wyndham Destinations in Branson. “After three months, I finally got the courage to approach Paul and ask him to help with my sales,” Kayleigh recalls. “We instantly hit it off and became inseparable.”…
Madison + Josh
Little Rock // 10.9.21
Madison Derden and Josh Crook met through mutual friends during their freshman year at the University of Arkansas. The pair dated for seven years, often talking about marriage and fielding the question, “So, when are you two going to get engaged?” However, Josh was able to catch Madison off guard after dinner one evening. He called Madison out to the backyard under the guise of seeing a cute trick by one of their dogs. When she got there, he was down on one knee. “Josh and I had recently bought our first home in Memphis together, and since this is and will always be such a special place for us, he chose to have an intimate proposal here at home,” Madison says.
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Lauren + Blake
Little Rock // 7.2.22
Sweethearts Lauren Alford and Blake Spilker met at Lakeside High School in Hot Springs and dated for seven years before Blake asked for Lauren’s hand in a surprise engagement. The story unfolds like this: Lauren’s friends invited her to have drinks at Agasi 7, a rooftop bar in downtown Little Rock. When they arrived, the venue was dark and vacant—until Lauren saw Blake outside waiting, along with a photographer to capture her look of surprise. “I looked at my friends and they just pushed me outside. I was in shock!” she recalls. The unforgettable evening set the stage for a summer wedding, and plans soon began to take shape.
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Libby + Lou
Little Rock // 9.18.21
Miles away from their native Little Rock and Fort Worth, respectively, Libby Whitbeck and Lou Wood struck up a conversation about East Africa at a party in Washington, D.C. “Lou was five months from moving to Malawi with the U.S. Department of State, and I studied Swahili in college and had previously lived in Tanzania,” Libby says. “Lou was only in D.C. for training before moving, and we were inseperable for those few months. We eventually took on the challenge of dating very long distance for the two years he worked in Malawi.”
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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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