Article Categories Real Weddings

MORGAN + JEREMY

January 9, 2020 by weddingsar Leave a Comment

Morgan + Jeremy
Little Rock // December 29, 2018

Move-in day at the University of Central Arkansas was also meeting day for college sweethearts Morgan Huff and Jeremy Light. “I was a freshman and he was a junior,” Morgan recalls. “We were both in Greek life at UCA, so we met through mutual friends.” After four years of dating, Jeremy proposed at Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs. “It was a very sweet moment for both of us. We were over the moon with joy and excitement,” Morgan says. Prior to the engagement, Jeremy asked for permission to marry Morgan and received a ring from her grandmother. “It was the first diamond my grandmother received from my grandfather, 11 years after they were married,” Morgan says of the cherished token….

BRITTANY + TIM

January 9, 2020 by weddingsar Leave a Comment

Brittany + Tim
Bentonville // May 18, 2019

Brittany Bial and Tim Kane were living in Portland, Oregon, when a chance meeting over margaritas at a neighborhood Mexican restaurant brought them together. The pair dated for more than two years, during which time Tim’s job moved him to Chicago. He planned a trip back to Portland for Brittany’s birthday. While there, he took her to Bridal Veil Falls where he popped the question.

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LAKIN + RYAN

January 9, 2020 by weddingsar Leave a Comment

Lakin + Ryan
Conway // May 25, 2019

The top of the Eiffel Tower was the setting for Ryan Lofgren’s dreamy proposal to Lakin Snow. The pair were visiting friends who were stationed overseas at the time, and Paris was definitely a highlight of the trip. “It was truly a fairytale proposal that will never be forgotten,” Lakin says. Ryan, who grew up in the military and currently serves in the United States Air Force, was in Little Rock for training when he met Lakin, who is originally from Mountain View, at a local bar. From there, the couple dated four years before he asked her to marry him….

JANE ANNE + RYAN

January 9, 2020 by weddingsar Leave a Comment

Jane Anne + Ryan
Little Rock // May 4, 2019

Jane Anne Murphy and Ryan Shanahan might have met at a New York City bar called “No Fun,” but the celebration of their wedding day was anything but that! After four years of dating, Ryan surprised Jane Anne with a proposal in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park in the spring of 2018, and the couple began planning their celebration in Jane Anne’s hometown of Little Rock. They selected May in hopes of beautiful spring weather where their guests could enjoy all that central Arkansas offers. “It was so special to bring all of our family and friends to Arkansas, a place many of our guests had never visited,” the bride says. …

JO + MATT

January 9, 2020 by weddingsar Leave a Comment

Jo + Matt
Fayetteville // May 4, 2019

It’s not every day a bride delivers her own ring to an engagement. But that’s exactly how Matt Overby and his bride, Jo Johnson, began their journey to the altar. Matt had purchased a ring and had it shipped to a friend in Arkansas, planning to get it when he moved there from St. Louis in the near future. However, he knew he would have to catch Jo off guard to surprise her with the engagement, so at the last minute, he joined in on a trip to Salt Lake City for a shoot with Jo and two friends, all of whom are photographers. Now, all he needed was the ring.

Before she left, one of his friends was able to slip the ring under the driver’s seat of Jo’s car, where it rode with her to meet Matt in St. Louis before their trip. Once in Salt Lake City, he proposed at sunset in the Bonneville Salt Flats. “It took about an hour before anything hit me, which means the surprise was real, and I loved that,” Jo says. …

CONLEY + JUSTIN

July 9, 2019 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton Leave a Comment

Conley + Justin
Little Rock // June 23, 2018

Surprises were in store for Conley Harrison when her now- husband, Justin Wortman, invited her to what she thought was a charity event at his parents’ home. When she arrived, his mom told her a news crew was there to do a story on the event, and she and Justin went to the pool area to check it out. Here, with Pinnacle Mountain in the background, Justin proposed, and their friends and family (who were all gathered for the “event”) rushed in to celebrate with the couple….

MINA + JAMES

July 9, 2019 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton Leave a Comment

Mina + James
Little Rock // October 20, 2018

The couple exchanged vows at James’s dad and stepmother’s home amidst a natural fall backdrop.

A chance meeting via phone led to romance for Mina Pham and James Greenhaw. “James worked for Hewlett-Packard in Conway, and I worked for a company that was a partner of HP in Washington, D.C.,” Mina says. “We got to know each other when he visited D.C. later in the year, and the rest is history.” …

MARY DANIEL + JOHN

July 9, 2019 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton Leave a Comment

Mary Daniel + John
Little Rock // September 1, 2018

Two worlds collided when Mary Daniel Simpson and John Morgan met in law school at the University of Virginia. “From our first date on, I knew I wanted to marry him,” Mary Daniel says. “Although we are both attorneys, and seemingly quite similar (we joke that we began finishing each other’s sentences on our first date and have never stopped!), I view him as my perfect complement rather than my twin. I wanted our wedding to reflect exactly that—our similarities and differences.”

Notably, Mary Daniel wanted the day to show the in influence of the couple’s hometowns. She is from Little Rock, while John grew up in Texas but is originally from the mountains of Panama. Working with Anne-Claire Allen Owens of Anne-Claire Allen Planning & Design, they set out to combine these destinations into what Mary Daniel calls “one large party.”

The couple exchanged vows at Little Rock’s First Presbyterian Church, which was adorned with a bevy of bright pink orals to reflect Panama’s tropical atmosphere. For the reception, a change of venue (moving to the Clinton Presidential Center) signaled a start to the party. Here, guests were greeted with a glass of Panama sangria before dining on Arkansas favorites, including fried chicken and macaroni and cheese. Later in the evening Tex-Mex sliders and quesadillas (a nod to where the newlyweds would make their home in Texas) were delivered to the dance floor to keep the party going.

The décor included Mary Daniel’s family’s large collection of blue-and-white Chinoiserie vases, vivid floral arrangements and table garlands, a custom monogram (that embellished everything from the dance floor to drink stirrers), and a milk-and-cookies bar in lieu of a groom’s cake. “I would advise brides to plan around the moments and details that are most important to them. And, find someone—a planner, a friend, or family member—who will champion your ideas,” Mary Daniel says.

A WARM WELCOME
Out-of-town guests were greeted with boxes of Arkansas favorites, including a Lux candle from Des Arc and marshmallow treats from The Crispery, which has its bakery in Pine Bluff. Gardenias, seen on the printed items in the welcome box as well as the invitation’s envelope liner, were incorporated as a tribute to the bride’s late paternal grandmother’s love of the flower.

PALETTE THAT POPS
Sky blue shantung silk bridesmaids dresses and warm pink and white blooms set the tone for the wedding’s palette. “Anne-Claire was a magician at incorporating blue, white, and pink throughout the wedding weekend,” Mary Daniel says.

Artist Deborah Allen of Little Rock created the monogram painting on display at the bar.
Mary Daniel’s family’s collection of blue-and-white vases originated with her maternal grandmother. The use of the vases throughout the decor as well as the fans given out at the reception are reflective of her influence on the bride’s life.
ABOVE IT ALL
Prior to the ceremony, a balloon release paid tribute to deceased family and friends. “When I was young, my brother passed away, and my grandmother helped me understand the concept of death by sending balloons up to heaven for my brother,” Mary Daniel says. “This was an incredibly important part of the day for me.”

MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL
The contemporary architecture of the Clinton Presidential Center spoke to John’s preference for clean-lined design, while classic blue-and-white porcelain pieces and linens reflect Mary Daniel’s love of traditional accessories.

We joke that we began finishing each other’s sentences on our first date and have never stopped! – Mary Daniel

Resources
ACCESSORIES (HANDKERCHIEFS) Fresh i.d. ACCOMMODATIONS The Capital Hotel BRIDE’S GOWN (CEREMONY) Inverness Bridal BRIDE’S GOWN (RECEPTION) She Said Yes Bridal BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES Bella Bridesmaids CAKES Mickey’s Cakes & Sweets CATERING AND VENUE (RECEPTION) Clinton Presidential Center FAVORS Lux Fragrances and The Crispery FLORAL DESIGN Silks A Bloom HAIR Aubrey Smith Munsey, Lox Hair Lounge MAKEUP Megan Irwin MONOGRAM Deborah Allen Art MUSIC (RECEPTION) Funky Town, RAM Entertainment (Memphis, Tennessee) PHOTOGRAPHER Kati Mallory Photo & Design PLANNING AND DESIGN Anne-Claire Allen Planning & Design PRINTING AND SIGNAGE Hobart Print Studio RENTALS Hank’s Event Rentals TRANSPORTATION Arkansas Destinations VENUE (CEREMONY) First Presbyterian Church VIDEOGRAPHY Nathan Willis Wedding Films

AMBER + JOSH

July 9, 2019 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton Leave a Comment

Amber + Josh
Paron // October 27, 2018

“I have always been in love with the weather and the foliage of fall, and I was set on having a fall wedding,” Amber says.

For Amber Smith and Josh Cissell, love seemed to come out of nowhere. The pair, who both grew up in Little Rock but didn’t meet until their freshman year at the University of Arkansas, had mutual friends but had never of offcially crossed paths. That is, until Josh stopped Amber one day on her way to class and asked her out. “It was so out of the blue; we hardly knew each other,” Amber says. “I was hesitant at first but decided to give him a chance, and we have been together ever since!” …

NATALIE + KEVIN

July 9, 2019 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton Leave a Comment

Natalie + Kevin
Leachville // May 5, 2018

For Natalie Lipsky and Kevin Hulett, what started as a junior high crush between two friends ending up leading to a lifetime of togetherness. Natalie and Kevin met in eighth grade at Brookland Junior High and became instant friends, often writing and reading notes to one another, then began dating junior year. After five years of dating, Kevin knocked on Natalie’s door, flowers in hand, with an extra special note to read. “He told me different qualities he wanted in a wife and how I met all of those qualities. He shared what the Bible says about marriage and read a few verses to me, and then got down on one knee,” Natalie says. After accepting his proposal, the couple celebrated their joy with their families, and the planning began. …

MORGAN + JEREMY

BRITTANY + TIM

LAKIN + RYAN

JANE ANNE + RYAN

JO + MATT

CONLEY + JUSTIN

MINA + JAMES

MARY DANIEL + JOHN

AMBER + JOSH

NATALIE + KEVIN

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