Arkansas Wedding Photographer | India + Carter | The Grand at 117 | Rogers, Arkansas
Carter and India had the most…magical wedding. They had a gorgeous intimate ceremony deep within a pine tree forest at Horseshoe Bend State Park, and a romantic reception at The Grand at 117 in downtown Rogers, Arkansas.
I honestly don’t even know where to begin. Carter and India are great friends of ours, so we knew this was going to be special no matter what. What we didn’t realize was what we were going to walk away with. A renewed love for what we do. A profound appreciation for the connections between friends and family. Really, there was just inspiration in every facet of their wedding day. I want to share just a few of my favorite moments from the day so you guys will have context when looking at the photos.
India got ready in the home of her best friends family. It added so much nostalgia and specialness to the morning. She asked to have her favorite movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox, playing in the background while she got ready (adorable). When she had a first look with her father on the porch, everyone else watched from inside the home. When we looked back, we could see everyone in tears. India’s sweet younger sister had succumb to tears. There are always those moments in a wedding day when things become…real. When everyone realizes, “Woah. This is happening.” This was that moment. Aaron and I wiped tears away and kept documenting this special moment for them, it was so beautiful. We drove India to their first look in the forest, where Carter surprised her with a BANJO. Yes, a banjo. That’s how cool they are. After a touching ceremony (ugh, look at the photo of Carters dad crying- that really got me), they went to a beautiful reception that was completely set up by their friends and family. My favorite moment in the entire world was when they signed the marriage license. So, in Arkansas you no longer have to sign your license. Only the officiant does. Everyone was super disappointed by this, so they came up with a solution. The officiant (brides best friends dad) suggested that they simply just sign the back of it anyway. HOW CUTE IS THAT. I honestly lost it in this moment. These are all some of my best friends, and to see everyone share something so beautiful together and to be making memories honestly blew me away. They simply could have just not signed it, but they did their own thing and signed it anyway. Just thinking about it is making me tear up again. Gah, anyway. SO much about this wedding that I wish I could share with you all, but I’ll leave you with the photos… Video to come soon.
A review from the bride: “Everything we chose for our wedding day was nostalgic and held a lot of meaning for us, which made it so much more special to have good friends by our side capturing every moment of the day. Before our wedding I knew that Aaron and Keely were wonderful friends. It wasn’t until our wedding day that I saw firsthand what makes them so fantastic at what they do. I loved seeing them work together seamlessly as a team and how their best qualities shone through. Keely’s genuine nature and ability to find beauty where others miss it and Aaron’s attention to detail and humor. On the day of our wedding Keely was in horrible pain but she still trekked through the woods by my side with a smile on her face. One of my favorite parts of the day were the quiet moments we stole after the ceremony. I was starting to worry about leaving people waiting at the reception but Keely and Aaron eased my mind and kept us giggling at Office quotes and innuendos. I cannot recommend them highly enough to be the ones by your side on your most special day.”
Ceremony Venue: Horseshoe Bend State Park
Reception Venue: The Grand at 117
Coordinator: Miranda Sender
Hair and Makeup: Haley Liberatore
Flowers: 27 Rue de Fleur
Dress: Custom by Fashion Design
First Dance: Still Together-Mac DeMarco
