Fall Weddings in Northwest Arkansas

Oct 21

“This beautiful engagement ring comes with a bit of history behind it…

“The diamond, mined in South Africa in the late 1800’s, found a home with Zach’s great grandmother, Ong Kiem Nio Betsy “Ma”. Her family, originally from China, was living in Salatiga, Java, in Indonesia, running several successful businesses.
When the invasion of Indonesia by the Japaneses was imminent in 1942, they made the decision to evacuate, leaving their beautiful home, horses, and most of their possessions behind.
But she couldn’t part with her jewelry, and decided to smuggle it out… by cleverly sewing it into little 5 year old Joyce’s stuffed kitty cat. Bunded up in her traveling clothes, she walked to the train stations carrying her little cat. She sat on the bench, holding her favorite toy on her lap. The uniformed Japanese soldiers, with their rifles, walked up and down the platform but no one suspected that this beautiful ring was hidden inside.
They escaped, and after a time they came to the US.
The ring has been handed down in Zach’s family for 4 generations. A ring that has travelled the world, protected by strong, resourceful women. It now graces Hannah’s lovely hand. A treasured heirloom continuing its journey.”

This story was written and framed sitting next to a small stuffed cat on the bar at the reception at Hannah + Zach’s wedding inside the Ballroom at I street last Friday. It had been a beautiful fall day with a warm golden sunset that became the backdrop for the first moments Hannah + Zach would spend together after saying their vows. The trees were gold and red and orange and from the moment I arrived earlier in the day to start shooting the makeup with the ladies and hanging out with the guys upstairs there was this air of intentionality to the day. Celebration was everywhere with champagne and music and plenty of laughter but just under the surface was purpose to it all.

I’ve been doing this for a long time and watching people interact, reading tones and body language, seeing relationship dynamics shift and adjust under pressure is an important part of the job. It’s maybe the thing that separates great wedding photographers from the weekend warriors with cameras that roll in and try to force their way through this job.It takes a little finesse and a lot of patience and on Friday I could feel the emotions building. Hannah is a bride with a big smile and friends that love big. I could see that she had put a sliver of herself into every single detail of the day and yet when it came to the photography I could feel her trust. There was no direction, no suggestion, not even an opinion other than just that I do this my way. So… I leaned in and watched. I watched her friends wander through the room smiling and dancing with each other and making sure the mood was light. I watched her mom see herself in the mirror and feel pretty in that bright purple dress. I watched the jewelry go on and the fiancé turn somehow into the bride. I watched Zach’s world absolutely stop spinning when he saw her for the first time, not even knowing it was coming. Watched him stumble through his vows with tears falling down his cheeks. Watched his friends raise a beer up and toast to him and Hannah filled with joy and respect for a friend who was clearly living with so much intentionality in his life.

I watched Zach’s mom collapse on his chest feeling important and seen and valued in that moment as the groom’s mom. Watched Hannah’s mom open a letter of gratitude from her daughter and choke back tears. Watched the noon sun turn into the evening, the white Porche parked out front reflect the gold leaves and light around it as the sounds of cocktail hour filled the evening light and people told stories and sipped Palomas around a 6 foot charcuterie board. I watched and quietly wrote the story one image at a time but it wasn’t until I read the story above that I fully understood everything I had seen that day. Two families filled with story and love and history came together at that little Ballroom in Bentonville, Arkansas and it wasn’t about the cake or the dance floor or the flowers. It wasn’t about the dinner, the cocktails, the sparkler exit or even the photos - it was about the legacy of the people who love each of these people as individuals and who were committing to love them as a couple.

I’ve certainly shot larger weddings in my career. But I’ve never been in a room with more love.

Vendors:

Planning, Design, & Florals: Brooke Smith, Ovation Weddings NWA

Photographer: Miles Witt Boyer

Film: Andrew, The Power Tribe

Officiant: Evan Garner

Catering: Pasta Grill

Bartender: Mint2Mix

Cake: Harps

Cookies: HanaMade Cookies (from Dallas)

Hair: Laney (Crown Beauty Bar)

Makeup: TaNia Brewer