Global warming am I right?

I’m kidding, and believe me - I’m not going to go there. At least not on my website. But I’ll fully admit that there is no way I assumed it would still be over 90 degrees at October weddings this year. The wedding that these two planned at Heroncrest on a sleepy little lake with random kayakers and paddle boarders off in the distance was supposed to be about 75 degrees. There was supposed to be a slight chill in the air as the sun went down and plenty of cocktails and dancing inside to keep everybody warm and instead August has just decided it didn’t want to quit this year.

Ok so I know there weren’t red leaves on the trees and nobody was exactly sipping apple cider but this was absolutely the first wedding of 2023 to feel a little bit fallish (is that a word?) and I am over the moon about it. Walking into Heroncrest I was met with rust and sage, elegant gold flat ware and warm textured lighting. There’s no doubt that Katie McIntire (with the Amanda Reed team) had planned every little piece of this day for fall. There’s also no doubt that even in the summer heat it was flawless.

Kara and Justin have an absolutely enormous love for each other. Larger than life type love. He’s a little quiet, a lot sarcastic, fully hilarious, and a tiny bit country. She’s bold, beautiful, outspoken, and just the right touch of dramatic. I can promise they’re both reading those sentences nodding their heads because the truth is over the course of the last year or so they’ve totally let me in and the way they love each other and the way their families rally around them is really a special thing. Sidebar here, Justin (or Hud as absolutely everybody calls him) may be the only groom I have ever had request a photo with just his future in laws. Oh, Kara was right there but we didn’t need her for that photo. He genuinely wanted a photo with just her parents. That’s special. Anyway…

I walked into the bridal suite for hair and makeup to find everybody essentially totally done. 90’s rap was on and loud (I believe it was actually Ja Rule that greeted me first). Kara was just sitting down to get her makeup started, the decor in the main room was mostly finished, and we were somehow about 45 minutes ahead of schedule. The guys rolled in carrying at least a dozen coolers with a bit of a glossy eyed good time already on a few of their faces and also… ahead of schedule. I knew at this point, this was going to be easy.

Kara and her sweet mom Lisa and I had a chance a few months ago to do her bridal session in Brooklyn, NY and so including me I think only 4 other people had seen her dress when she got it on with her mom in the bridal suite last Saturday. The first look with the bridesmaids was absolute awe. A few photos later and it was time for Hud to have his turn. His face said absolutely everything as he just stared at her and we backed away to give them a few moments to just soak it all in. Private vows and a few gifts bled into couples photos and a few rowdy moments with the groomsmen and a couple more beers before the ceremony was set to start, the sun would start to drop and the heat would finally let go.

The rest of the evening was wild. Every person in the room let go and celebrated. It’s a really special thing when you get to sit back in a room like that and just really soak up what is happening. So often in our lives we are forced to behave ourselves. So often we are on a time crunch or a pile of responsibilities, or a todo list looming in the back of our minds but in rare moments like this wedding you can find yourself in a room filled with people who have checked everything except for the joy at the door. The joy that two amazing families have come together. The joy that love really does matter. The joy that all of that stuff will be there tomorrow but in the present there is total freedom for a few hours to simply celebrate.

If you’re planning an Arkansas wedding this guide is for you

Ultimate Arkansas Wedding Planning Guide

So many of our blogs have a big purpose. Tips on how to prepare for your big day, how to buy the right dress, whether you should do a first look or not, what kind of time you should allocate to a first look etc… Not this one. This one is all about them. Kara + Justin, and a big opportunity to thank the wild group of vendors who came together to make this beautiful fall, summer wedding happen.